Mass Shootings in Schools: Causes and Consequences

**The organizers want to create an event space that is inclusive and safe for all potential attendees. Accordingly, we are requiring masks at this event so that people who are immunocompromised or otherwise at risk can safely attend during the ongoing pandemic.**

GENERAL PURPOSE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE COFFEE HOUR

To allow students, staff, faculty members, and community members space and time to collectively learn about and meaningfully engage with social issues. The social justice coffee hour will occur ~1 time per year.

INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THIS COFFEE HOUR

The title of this coffee hour is "Mass Shootings in Schools: Causes and Consequences". There are 3 parts to this event. Come to as many parts as you can - you can leave early or arrive late as needed! This is an approximate timeline.

Part 1: 3:30-4:15pm: 3 speakers giving informal ~15 minute talks.

Part 2: 4:15-4:30pm: Q&A with speakers

Part 3: 4:30-5:00pm: Small group discussions and a call to action.

Mass shootings represent some of the most shocking acts of violence committed in the United States, yet remain a highly frequent occurrence in American life. These shootings are often targeted attacks against racial, religious, and LGBTQ+ minoritized groups, but Americans across the country keenly feel the trauma and anxiety such atrocities evoke. In light of the February 13th shooting at Michigan State University, students, faculty, and staff on college campuses nationwide must once again evaluate their own sense of security, asking “What does it mean to be safe on college campuses?”. The recent tragedy in Tennessee and the ongoing gun safety protests their further highlight the urgency of this conversation. The 3 speakers will explore the causes and consequences of school shootings. The audience will be able to further explore this topic and learn more in small groups.

SPEAKERS AND BIOS

Mara Gorman is a community activist, writer, and parent. For the past seven years she has fought to change gun policy in Delaware; she currently serves as the Delaware Volunteer State Chapter Lead for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and was recently named one of the top ten most influential Delawareans in politics by the News Journal. She believes that everyone has the right to be safe in their communities and will discuss gun violence statistics and laws in the First State as well as what we can all do to prevent future gun violence on campus and everywhere else.

Sofia Quinci (she/her) is a graduate student in Sociology, with her research focusing on gender, criminology, and the intersection of the two disciplines. She is specifically interested in how social norms and how socialization shapes one's perception and presentation of their gender identity. She will be discussing how expectations of masculinity affect young men's presentation of self and can lead to violent behavior, such as mass shootings.

Kait Montimurro (she/her/hers) is a third year undergraduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is majoring in Mass Media Communications with minors in Politics and Social Justice, Legal Studies, and Journalism. She is employed by the University’s Office of Institutional Equity as a Social Justice Peer Educator and is heavily involved in advocacy work across campus and beyond, including in her position as Vice President of the UD chapter of March For Our Lives. MFOL is a national grassroots organization formed by students involved in the 2018 school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida. Her work is guided by her belief in the power of young voices to enact change. She works in her community and beyond organizing and mobilizing young voters and advocates, joining their voices in service to the creation of a more just society.

*Someone from the UD Center for Counseling & Student Development will also be available to talk to people privately as needed, given the weight of this important topic*

CO-SPONSORS AND CO-ORGANIZERS

• Faculty Senate CAPE Funds
• Office of Institutional Equity
• Student Diversity and Inclusion
• Social Justice Peer Educators
• Maggie Bennekamper, Doctoral Student in Psychology
• Alexis Drain, Doctoral Student in Psychology
• Lisa Jaremka, PhD, Associate Professor in Psychology