Students march against sexual violence

At least 50 students came out to march for and commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness month Wednesday at the University Student Commons Ballroom and Theater.

Wednesday’s event, “Take Back the Night,” was sponsored by the VCU Wellness Resource Center and student organizations Sexual Assault and Dating Violence Education for Students, Men Against Violence and several others. This was also the first year fraternities and sororities participated in the annual event.

“Take Back the Night” featured speakers from several groups including the Richmond YWCA and the Virginia Anti-Violence Project, whose goals was to spread awareness regarding sexual violence.

After the keynote speakers, a procession began in the Commons and the chanting group marched down Main Street and around Monroe Park toting signs and chanting,

“Out of the bars/And into the streets/We won’t be raped/We won’t be beat!”

“Take Back the Night” featured more speakers and sponsors than any other Richmond event for Sexual Assault Awareness month.

“We definitely started a few big projects to specially prepare for ‘Take Back the Night,’ said S.A.V.E.S. officer and VCU student Jenny Walter.

Projects included button and ribbon campaigns as well as distributing fliers all over campus and the surrounding area.

In addition to speakers, “Take Back the Night” featured a raffle that included gift certificates to local restaurants and boutiques and an iPod shuffle, with all proceeds going to the Hanover Safe Place, a domestic violence resource center.

According to Voices for Planned Parenthood (VOX), one in four women in college will be sexually assaulted by the time they graduate. Grace Howard, the diversity chair for VOX and a social justice major, said the startling numbers are a result of societal norms.

“We tend to generalize sexual violence,” Howard said. “We think of the assailants as some random perp on street when in actuality, sexual violence is often committed by someone the victim knows.”

S.A.V.E.S. Treasurer and Liaison for the Wellness Resource Center and sociology graduate student Kathryn Monusky said she was pleased with the turnout from organizations, especially the sororities and fraternities.

“We had six (Greek organizations) come out to the interest meeting and they stuck with us, which was great,” Monusky said.

Monusky’s ambitions led to an innovative addition to the event-anonymity for those coming forward and sharing past experiences about sexual violence. This year’s sharing session in the Commons Theater included a screen, providing a choice for the victims to be seen or just heard.

“Hopefully people will feel safe enough to use it,” Monusky said. “We’re hoping to start a trend on campus with the screen concept.”

Monusky said she hopes her involvement in Sexual Assault Awareness month pays off not for her sake, but for the sake of the campus community.

“We’d like to see more culture, Greek and student organizations involved. We don’t want to make this our event. We want this to become a VCU event.”

Sexual Violence Statistics

Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted.

College age women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted.

Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, with 60 percent going unreported.

Three out of four sexual assaults are committed by non-strangers.

Fifteen of 16 accused rapists walk free.

Information provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and National Center for Policy Analysis