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Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic and Sexual Violence Center

‘Get Loud!’ takes aim at sexual assault, domestic violence

February 7, 2018 By B.C. Manion

Cheers normally reverberate through Wiregrass Ranch High School’s gymnasium when a boys basketball player on the home team scores.

That didn’t happen though during the initial minutes of the varsity team’s Jan. 30 game against Sunlake High School.

Instead, spectators remained silent, in response to signs being shown to them that said “Shhh” and “Be Quiet.”

Lots of people wore purple to a special event staged during the Jan. 30 basketball game between Wiregrass Ranch and Sunlake high schools. The goal was to raise awareness about the problems of power-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault. (B.C. Manion)

The crowd kept quiet until the ninth point was scored and then —responding to signs that said “Break the Silence” — spectators roared.

Obviously, there was a lot more going on than just a routine basketball game.

In fact, a full-fledged public awareness campaign was being staged, too.

Wiregrass Ranch High School’s basketball game was the venue for “Get Loud!”

The event was presented by the high school, in Wesley Chapel, in conjunction with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and Sunrise of Pasco County Inc. Domestic and Sexual Violence Center. It also was supported through a Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation Community Heroes grant.

Staying silent for nine points was intended to call attention to the fact that every 9 seconds in the United States a woman is assaulted or beaten.

Besides making people more aware of the problem, the event aims to spread the message that it’s time to break the silence about these forms of violence, which are sometimes deadly.

Wiregrass Ranch senior Gabby Azzolina led the efforts to bring the event to her school. She said people don’t realize the extent of the problem, and survivors don’t know where to turn for help.

“So many people don’t know there are facilities to help and numbers to call,” Azzolina said. “I want them to know that it’s OK to get loud about it, and break the silence. The Crisis Center’s number is 2-1-1.”

Mathematics teacher Amy Munroe helped Azzolina to organize the event at Wiregrass Ranch.

Munroe said she was happy to help when she was asked. She hopes that more people will begin talking about the problem, as a result of the event.

“Just to be able to talk about it, is a big deal,” Munroe said.

Buttons at the ‘Get Loud!’ event helped spread the message of the problems of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Dottie Urbanek Nash, director of education and prevention for Sunrise, said these kinds of events are important.

“Awareness campaigns like this are wonderful. They do a lot to get the word out about what’s happening, locally. Unfortunately, we tend to think that domestic violence doesn’t happen here,” she said.

It’s also important for people to know there are ways to help prevent these types of violence, she said.

The Wiregrass Ranch event evolved out of a conversation between Gabby’s mom, Madeline Azzolina, and Denise Cassedy, whose daughter, Katie, initiated the first “Get Loud!” event at Robinson High School two years ago.

After Katie graduated, her sister, Carolina, got involved, and now — Robinson, Plant and Hillsborough high schools in Tampa have “Get Loud!” events.

Wiregrass Ranch intends to make this an annual event, Munroe said.

Some sobering statistics

  • One of every three women have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within her lifetime. The same is true for one in every four men.
  • One in five women has been sexually assaulted.
  • One in seven women has been stalked. The same is true for one in 18 men.
  • Nearly two-thirds of all sexual assaults are not reported to the police.

Source: The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Do you need help? Call 2-1-1

Published February 7, 2018

Filed Under: Education, Local News, Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News Tagged With: Amy Munroe, Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Denise Cassedy, Dottie Urbanek Nash, Gabby Azzolina, Hillsborough High School, Madeline Azzolina, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Plant High School, Robinson High School, Sunlake High School, Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch High School

Symposium spotlights mental health, well-being

April 26, 2017 By Kevin Weiss

College life can be exciting, but also can be challenging.

Besides searching for independence, there comes a new level of responsibilities — academically and socially.

That’s why administrators and student leaders at Pasco-Hernando State College organized a Community Resource Fair and Symposium on mental health and well-being, at the college’s East Campus in Dade City.

Research conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness on mental health on college campuses shows:

  • 25 percent of students have a diagnosable illness
  • 40 percent do not seek help
  • 80 percent feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities
  • 50 percent have been so anxious they struggled in school

About a dozen organizations were present during the April 19 event — part of the college’s ongoing community awareness series.
Several local mental health and wellness agencies were on hand, including BayCare Behavioral Health, and Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic and Sexual Violence Center.

Pasco-Hernando State College organized a Community Resource Fair and Symposium on April 19 at its East Campus in Dade City.
(Courtesy of PHSC)

Representatives from those groups, along with a college staff member, led a panel discussion on mental fitness among college students.

One of the panelists was Jacqui Turner, a liaison for BayCare Health System’s Student Assistance Program (SAP), which provides support to students in dealing with personal, academic, or relationship problems via referral services through managed care benefits and other community resources.

According to Turner, most college students utilize the SAP service because they struggle balancing school, work and general life obligations.

Those stresses, Turner said, can translate to poor classroom performance.

“When your mind is focused elsewhere,” she said, “you’re not performing to your fullest potential…and your grades go down pretty fast.”

Aside from stress, feelings of anxiety and depression can also be prevalent among college students, Turner noted.

Another panelist, Chuck Wilson— the college’s executive director of the President’s Institute for College Preparation, Completion, Certification, Leadership Development — suggested financial decisions—good and bad—can impact mental well-being.

He said most debt is created right out of college.

“As you’re preparing for life, don’t mess up your money,” he said.

That includes incorporating preventative measures, such as saving and smart spending habits. 
“If you don’t do that,” Wilson said, “now you’re dealing with depression, and fear and anxiety.”

Later on, Wilson advised those with financial struggles to seek help from elder family members and dabble with financial literacy programs.

“Often there’s value in age and experience,” he said.

He also advocated performing a self-assessment “when something is weighing you.”

“Have courageous conversation with yourself. When you tell yourself the truth, I think that’s the baseline for rising above whatever the situation is.”

With April being National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a portion of the symposium centered on ways to support victims and survivors of sexual assault, dating and violence domestic and stalking.
The topic was led by Aubrey Hall, Green Dot coordinator for Sunrise of Pasco. The Green Dot Bystander aims to end or reduce the amount of violence found on university campuses.

According to Hall, one in four women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and one in six men will be stalked.

“These numbers rise when college is in session,” Hall explained. “When you’re in college, you’re four times more likely to be assaulted than when you’re not in college.”

She pointed out survivors of violence “sometimes feel guilty or shameful, because they feel like they should have acted.”

Empowering those victims, Hall said, starts with utilizing proper interaction techniques.

One such technique, called trauma-informed care, is an approach that aims to engage people with histories of trauma, recognize the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledge the role that trauma has played in their lives.

“When you go and you interact with somebody, you don’t really know what they’ve been through. And, it’s really not right to ask somebody about it,” Hall said.

“I never go into a room assuming no one’s experienced violence.”

She, too, never asks ‘why,’ when dealing with trauma victims, due to its presumptive tone.

“If you’re asking somebody why something happened to them, you’re putting the blame on them. You’re putting the onus on them,” Hall said.

She added: “Language is extremely important. Not only how you’re asking the questions, but then following up.”

Published April 26, 2017

Filed Under: Health, Local News Tagged With: Aubrey Hall, Baycare Behavioral Health, Chuck Wilson, Dade City, Jacqui Turner, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Pasco-Hernando State College, President's Institute for College Preparation Completion Certification Leadership Development, Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, The Green Dot Bystander

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February 23, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

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‘Aladdin jr.’

Live Oak Theatre is now selling tickets for its Acorn Theatre production of “Aladdin jr.” Performances will be March 18 through March 28, at the Carol and Frank Morsani Center for the Arts, 21030 Cortez Blvd., in Brooksville. Seats are $15 for adults and $8 for children ages 13 and younger, when accompanied by an adult. For show times and tickets, visit LiveOakTheatre.square.site, email , or call 352-593-0027. … [Read More...] about ‘Aladdin jr.’

03/05/2021 – Apple Pie Bombs

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will offer “Foodie Feast: Apple Pie Bombs” on March 5. Participants can learn how to make tasty, apple pie bombs. Watch the prerecorded video between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., online at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary. For information, call 352-567-3576, or email Danielle Lee at . … [Read More...] about 03/05/2021 – Apple Pie Bombs

03/06/2021 – Bridal Trunk Show

The Gulfside Hospice New Port Richey Thrift Shoppe, 6117 State Road 54, will host a Bridal Trunk Show on March 6 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be more than 250 dresses to choose from, starting at $29.99 and many brand new. Admission is free, but limited spots are available to allow for social distancing. Brides must register online in advance, by March 3, at bit.ly/NPR-Bridal-Trunk-Show. All proceeds from the shop go to help hospice patients in Pasco County. For questions, contact Jeremi Sliger at , or call 727-842-7262. … [Read More...] about 03/06/2021 – Bridal Trunk Show

03/11/2021 – Economic security

The Pasco Unit of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County will sponsor a panel discussion on “Economic Security in Pasco County During the COVID Outbreak” on March 11 at 7 p.m. Panelists will include Brian Hoben, community services director, Pasco County Public Services; Marcy Esbjerg, director of community development, Pasco County Public Services; Don Anderson, CEO, Pasco Homeless Coalition; and, Mike Bishop, director, Stakeholder Engagement, Pasco Economic Development Council. For information on how to register, email . … [Read More...] about 03/11/2021 – Economic security

03/13/2021 – ‘Grease’ event

T-Mobile will sponsor “Grease is the Word” on March 13 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. There will be a sing-along contest pitting Pasco County Fire Rescue against the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, a free movie “under the stars,” and a classic car show with prizes. There also will be food trucks and games. Admission is free. … [Read More...] about 03/13/2021 – ‘Grease’ event

03/13/2021 – Exhibitors needed

Demene Benjamin and UrEsteem will host “UrSelf: A Dabble in Self-Care” on March 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. Exhibitors can be anyone who has a product or service to promote physical, mental and social health, including physical and massage therapists; counselors; churches; nail techs/hairstylists; yoga/pilates/exercise; or natural products. For information, call 813-334-6006, or email . … [Read More...] about 03/13/2021 – Exhibitors needed

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