When Passions Collide for the Benefit of Students
By Tannika King - Faculty
I love when things come full circle, especially when two of my passions are involved.
Those who know me know that aside from family, the two things I am most passionate about are Darlington and the work of the Sexual Assault Center of NWGA. Recently, these two worlds collided in a great way for the benefit of everyone involved.
Earlier this year, senior Mary Margaret Wright came to see me about the possibility of the Gender Equality Club sponsoring an optional self-defense class for students. She wanted to know whether the Sexual Assault Center, on whose Board I and other members of the Darlington Community serve, would be able to help facilitate something on campus. My answer: Absolutely YES!
After getting approval from Mr. Peer, I put Mary Margaret in touch with SAC Executive Director Kim Davis to get the conversation started. As they looked at possible dates, it seemed logical to host this event during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
At our March SAC Board meeting, Kim shared that they would be partnering with Roman Martial Arts to facilitate a class for Darlington students. (And might I just add that our Board was blown away to hear that this effort was 100% student driven!)
A few weeks before the event, Mary Margaret sent out a survey to students to gauge interest in the activity. After receiving a positive response, she began promoting and soliciting sign-ups for the class.
Last night, the group gathered in the Yankee Wrestling Room of the Huffman Athletic Center, and I was thrilled to hear about the great response from students. Not only did they learn some helpful physical maneuvers, they had a ton of fun while doing it.
Here's the best part, though. In addition to serving as an incredible life preparation opportunity, this event connected our students to two local alumni! SAC Programs Director Kimberly King ('05) and Master Richard Bradley ('92) of Roman Martial Arts loved spending this time with current students.
I hope to see us build on this effort in years to come. Kudos to Mary Margaret and the Gender Equality Club for leading the charge, and thanks to our alumni for supporting it.
