by Graciela Becerra
Features Editor
gbecerr1@jccc.edu
Beginning on Feb. 11, the college will host a three-night event globally known as V-Day.
Initially introduced to the college by Gina Egan, assistant professor of science, V-Day is an activist movement that strives to raise awareness and end violence against women and girls.
“It’s a personal issue for me and I’ve always thought that I wanted to give back one day,” said Egan. ”I decided (the V-Day event) was something we could definitely do at JCCC. We have great space, we have great people and it would be great to bring this to the JCCC community and to the students as a way to support them.”
The V-Day benefit production this year is titled A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer (MMRP) and will be held at the Black Box Theatre in the Carlsen Center. MMRP features a collection of monologues by famous authors that exposes the types of violence that women endure.
“The readings are very powerful, emotional readings which really drive home the importance of this issue and that then allow someone to go from there and be an advocate in some way,” said Egan. “I really encourage students to increase their worldview and their realization of what other people are going through.”
Egan stresses that domestic violence and sexual violence can affect everyone, even if they’re not personally a victim.
“One of our monologues that we do, that’s specifically a male performer, really highlights that because his mother and his sisters were raped and he talks about the effect this has had on him,” she said.
Performance dates include Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m., with the Friday night performance including a 20–30 minute audience discussion with a panel.
“All of the ticket sales go to MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault) and Safe Home (Support for Survivors of Domestic Violence),” said Egan. “They’re all local organizations that help with this issue in the area.”
Tickets are $5 for students and $15 for the public in advance and $20 at the box office at the time of the performance.