For Immediate Release
Contact:
Sarah Hautzinger
(719) 389-6359
Leslie.Weddell@ColoradoCollege.edu
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nov. 4, 2011 – At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, two minutes of silence will be observed at a community event honoring Veterans Day and those touched by war.
The two minutes of silence will be observed at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, in recognition of Armistice Day, the precursor to Veteran’s Day, and is part of a Veterans Remember and Community/Military Dialogues and series hosted by Colorado College to help foster understanding and increase dialogue between the military and civilian communities.
The three-day event, organized by a collaboration that includes Colorado College, the Roosevelt Institute and the Colorado Injured Military Support Network, is timed to coincide with Veterans Day and aimed at increasing awareness of veterans’ issues.
Col. Brian Rees, M.D., U.S. Army Medical Corps, will deliver the keynote address, titled “Operation Warrior Wellness: The Warrior and Meditation.” Providing commentary at the event will be Antione Johnson, founder of the Warrior Relaxation Response Center in Colorado Springs.
Several panel discussions are scheduled, including one featuring military spouses, community organizations, writers and artists titled “Reflections from the Home Front,” moderated by Sarah Hautzinger, CC associate professor of anthropology and co-director of the Soldier-Family Wellness Project. Another panel discussion, “Reflections on Veteran Reintegration and Recovery,” is moderated by Jean Scandlyn, research assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado–Denver, and includes therapists, psychiatric nurses and caretakers.
The series kicks off at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 10, with the showing of “Restrepo,” a feature-length documentary from National Geographic about one infantry platoon’s war in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan, and the basis for Sebastian Junger’s bestseller “War.” The film will be followed by a debriefing panel.
All events are free and open to the public, and all events except the showing of the films will take place in the Gates Common Room, third floor of Palmer Hall, 1024 N. Cascade Ave. The films will be shown in the Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave.
A complete schedule of the events at the Military/Community Dialogues and Veterans Remember series includes:
Thursday, Nov. 10
7 p.m.: Film—“Restrepo” — The basis of Sebastian Junger’s bestseller, “War,” at the Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave.
Friday, Nov. 11
8:30 -11:45 a.m.: Veterans Remember I: How To Tell a True War Story. All veterans invited to share
11 a.m.: Two minutes of silence for Armistice (laying down arms) and those touched
by war
1 - 3:45 p.m.: Veterans Remember II (Second open story session)
4 - 5:15 p.m.: Keynote address: “Operation Warrior Wellness: The Warrior and Meditation” by Col. Brian Rees, M.D., U.S. Army Medical Corps. Also featuring Antione Johnson, founder of the Warrior Relaxation Response Center
7:30 p.m.: “The Dry Land,” film about a young soldier battling PTSD who returns to his wife from Iraq. Shown at the Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave.
Saturday, Nov. 12
8:30 -10:30 a.m.: Panel and discussion: “Reflections from the “Home Front,” featuring military spouses, community organizations, writers and artists; moderated by Sarah Hautzinger, Colorado College.
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Panel and discussion: “Reflections on Veteran Reintegration and Recovery.” Healthcare providers, therapists, psychiatric nurses and caretakers share their experiences. Moderated by Jean Scandlyn, University of Colorado—Denver.
1:30 - 3 p.m.: Battle Portraits. Local artist Laura BenAmots presents “Wounded Lions, Wounded Lambs,” portraits of war veterans. Roundtable discussion to follow featuring local artists who are vets and art therapists/activists.
For information, directions or disability accommodation at the event, members of the public may call (719) 389-6607.
About Colorado College
Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its approximately 2,000 undergraduate students take one course at a time in intensive 3½-week segments. The college also offers a master of arts in teaching degree. For more information, visit www.ColoradoCollege.edu <http://www.ColoradoCollege.edu>.