Students
speak out on violence
By Sonya Smith
On-line Forty-Niner
 “No
more violence; No more rape; No more silence;
No more hate” chanted students as they marched
around campus holding candles as part of
the “Take Back the Night and Day” Wednesday.
The day, primarily sponsored by the Women’s
Resource Center along with other organizations,
encouraged speaking out about violence against
women, but included men and children.
With a rape occurring every 21 hours on
each college campus, according to the Campus
Outreach Services Web site, the rate of
incidents on college campuses is alarming.
The event began with the Clothesline Project
at Friendship Walk from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
which featured T-shirts that victims
or those who knew the victims created as
a response to sexual assault, said Sexual
Assault Crisis Agency volunteer Theresa
Smith.
The shirts expressed such statements as
“How do I learn to trust again?” “I thought
they were my friends!” and “I survived!”
Smith explained how she was a victim herself
and she finds it healing to help others
speak out.
“I know within myself I would not want any
other woman to experience what I have,”
Smith said.
Karla Ramirez, fourth year student in social
work, and volunteer of the Clothesline Project,
said “[Students] can see that other people
have been through the same things as them.”
Second year women studies major Emily Thompson,
also a representative of the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center
was involved with the project. Thompson
said she got involved this year because
of the involvement she saw last year.
“I saw this amazing sense of community between
these women,” Thompson said.
In addition to the Clothesline Project,
there was a rally held at 6 p.m. with Professors,
and various students speaking about global
issues of sexual violence against women,
men and children, said Thompson.
The rally was followed by a candlelight
walk around campus to help spread the message
of ending violence against women and also
a speak out session which was open to anyone
to express what they wish, said Thompsen.
“Take Back the Night” has extended itself
this year as covering more global issues
which is represented in the change of artwork.
Volunteer George Navarro drew the artwork
symbolizing the day.
“It is a dove breaking free from the chains
of the world and flying towards the moon”,
explained Navarro.
“Take Back the Night” actually began in
England “as a protest against the fear that
women encountered walking the streets at
night” in the form of marches and rallies,
according to the Campus Outreach Services
Web site. The first “Take Back the Night”
in the United States was in 1978 held in
San Francisco.
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