Eastern hosts 4th annual relationship violence awareness event in memory of Alyssiah Wiley

by Noel Teter

Willimantic, CT (03/27/2024) — Eastern Connecticut State University will host its fourth annual End Relationship Violence awareness event on April 3 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Sports Center and Student Center. The event honors the memory of Alyssiah Wiley, an Eastern student who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend on April 19, 2013.

In past years, this event has featured a three-on-three basketball tournament. This year, there will be a cornhole tournament. The event will also feature a live game experience hosted by guest artist Sarah Jane Lapp.

Opening remarks will be given by state Rep. Tammy Nuccio, who recently hosted a forum on domestic violence and awareness. Three upstanding community members will be presented with Making a Difference in the Community Awards: Cara Bergstrom-Lynch, professor of sociology, State Trooper Ryan Mara and Eastern alumna Samara Johnson '20.

The event will also feature a three-person panel titled "Talking Out and Walking Out" in Student Center 219, hosted by Safe Futures, a social services organization in New London. Earl Middleton, a school resource officer in Stafford will host a discussion regarding intimate partner violence in Student Center 217.

The goal of the event is to "create awareness of violence prevention through the incorporation of an educational and sporting event," said Brenda Westberry, sociology lecturer and event organizer. "The Eastern community wants to keep the memory of Alyssiah alive in the minds of those on college campuses who engage in dating relationships."

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. In addition to attracting students from 160 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 30 states and eight countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 20 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022-23 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 13 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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Alyssiah Wiley event flyer