Panelists Janis Lion, Susan Ellison, Dale Myers, and Michael Goldberg discussed the legal aspects of domestic violence on Oct. 26. Domestic Violence Awareness Month Activities a Success Continued from Page 1 Harrisburg. According to literature on the project, the goal of the memori al is to “promote peace, healing and responsibility in adult rela tionships in order to eliminate domestic murders in the United States by the year 2010.” The impact of domestic vio lence got even more personal as events continued on Oct. 25. A small group of women and men gathered in Vartan Plaza for a candle- light vigil in the long after- noon shad- Participants sheltered small candle flames from the breeze while they quietly took turns sharing poems, prayers or sto ries of the impact of domestic violence on their lives. Bill Brown’s voice quivered and his leg shook as he spoke. Brown’s sister, Kim Laßosa, would have been 39 years old the day of the PSH vigil. Brown and his brother Jon shared memories of their sister growing up and their pain over her murder in August by Laßosa’s estranged husband, Paul. Much of that anger is directed at the judicial system. “We don’t blame Paul,” Brown said. According to the brothers, the victim’s husband was released early from prison, where he was being held for violation of a protection from abuse order, two weeks before killing Laßosa and himself. The Browns are now actively “People got more educated this week. That’s all I can ask. ” ~ Angela Keen, Domestic Violence Awareness Month Coordinator involved in the struggle to pre vent similar tragedies. The candlelight vigil ended with an outpouring of hugs and tears as the participants extin guished the candles and quietly wandered away from the group. While the events and dis plays that ended with the can dlelight vigil focused on aware ness and remembrance, the activities on Oct. 26 focused on advocacy and the legal issues surrounding Domestic Violence The video “Speaking Up: Ending Domestic Violence in our Communities,” was the first part of Dr. DuPont-Morales’ Women in the Criminal Justice System class Oct. 26. Hope McDonald, a PSH stu dent majoring in Psychology, was unimpressed with the video. According to McDonald, the skits “seemed corny.” She felt that the video “didn’t portray the severity of the abuse that can occur.” Then, she paused and reconsidered “Not that any ” McDonald said t 1 y . abuse is minor,’ qu i e Coordinators of the PSH Domestic Violence Awareness Month program purposely satu rated campus with a broad range of activities on the domestic violence issue. Dr. DuPont-Morales has heard some negative comments from students during the series Continued on Page 7 Photo by Cathie McCormick Musser Clothesline project T-shirt. Bill Brown bows his head in respect during the candlelight vigil. Jon Brown and Janet Widoff shelter candle flafnes during NEWS the vigil
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers