By Cait Heiderman

The University of Maryland’s Campus Advocates Respond and Educate (CARE) to Stop Violence team hosted its annual Purple Lights Night on Wednesday in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The event, held at the Memorial Chapel, aimed to bring together the campus community to learn more about relationship violence, how to recognize different forms of abuse and the resources available for survivors.

“People ages 18 to 24 are actually the most susceptible to abuse by an intimate partner,” said Grace Fansler Boudreau, the program director for CARE to Stop Violence. “It’s really important that college students understand that relationship violence can happen to folks in their age group.”

The event featured crafts, refreshments and informative games.

“This is a great event for people to expand their knowledge about what they already know about power-based violence,” said Samantha Lee, a senior human development and sociology major and CARE peer mentor. “It really gives people a better understanding of what it is.”

CARE to Stop Violence worked to make the event a supportive environment for survivors and community members. Shannen Green, a CARE peer mentor, emphasized that campus awareness efforts are particularly important as students navigate conversations about violence and safety.

“The goal in creating a safe environment is [that] we understand that these are really heavy topics to discuss,” Greene said. “[People] can find safety and peace in coming here and talking to people.”

Members of Sigma Psi Zeta, a multicultural Asian-interest Greek-letter organization, also discussed their involvement in domestic violence awareness initiatives. The organization’s national philanthropy focuses on combating violence against women.

Kristin Lai, a junior accounting and information systems major and Sigma Psi Zeta member, made a connection to the 2024 rape allegation case at Cornell University.

“That’s something that’s on a lot of students’ minds,” she said. “Making sure that the university and [CARE to Stop Violence] makes it known that they’re there to support students and just be a safe space for anyone who may be going through domestic violence is really important.”

A Jenga game with information about types of abuse was a favorite among attendees.

“[The game] was just a good reminder of the different kinds of abuse because I feel like people normally think of right away physical or verbal, but they don’t necessarily think of property or emotional abuse as top ones,” said Jenna Kim, a senior information science major and member of Sigma Psi Zeta.

Outreach peers from CARE to Stop Violence selected DC SAFE Center, a local organization that supports survivors of domestic violence, as the event’s community partner. The organizations collected donations for survivors and their families.

“I just hope that attendees know that on campus and off campus that there’s places that they can go to get support,” said Suzanne Eban-Ebai, a CARE outreach peer mentor. “This is not just an issue that’s isolated on campus in College Park.”

Students who need CARE’s resources can contact their office at ​​301-314-2222 or email uhc-care@umd.edu.

Featured Image: Decorations for Purple Lights Night sit on a wall at the Memorial Chapel on Oct. 21, 2026. Photo by Paige Trendell.