YORK, Pa. — Penn State York will host a screening and panel discussion of the Oscar-nominated film “The Hunting Ground” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on campus. The program is free and open to the public.
“National statistics show that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 13 men will experience sexual assault while attending a college or university,” said Nick Silveri-Hiller, community outreach advocate, ACCESS-York/VAC of the YWCA in York. “This is the tragic reality of violence on college campuses. ACCESS-York/Victim Assistance Center of the YWCA York is proud to host a panel of leaders from Penn State, York College of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape to discuss the film and how we can support victims and survivors as a community.”
“The Hunting Ground” is an exposé of sexual assaults on U.S. college campuses, institutional cover-ups, and the social toll on victims and their families. Weaving together real-life footage and first-person testimonies, the film follows survivors as they pursue their education while fighting for justice. Since the film’s screening at the Sundance Film Festival, it has been screened at the White House and hundreds of college and university campuses across the country. The documentary has inspired new laws in New York and California and changes in campus policies.
“It is exciting to see multiple institutions of higher education collaborating to acknowledge the past failures to address sexual violence and work toward a future where all students can learn and grow as young adults free from violence,” said Silveri-Hiller.
A panel discussion, following the film screening, will be moderated by Silveri-Hiller. The panel also includes:
- Paul W. Apicella, Title IX coordinator, Penn State
- Kristen Houser, chief public affairs officer, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
- Amanda Rich, assistant professor, behavioral science/sociology, York College of Pennsylvania
The event is sponsored by the Penn State York Student Affairs Office and the Student Activity Fee (SAF).
ACCESS-York/Victim Assistance Center are the intimate partner violence and sexual assault programs of the YWCA York and provide confidential and free support for victims and survivors. Call 800-422-3204 for sexual violence and 800-262-8444 for intimate partner violence to find out what options are available.