Kristin’s Story: a Story of Acquaintance Rape, Depression & Suicide” to be Presented at W&L
“Kristin’s Story: a story of acquaintance rape, depression and suicide” will be presented by Andrea Cooper, Kristin’s mother, on Tuesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. in W&L’s Stackhouse Theater in Elrod Commons. Cooper has been traveling the country telling the story of her daughter Kristin’s rape by a friend and her eventual suicide, from a mother’s perspective.
Ms. Cooper explains, “This presentation is very different from other date rape presentations in that I’ll be telling the story from my perspective, a mother’s perspective, and there is no male bashing. Men are especially invited to the presentation.”
Men may say, “Why do I need to go to a date rape presentation? I am not a rapist.” Most men are not rapists, but the few that are ruin many lives. One goal of this presentation is to help men to understand how their female friends and sisters feel if they become a rape victim, and how men can support and help them as a friend, a boyfriend or a brother. Men can make such a difference.
Cooper also speaks about depression, since that obviously played a huge part in Kristin’s decision to commit suicide. Many students on campuses suffer from depression, and she will address ways to recover and help them to help their friends who are depressed.
Kristin was an Alpha Chi Omega at Baker University in Kansas. Baker is a small private college similar to Washington and Lee. In the past eight years Cooper has traveled to over 300 campuses and 20 conferences presenting this story. Tri Delta sorority has been partnering with Kristin’s sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, to sponsor this event.
Andrea Cooper has presented to Sigma Phi Epsilon Carlson Academy, the National Leadership Conference for Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the Phi Delta Theta Leadership College over the past few years, as well as numerous colleges and universities.
If you wish to read more about “Kristin’s Story” you may go to her web site at www.kristinsstory.com. The public is invited to this presentation. Sponsored by Panhellenic, Kappa Kappa Gamma, One in Four and SPEAK.
