Domestic Violence Awareness Event
Alpha Beta Psi Sorority hosts painting event for awareness
Duvie Johnally | 11/5/23 | Words: 965
Domestic Violence is a public issue caused by a variety of issues. These issues can stem from physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technical actions or threats. Several areas across Farmville, rather across the entire world have victims of domestic abuse. In response, people would start up rallies or organize events to spread awareness of these events. The sorority group alpha beta psi hosted an event help spread awareness for domestic abuse.
Vice president of Alpha Beta Psi sorority Melony Crawford helped in the planning of this event. Crawford said, “This is an event- a collaboration with Alpha Beta Psi being the host. OEP which is the head of multicultural event, and Delta Sigma Theta which an MPHC sorority, and we came together to host a paint awareness night for Domestic Violence Awareness Month which was in October. And so, that’s what this event is all about. So, we’re painting against it, like thinking positively, speaking positively, knowing what consent is, things like that.”
As mentioned before, many people will host a type of gathering to help spread awareness of these kinds of issues. These events can be expressed in a number of ways, and this sorority group chose to spread awareness with a painting event. In the first-floor lounge in Upchurch, Alpha Beta Psi set up several art stations with blank portraits of flowers, smiles, even lightbulbs to represent the “positive thinking” that Crawford mentioned.
Crawford said, “So, we are not fundraising, we’re just raising awareness. So, we’re just speaking up about domestic violence and organizations in Farmville such as steps that you can go to, and like things like that, and different events like Alpha Beta Psi and other organizations hold and everything like that. We do raise money throughout the semester though, for domestic violence awareness.”
According to Crawford, the purpose of this event is not for funding. It’s purpose other than awareness is to help get OEP, DST, and Alphe Beta Psi’s name out on campus. Crawford responded with, “Our main goal is to just to raise awareness, especially for at least ABY, or Alpha Beta Psi, I don’t say ABY. We are trying to help trying raise money and awareness for STEPS because they recently bought Madeline’s House, which is a shelter for women and children who are in domestic violence situations that need a place to go to get away from those situations. So, we are raising awareness on them and how they’re raising money to reopen Madeline’s House. It’s just raising awareness, bringing the community together.”
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Crowford continued with, ”So, in general, most sororities and fraternities have their own philanthropy, which is something to which is something they pick to raise awareness and money for. But you don’t have to raise money if you don’t want to. Alpha Beta Psi specifically is domestic violence awareness and sexual assault awareness, so that is like our big thing and we try to make as many events as we can. We do a week tabling in October, and then if we want to hold our event, usually we do a cornhole event, this year we did a paint night event, and then next semester we’ll hold a denim day walk, which is a big event on campus as well. But, yeah, things like that.”
This statement provides the idea that all fraternity and sorority have their own issues they pick and raise awareness of. Out of all the issues they raise awareness for, they seem to hold a different way to support awareness every semester or year, depending on the schedule as it may vary. It is possible that these events can be repeated every once in a while, but currently they have the idea to switch things up to keep it interesting, finding new ways to help support others.
Crawford said, “I Have been working with Sasha from LEP and Rebecca Chung from DST, or Delta Sigma Theta, on this event for about a month now, working with SGA and Sasha and everything so it’s been in the work ins.”
To help cooperate with Alpha Beta Psi’s paint night event, Katrina Hanz, owner of a unique paint event company, helped organize this event to help with raising awareness. Hanz said, “I was invited out by miss Sasha and Mel, and it speaks volume dealing with domestic violence and sexual abuse and assault and just letting people know it’s not ok and it’s ok to speak about it.”
Hanz adds a little more detail about the event by saying, “This event is just speaking about making the awareness of domestic violence awareness and sexual assault awareness. … To see people express themselves through painting, that they have an opportunity to speak out loud. So, if they’re shy, their colors have a lot of expression; so you can see anger, you can see happiness through the painting that will be displayed towards the end of the night.”
Hanz has done painting events very similar to this before in the past. She came by last year and helped sponsor this very same event. Because Alpha Beta Psi did not do the painting last year, it is likely either another sorority or fraternity did a similar paint night event, as Hanz says that she helps sponsor anybody that will have her company come out.
The paint event was a very good and it brought in several people who wanted to help support and spread awareness. Future events are unknown if any other fraternities or sororities will be able to do a similar event to help with domestic violence or if Alpha Beta Psi is willing to cooperate with or help host another event.
OEP DST and Alpha Beta Psi
