More than one in three women and one in four men will experience sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetime. Survivors include those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, and stalking.
To support these individuals, TMCC has appointed Tara Marjerrison as the new Campus Advocate in partnership with Crisis Support Services of Nevada. Marjerrison stated, “My job is to support survivors in many ways,” including safety planning and attending forensic exams. She emphasized, “Even considering reaching out for help is scary... You're not alone, and you have someone in your corner.”
Marjerrison is available at the TMCC Counseling Center on the Dandini Campus every Wednesday and every other Friday. Her services include crisis intervention, advocacy, and connections to resources.
The annual Take Back the Night event will occur on Wednesday, April 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the V. James Eardley Student Center, Dandini Campus. Marjerrison, alongside Counselor Erin Frock and the TMCC Counseling Center, emphasizes the event's goal of raising awareness about sexual and domestic violence. Marjerrison remarked, “So at the core of the event is going to be our unified walk around the Dandini Campus, but there's also going to be activity booths, as well as community organizations tabling.”
Participating organizations include the TMCC Counseling Center, Crisis Support Services of Nevada, Northern Nevada Legal Aid, Safe Embrace, the Domestic Violence Resource Center, Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, Paws4Love Therapy Dogs, among others. The community is encouraged to wear denim in support of Denim Day, representing solidarity with assault survivors.
Marjerrison concluded with a message on resilience: “I think there’s something beautiful about human resilience... It's about finding it, which is not an easy thing to do.”
For support, the Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 775-221-7600. For more information on the event or the Campus Advocate, contact the Counseling Center at 775-673-7060.