The New School’s Clothesline Project 2012

We are proud to announce The New School’s Clothesline Project 2012. You may have noticed the t-shirts hanging in the Stuyvesant Park Residence Hall Lobby, if not, take a look! The Clothesline, beginning in 1990 in Hyannis, Massachusetts, has become a national awareness campaign about sexual assault and domestic violence. The New School has participated for several years, but this is the first year it is located in our residence halls.

2012 Clothesline Project Display at Stuyvesant Park Residence

By creating The Clothesline Project at The New School we encourage residents to tell their story in their own unique way, using words and/or artwork to decorate the shirt. Once finished, it then hangs on the clothesline. This very action serves many purposes. It acts as an educational tool for those who come to view the Clothesline; it becomes a healing tool for anyone who made a shirt - by hanging the shirt on the line, survivors, friends and family can literally turn their back on some of that pain of their experience and walk away; finally it allows those who are still suffering in silence to understand that they are not alone.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault and/or domestic violence, you are not alone, and help is available. Reaching out for help can be difficult, but it is the most important step in taking care of yourself and beginning the healing process.

As a New School student you may contact any of the following offices:

• Student Health Services, Counseling Services 
- Telephone: 212.229.1671, option 1
• Student Support and Crisis Management - Telephone: 212.229.5900 x3189 or x3710
• Housing - Your RAs, HRs, GHC’s and RHD’s are all prepared to advocate for any resident who has survived violence, and can help you contact other resources on campus.

The city also has resources for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors;

• Safe Horizon: Rape and Sexual Assault Hotline - 212.227.3000

• Safe Horizon: New York City Domestic Violence Hotline - 800.621.4673

• NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project - 212.714.1141

If you would like to make a shirt to add to the project please contact student health services at wellness@newschool.edu.

Please take a moment to notice the t-shirts around campus, educate yourselves on the issues surrounding intimate partner violence, and then help us to continue to be a university that will not tolerate sexual assault or domestic violence.

Sisters on the Runway at Loeb Hall

Loeb Hall RA, Liz Irwin is making a giant impact in our community! Through her involvement in Sisters on the Runway student organization, Liz has created opportunities for the Loeb residents to participate in community service, fashion, art, gender studies, media/public relations, event planning or whatever interests them, Sisters On The Runway offers the opportunity to put their skills towards a great cause.

1 in 4 women are affected by domestic violence. This frightening statistic inspired the creation of “Sisters on the Runway”. “Sisters on the Runway” was founded in 2005 by three Montclair High School students Elizabeth Eddy (Parsons), Gabriela Graham (Barnard College), and Juliana Colangelo (Barnard College). The three envisioned an organization that promoted student involvement in community service while spreading awareness and raising funds for a domestic violence shelter. Domestic violence is a problem that affects all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels yet it is often ignored in society. “Sisters on the Runway” has founds a home in many schools on the east coast including Penn State, Umass, and New School University. Sisters on the Runway has since raised over $50,000 for domestic violence shelters.

This years event: Parsons New School for Design, New York City, New York; October 22, 2010- Elizabeth Eddy, Parsons Junior, along with the organization she cofounded “Sisters on the Runway”, held a benefit fashion show fundraiser for Safe Horizon. Safe Horizon is a New York City based Domestic violence shelter (www.safehorizon.org). The event showcased 10 Parsons designers as well as New York City based designers and alumni, such as Vena Cava. The event sold out within ten minutes of the doors opening. A silent auction and raffle raised a large amount of funds with sponsors such as Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Ruinart, Yumi Kim, NBC Universal, and more. The event also included a guest speaker Sil Lai Abrams, a relationship expert for men’s fitness and anti-domestic violence activist. Food and drinks were also served. The total funds raised was just under $7,000.

Sisters on the Runway was recently featured on Fox 5 “Good Morning Street Talk” for domestic violence awareness month. http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/about_us/street_talk/street-talk-oct-23-2010