An address by Jackson Katz, founder and director of MVP Strategies Inc., an organization that provides gender violence prevention training and materials to the U.S. military services, colleges, high schools, law enforcement agencies, community organizations and corporations, will highlight activities during Health Awareness Week on the Cornell.

The 18th annual weeklong campus focus on health issues is planned and implemented by undergraduate clinical volunteers affiliated with Cornell University Health Services.

"Football, Feminism and other Contemporary Contradictions," Katz's presentation at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Statler Auditorium, offers a man's perspective into some of the most serious problems facing the college generation: rape (including date rape), sexual harassment, abuse in relationships and other forms of men's violence against women. Katz's interactive presentation stimulates dialogue between the sexes and proposes strategies for how institutions can play a leading role in preventing gender violence.

Katz's address, co-sponsored by the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils, is free and open to the public. Other co-sponsors are the Feminist Action League and SAFER.

Katz, a former all-star football player, was the first man to earn a minor in women's studies from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He holds a master's degree from Harvard University, where his research concentration was the social construction of violent masculinity through sports and media. Katz is a nationally known and respected activist and writer on the issues of masculinity, media, sport and men's violence against women. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs coast to coast, including "Good Morning America," "Phil Donahue" and "Montel Williams."

Other Health Awareness Week activities include a Health Fair Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room. More than 20 campus groups and 15 community health advocacy organizations will staff information tables, offer health assessments, lead hands-on activities and games, provide demonstrations, hand out free samples, and provide information about local professional resources and referrals. The Health Fair will also include raffles and door prizes. Students, faculty, and staff are urged to participate. Co-sponsors for the Health Fair are the Willard Straight Hall Program Board, Black Bio-Medical Technical Association, Student Health Alliance at Cornell, and University Health Services Contraception, Gynecology and Sexuality Services/Level 6.

Clinical volunteers also will staff health information tables during the lunch and dinner hours, Monday through Thursday, at various campus dining areas. Volunteers are available for outreach programs focusing on services at the health center and/or other health topics. More than 80 volunteers are involved in planning and implementing events for the week, under the leadership of Annemarie Fogerty and event chairs Rona Yoffe, Sharon Szmuilowicz, Lauren Cardillo, Liz Bourke, Krista Caiola, Bethany Milliken, Michael Hersh, Mara Stolber and Janice Saidla, coordinator of clinical volunteers. The week's events are funded in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program and Cigna Corp.