Northwestern’s Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators announced yesterday that the BACCHUS Network awarded the university’s chapter with Outstanding Network Member for the second year in a row. SHAPE adviser and CARE co-director Laura Anne Stuart was also named Outstanding Advisor by the BACCHUS Network.
“We’re all real excited about them, especially two years ago we won outstanding new member and last year we won outstanding member and it’s good to see that we’re keeping up momentum,” said Jai Broome, PR Chair for SHAPE.
The BACCHUS network also recognized SHAPE for its part in contributing to the 2011 Essential NU on consent and sexual violence presented during the Class of 2015’s Wildcat Welcome.
“We were fortunate enough to be part of the process of overhauling of this particular orientation program and SHAPE’s role is primarily as facilitators with small groups after the performance and so that exposure with peer experts about these topics,” said Broome. “The effects are really apparent with the amount of new students that reported that the presentation was either ‘somewhat or very informative’ – they jumped from 60 percent to 85 percent in just one year. We’re still waiting for this year’s numbers, but we expect them to be a little higher.”
The University's Theater department, New Student and Family Programs, The Center for Youth Inquiry and Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault also contributed to the revamped Essential NU. According to a press release from SHAPE, out of the 345 members of the BACCHUS Network only five receive the honor of “Outstanding Network Member.”
“It is exciting to be recognized for our efforts,” said Executive Director Mallory Mattimore-Malan in the release. “I have seen every member of SHAPE work so hard this last year and I think we have really moved the campus dialogue in the right direction.”