By Kelly Brooks-Staub
School of Nursing

Over the month of February, students and staff from the schools of Nursing, Medicine and Public Health will come together to raise funds and awareness to stop violence against women and girls. As part of the global 2007 V-Day Campaign, the 17 women from Johns Hopkins will host academic discussion forums, a dinner and swing-dancing fund-raiser, a silent auction and two benefit performances of Eve Ensler's award-winning play The Vagina Monologues.

This is the first year that the three schools have joined together for a V-Day Campaign.

When The Vagina Monologues was produced at the School of Nursing last year, student Susana Vega auditioned for the cast, then ended up volunteering as a production assistant. It was the first time she had ever seen the program. "I had planned to organize a School of Nursing production again this year, but when students from the other schools began e-mailing me about the show, I just couldn't refuse," said Vega, who is this year's producer.

Laura Cappelli, a medical student in the class of 2010 and one of two co-directors for the upcoming performances, said, "Domestic violence is such an important issue for people in the health care field. It's wonderful that we can get people involved from all three schools on the Hopkins medical campus. The performance is an amazing example of interdisciplinary collaboration!"

Proceeds from the Hopkins V-Day events — planned and implemented entirely by volunteers from the three schools — will benefit Baltimore's victims of domestic violence at the House of Ruth Maryland and Adelante Familia. Each organization also will receive 50 free tickets to attend the performance.

Caitlin Gerdts, the show's co-director and a master's degree student at the Bloomberg School, said, "The Vagina Monologues is now a global show and has a message that translates across cultures to women everywhere. It's important to give women in our local community — who might not otherwise have the means — an opportunity to see this show."

Vega said, "We have been able to do much more this year — in terms of raising funds and violence awareness — due to the resources we have through collaborating. We hope to send a message, that violence against women is, quite simply, unacceptable. Even if each of us can contribute only some small thing to this cause, we must do it."

 

Johns Hopkins 2007 V-Day Campaign Events

'Believe: Preventing Domestic Violence in Baltimore'
Monday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m., Carpenter Room, School of Nursing
Panel discussion: Jacquelyn Campbell, professor Johns Hopkins SoN; Ellyn Loy, counselor, House of Ruth Maryland; and Phyllis Sharps, associate professor Johns Hopkins SoN
More info: Susana Vega at [email protected]

V-Day Meet & Eat: Dinner & Dancing
Monday, Feb. 12, 6:15 p.m., Austin Bar and Grill, 2400 Boston St.
$25 for quesadilla buffet dinner, swing-dancing lesson; $30 with addition of profile matching
More info: [email protected] or www.aiyah.org/vday

'Preventing Violence Against Women: The Role of Men'
Wednesday, Feb. 14, 5 p.m., Carpenter Room, School of Nursing
Panel discussion: Lisa Nitsch, program manager, Gateway Project, House of Ruth Maryland; Alfredo Santiago, group facilitator, Si Puedo (Latino abuser intervention program), Adelante Familia; Daniel Sheridan, associate professor, Johns Hopkins SoN; and David Thomas, assistant director, Domestic Violence Education Program, Johns Hopkins
More info: Susana Vega at [email protected]

'The Vagina Monologues' and silent auction
Friday, Feb. 16, and Saturday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., Turner Auditorium, JHH
$10/$8 for JHU students, available at the door
More info: Susana Vega at [email protected]

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