This past Thursday, November 4th, at 6 p.m, Speak UP held their annual Take Back the Night rally in support of survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The event consisted of an opening statement with anonymously submitted student stories, speeches from President Bravman and Bucknell Student Government V.P. of Administration Sophie Guichardan, an acapella performance, and four statements from victim-survivors in the community. Speak Up peer Kate Normadin’s beginning remark on that night was “I thought it was really meaningful how many people came including the faculty and staff to show the support system survivor’s have on campus.” The substantial number of people who attended the event helped demonstrate our campus’ willingness to begin taking steps to enact change at Bucknell.
I talked to Zoë Wilson, Speak UP’s Curriculum Coordinator, about the history of these events on college campuses. The first Take Back the Night was held in the 1970s. The event provided an opportunity for survivors to reclaim a space. Take Back the Night not only lets survivors share their stories, it challenges the cultural norms that perpetuate victim-blaming. For example, when a women experiences sexual violence, they should never be asked, “Why were you walking alone at night?” This is not the issue. The issue is that people take a woman (or man) walking alone at night as an invitation. Why perpetrators think they have the power, the right, to violate individuals is what needs to be addressed. Take Back the Night provides a platform for anyone to talk about sexual assault, whether it be their own experiences, sharing others’, or raising awareness about how prevalent sexual assault is on college campuses, and in this specific case, at Bucknell.
Speak Up peer Maya Wadhwa said after the event, “for me, the speakers were the most powerful and moving, specifically their focus on women of color’s experiences with sexual assault and domestic violence. I think these voices need to be heard considering the makeup of this school.” Hearing the survivors speak was an extremely powerful experience and articulates the trauma and violence better than any other source. It is vital to give these people a platform to speak in the society where victims are often silenced for their experiences. We need to draw attention to women of color, who experience sexual assault more frequently, and whose voices are often silenced. How racism plays a role in sexual assault is a factor that should NEVER be ignored.
Avery Landon, survivor and now Events Coordinator for SpeakUp, spoke at the event. In her letter, she wrote and read aloud to the audience, “words can do a lot of damage, but a lack of words can do just the same.” In the case of sexual assault and violence, silence should be discourage. Perpetrators need to know that what they did and are doing is traumatizing and dehumanizing. And if silence is the dominant narrative, perpetrators will continue to think that what they are doing is acceptable. When asked for some words after the event Avery wrote, “SpeakUp is so important to me because it is a place for like-minded and passionate people to come together and advocate for a cause that is of the utmost importance on college campuses.” It is essential that organizations like Speak UP have a platform and a respected place on campus. It is the best official way to facilitate change.
There is no time like the present to begin making a change on Bucknell’s campus. At Bucknell, sexual assault rates are incredibly high, and that is just counting those that are reported. Everyone has a role to play as a member of this community, and supporting, listening, and believing survivors is one of the many ways Bucknell can become a better and safer place.