- Slug: Sports-Coyotes Greek Life Night, 540 words
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By Zach Larson
Cronkite News
GLENDALE – College campuses are among the nation’s most dangerous places when it comes to sexual assault, so the Arizona Coyotes and Arizona State University’s Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Association (PHA) recently teamed up to raise awareness of the issue at “Greek Life Night” at a Coyotes game.
The two councils wanted to create an experience that allows sororities and fraternities to bond while placing a spotlight on sexual assault prevention. It resulted in the “Greek Life Night” event on November 10, when the Coyotes played host to the Minnesota Wild at Gila River Arena.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), 13% of students are sexually assaulted on a college campus. And according to a study in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, women in college sororities are 74% more likely to be the victim of a sexual assault than other college women.
“Sexual assault historically has been an issue in Greek life,” said Vivek Ravi, IFC vice president of finance. “While much more work must be done to truly resolve this issue and provide the resources necessary for victims and survivors of sexual assault, we wanted to take a step in the right direction and demonstrate our commitment to sexual assault awareness and prevention.”
Joseph Laveroni, account executive for the Coyotes and a former ASU fraternity member, worked closely with both councils to ensure the event was a success.
“Having the opportunity to partner with the Coyotes and attend games while also fundraising for such an important cause is something that I would have loved to take advantage of as a student myself,” Laveroni said.
Fraternity and sorority members bought more than 220 tickets to the Thursday night game, and the Coyotes used LED boards throughout the game in Gila River Arena to recognize the different fraternities and sororities for their efforts in a cause that touches close to home for many college students.
The night also capped off the tenure of IFC president Parker Wilson, who welcomed in new president Nick Khonaysser. Wilson’s drive to help prevent sexual assault in ASU fraternities has been his primary objective during his term, and he is optimistic his efforts will continue under Khonaysser’s leadership.
“Although it is a sensitive topic for many, we are making sure to keep the conversation going and will hopefully continue to raise awareness for the ongoing problem in the community with sexual assault,” Wilson said.
The IFC is working to create more events like the Coyotes game to raise awareness and funds to address sexual assault and prevention within ASU communities. The council is partnering with the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence to raise money for the cause.
The Coyotes have also expressed interest in working with the councils going forward to address the problem.
“We are already in talks with IFC and Panhellenic around planning a second-semester event in support of our scheduled Arizona Coyotes Sexual Violence Awareness Night in April,” Laveroni said. “Both IFC and Panhellenic were incredible partners in making this night a reality, and it is surely a tradition that we hope to continue for the foreseeable future.”
Wilson agreed and believes the partnership will continue to tackle the issue.
“Working with the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence as well as the Arizona Coyotes were both new endeavors and partners,” Wilson said. “Hopefully, we can continue to be leveraged in future events.”
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