Cover the Night Hits Plymouth

Following the release of film maker Jason Russell's latest documentary Kony 2012, the nation was grabbed by the plight of the "Invisible Children." In the hopes that as many citizens as possible could view this film, it was released online to Youtube.com on Mar. 5, 2012 and soon went viral.

The story of Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army's (LRA's) use of child soldiers quickly gained the attention of the public and had many individuals asking what they could do to help.
According to Kony2012.com, "The Kony 2012 campaign employs film, social media, street art, and face-to-face interaction to make the case that the arrest of Joseph Kony this year is one thing we can all agree on."

Other main goals besides the arrest of Kony are stopping LRA violence in Central Africa and rehabilitating former child soldiers. Profits from donations to this cause and everything purchased fund the Invisible Children Inc.'s efforts to make their goals reality.
Because this campaign so strongly relies on people's ability to spread the word whether through video sharing, poster creation, social media usage etc. it was asked that everyone invested in the cause participate in the "Cover the Night" event that took place on Apr. 20. 

On this day, supporters of the Kony 2012 movement were asked to cover their cities with posters in the hopes of raising further awareness about this cause. People were encouraged to do this in small hometowns and even college campuses, anywhere where the message could be heard, no matter on what scale.

This is exactly the task that students here at PSU undertook last week. Though Kony 2012 is a national campaign and anyone could participate, on campus, the group Ending Genocide Around the World (EGAW) took the reigns and tried to assist in creating an organized and successful event.

EGAW President Ryan Bernier, when asked about how students were encouraged to participate, responded that "[EGAW] encouraged student participation in a number of ways. First [EGAW] tried to mobilize those who had developed a sudden interest in the topic as well as members of EGAW who have been working on this topic for years."

A screening of the film Kony 2012 was hosted just after the video went viral, a forum was held on the topic and Bernier said that, "we tabled for three days [last] week looking for people who were interested in signing up to help out with the event." A process that did indeed find success.

At EGAW meetings, logistical tasks were delegated in order to ensure that this event ran smoothly because organization was key.
In participating in an event such as "Cover the Night," Bernier hopes that a message will be sent to the community depicting that Kony 2012 was more than just an internet sensation. He also hopes that, "Plymouth State University students care about these despicable acts and are willing to do more than just post videos on Facebook."

PSU's participation in "Cover the Night" goes to show that students on this campus are internationally minded and dedicated enough to share their opinions on events taking place in this world in the hopes that, even if it is only in a small way, they can make a difference by raising awareness.