Katie Koestner, a nationally-known survivor of date rape and recognized sexual assault awareness and prevention advocate, will give a presentation titled "No-Yes" at 8 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 10) in Denison's Swasey Chapel. Koestner's three-fold message of successful sexual communication, responsibility in the use of drugs and alcohol, and respect for self and others in order to decrease the incidence of campus sexual assault has raised awareness about date rape. She has spoken at more than 800 schools around the country. Her appearance at Denison is sponsored by the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, the Student Activities Office and Women's Programs and will be free and open to the public. A question and answer session will immediately follow her talk.

After being sexually assaulted by a fellow student in the first month of her freshman year at the College of William and Mary, Koestner went public with her story and appeared on Entertainment Tonight, the NBC Nightly News, Larry King Live, and Oprah. She was also featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in 1991 and in an HBO Lifestories Docudrama, "No Visible Bruises: The Katie Koestner Story," in 1993. She also lobbied Congress to pass the Victim's Bill of Rights into law in 1992.

Koestner graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from the College of William and Mary in 1994 and has continued her fight against a "crime of silence." Now a certified sexual assault counselor, she was the keynote speaker at both the east and west coast sessions of the 4th Student Conference on Campus Sexual Violence in 1995, and at dozens of other national conferences. She is co-author of the guidebook, "Sexual Assault on Campus: What Every College Needs to Know About Protecting Victims, Providing for Just Adjudication, and Complying with Federal Laws."

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575