Freshman students attend annual event
The Office of Student Activities hosted the annual tradition, Javelinas Night Out (JNO), on Tuesday and Thursday, Sept. 7 and 9, at 6 p.m. in Jones Auditorium.
Freshman students are the targeted audience, as this event allows their minds to feel inspired and sends a meaningful message on the reality of college life.
Wellness coach and international activist Brittany Piper was welcomed as the special guest speaker on Tuesday night.
The young women of Javelina Nation filled the room to witness the strong message delivered by a resilient survivor. The story of how Piper overcame the most horrific event any of us could imagine: sexual assault.
Jayme Kurtz, freshman student, said the event was eye opening and taught her an important lesson.
“While I was listening to the different forms of sexual abuse, I compared them to my own relationships and experiences. Lucky for me, I concluded that I am in fact in a healthy relationship. The part that hits me the most in this situation is thinking about how many people in the audience might have realized that they are in an abusive relationship,” Kurtz said. “In college, it is easy to overlook sexual abuse scenarios that occur at parties. After listening to Brittany, I can honestly say that I will be on the look-out for these situations, and if I ever feel like another person is in danger I will intervene because you never know when you might save a life. I enjoyed attending this event and I am thankful Brittany was able to speak with us.”
Piper uses her story of adversity to empower people to take action in their own lives.
“I remember thinking my life was about to be over, this was the end. I remember going through a dark time after this event, people made comments of how careless I was rather than telling me this was not what I deserved,” Piper said. “The days that followed consisted of self-hatred, shame and guilt on my behalf. Until I began to look at my pain and suffering from a different perspective. This perspective allows me to change people’s lives and I hope I can be that change within themselves.”
The attentive crowd gathered once more for another impactful message. This crowd consisting of mainly young men who sought guidance on how to find their purpose.
Former NFL player, speaker and author Clint Gresham, was welcomed to Javelina Nation on Thursday night.
Clint’s time in the high-performance space marked him with a passion for excellence and resilience that he now imparts to individuals around the world.
“It is your job, no one else’s, to recognize the tremendous value you carry,” Gresham said. “My message serves as a reminder to young men and individuals that you will walk in such a deeper level of relational satisfaction when you don’t let emotion highjack the situation.”