Metanoia week begins with rally

The "What Will You Do?" rally held last night outside the Student Union helped kick off the week-long event Metanoia, which promotes the prevention of violence against women.

"Metanoia" is a Greek word that means "change of thoughts and attitudes."

Brittany Florio, a 9th-semester agricultural and natural resources and women's studies double major, told students who attended the rally that sexual violence and violence against women is an issue that "cannot wait."

Metanoia was first celebrated on the UConn campus in 1979, and Florio, with other the help of others, worked to reinitiate the week-long event last year.

Florio urged students to speak out about this prevalent issue, saying that "silence is violence."

President Michael Hogan attended the rally and addressed the audience, asking students to take initiative and responsibility around the UConn campus.

Hogan asked students to "look out for each other" and consider what students, as members of the UConn community, can do to end violence against women.

UConn's a capella group A Minor performed throughout the rally, singing hits like Alanis Morissette's "You Live, You Learn" and Babyface's "Nobody Knows it But Me."

Among the speakers at the rally were several students who shared their own personal experiences with sexual violence, as well as their own involvement in the movement to end violence against women.

Emma Blandford, a 7th-semester communication sciences and American Sign Language major urged students to "come out of their comfort zones to hear the truth" surrounding this issue.

Blandford also asked students to "accept the challenge for standing up for what you believe is right," and to take a stand against sexual violence.

The role of men in preventing violence against women was addressed as well. Phil Brown-Wilusz, a 5th-semester history major, a member of the Men's Project and a Violence Against Women Prevention Program (VAWPP) facilitator, asked that students help to create a "generation of men who respect and love women."

The rally ended with a candlelit moment of silence, during which students and attendees were asked to reflect on what they could do to end violence against women.

After the rally, students were encouraged to sign the Declaration of the Citizen of the University of Connecticut, a document which pledges awareness and change regarding sexual and domestic violence and violence against women.

Upon signing the document, students were given rubber bracelets with the phrase "What Will You Do?" and Metanoia pins as constant reminders of the need for the prevention of violence against women.

For a full list of the 2009 Metanoia events, visit metanoia.uconn.edu.