Colorado Mesa University is set to host a domestic violence community panel on Feb. 19, with a workshop a week later on Feb. 26, both taking place in the University Center, Room 213.
The domestic violence workshop is presented by the One Love Foundation and unlike the panel, it will focus more on CMU’s campus and less on the general community, according to Instructor of Speech DeArtha Chambers, who has a role in coordinating the events.
“For our domestic violence panel, which is attached to the community, they’re going to come and tell us what domestic violence looks like in our community, what it looks like when they respond and what they do,” Chambers said.
The panel will have guest speakers who have dealt with the domestic violence reporting process throughout their careers. “We currently have a police officer, we have a lawyer and then we have a legal assistant coming to talk about what happens when we make the call, what it looks like and the process,” Chambers said.
According to Chambers, the panel on Feb. 19, from 5-6 p.m., will be an event for the community to gather around and talk about domestic violence, while at the workshop on Feb. 26, from 4-6 p.m., there will be a showing of the film Escalation, a movie on domestic violence targeted at college students. Following the film, they will spend a half hour discussing the film and resources one can use when struggling with a domestic violence situation.
At the workshop, Grand Junction police officers will be on site with victim advocates for emotional support at any process during the film or the following discussion.