Sexual assault, which is often labeled a crime of silence
was counteracted last night by a mass of Ohio University and Athens women marching and rallying on campus and Uptown.
Last night's rally and march was the focal point of Take Back the Night Week, a week dedicated to women's empowerment and sexual assault prevention. The week included self defense classes and feminist documentaries by local film makers. Take Back the Night Week will conclude tomorrow with Casa Dance night, which will raise money and awareness for the shelter for battered women and children, My Sister's Place.
I wish I could say this is the last march but until the issues are addressed we will continue to march
whether we are allowed to or not
said Linsey Peckionis, Take Back the Night organizer and Women's Affairs commissioner for Student Senate.
Take Back the Night rallies and marches began in England as a protest against the fear women encountered walking the streets at night, according to www.takebackthenight.org. The first Take Back the Night rally in the United States was held in San Francisco in 1987.
The event last night began at Howard Hall Site with Athens Calliope Feminist Choir singing and Dawn Martin, a feminist and teacher at Bard College, reading two poems derived from her own struggles with sexual violence.
In a world where one in four college women are raped
Martin said, my challenge to you is to carry forth after this march and not to remain silent.
The women, holding candles in honor of the victims of sexual assault, started with a silent march down Jeff Hill. At the bottom of the hill, the women, many holding signs reading Stop violence against women and Students Support Planned Parenthood
broke the silence by chanting, blowing whistles and drumming on buckets.
For the most part, bystanders were encouraging as the march went by; some female spectators even joined in the march. Students cheered and clapped out of their dorm windows and apartments, but one group of boys yelled jeers out their dorm window.
At first a couple of guys were shouting stupid stuff though the dorms
but overall the march has been really positive
said OU junior Rachel Feldman. I've never participated before
but I'll probably do it again next year.
Take Back the Night is a personal experience for Pecikonis. When I am helping organize Take Back the Night and when I am marching
the people I know who have been silent victims of sexual assault stay at the front of my mind.
A small group of male supporters cheered the women on throughout the march. OU Sophomore Luce Williams said he came to support to the march, Because like Ghandi said
