Bundle yourself up in a comfy blanket and warm clothes, and come take part in the Rhodes campus event, “Take Back the Night,” this coming Sunday from 7-10 p.m. on the Palmer Lawn. Take Back the Night is a worldwide organization that hopes to “Shatter the Silence. Stop the Violence.” According to statistics, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience some form of sexual violence; less than 50 percent of victims report these crimes.[1] This coming Sunday, the Rhodes Peer Advocate Center will be holding a candlelit march through campus and an open forum in the efforts to shatter the silence surrounding sexual violence and stand in support of survivors. This event gives survivors a safe platform to share their stories, while acknowledging that this is something our campus needs to address.
Earlier this year, our campus hosted a preview of The Hunting Ground, a documentary which exposes rape crimes on U.S. college campuses, the institutional cover-ups which occur in response, and the devastating toll it takes on students and their families. A panel discussion occurred after the viewing of the documentary, which left several students concerned with how Rhodes deals with this issue of sexual assault. As of right now, sexual assault is seen as a “policy violation, not a crime” by our administration on campus. This means that those found guilty of committing sexual assault on campus are more than likely still attending this institution. As of this year, nine reports of sexual assault have been filed, yet zero expulsions have occurred in response.
Last year, I attended my first Take Back the Night event on our campus. T-shirts describing experiences of sexual violence or displaying messages of encouragement were strung out along the Palmer lawn as we gathered around for the candlelit march. We walked all the way around campus, following a fellow student, holding a poster with the words “Take Back the Night” written boldly on it. It was beautiful to see so many students walking together, holding candles, supporting a cause so prevalent on so many college campuses across the U.S. It was hard to listen to the numerous accounts of what several students have experienced on our campus. But, we were shattering the silence. I encourage you to go out, listen, and support. So bring your blankets and warm clothes, light a candle and march with your fellow students this coming Sunday.
If you are too busy Sunday night to make the event, I encourage you to check out The Hunting Ground if you were not able to attend the viewing of it at Rhodes, as well as check out Take Back the Night’s website (www.takebackthenight.org) for more information.