California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA. - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will commemorate the 2008 killing of 15-year-old gay Oxnard student Lawrence King with a candlelight vigil on Tuesday, February 15, on the CI campus.

The evening’s program will feature a showing of The Laramie Project at 6 p.m. at CI’s John Spoor Broome Library, room 2325. The program is presented by Spectrum, the School of Education, the English program, the Centers for Multicultural Engagement and Community Engagement, Associated Students, Inc., Housing & Residential Education, and Multicultural Programs.

For the second year the student gay/straight alliance, Spectrum, in partnership with Julia Balén, Associate Professor of English, and her English/Gender Studies Class, offers a program to remember Lawrence King. This year they also commemorate the wrongful murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay student from the University of Wyoming. The Laramie Project, a film of the play by Moises Kaufman, will be shown followed by a discussion. Balén stated that, “The University needs to be a forum for dialogue, a place where challenging issues can be intelligently discussed.”

The discussion, an exploration of how we might end violence and harassment directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in schools and communities, will be followed by a candlelight vigil.

CI emphasizes the issue of civil discourse and what it means in campus life, particularly in light of the current national conversation about civility and democracy. This program considers what respecting differences means.

The program is free and open to the public. For additional information please contact Julia Balen at julia.balen@csuci.edu.

Persons with special needs or conditions who would like to request an accommodation should contact 805-437-3331 or e-mail accommodations@csuci.edu.

Limited parking is available on campus. A daily permit is $6. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the VISTA Bus to the campus; the fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.