Rape Awareness Week

student walks home alone after studying in the library. A runner takes a late night jog down a diml y lit path. A date physically violates a companion. All of these situations are real, and all can lead to a dangerous situation rape.

To bring the severity of this issue to light, students, faculty and administrators designated the week of Sept. 21-26 as Rape Awareness Week. "It's important to remember that just because I feel safe at night does not mean that the majority of the people on campus do. It's about time that this campus is aware of and does something about this problem," graduate student Bob Jones said.

The week kicked off with the 15th annual "Take Back the Night" march Sunday evening. Opening remarks were made by Toby Strout, director of the Middle Way House, to 350 supporters in Dunn Meadow. "Rape is not only a woman's problem, but a social problem," she began. She also said one woman is raped every six minutes in this country, and one in every tour will be a victim of rape.

Other opening remarks were made by Charlotte Zietlow, director of Community Affairs for Planned Parenthood, and an unnamed IU student, "Jen," who shared her own story of rape. "I think her story set the mood for the evening," sophomore Kristen Vannatta said. "It was a very thought-provoking speech. It set the notion in people's minds that something needed to be done about rape."

Following opening remarks, marchers took to Seventh Street and proceeded along Indiana Avenue and Kirkwood Avenue. They cheered and displayed signs with such messages as "No means no" and "My body is not your toy." Marchers also shouted "What do we want? Safe streets! When do we want them? NOW!"

Some marchers were offended Her talk focused on her personal experiences but also highlighted the issues surrounding rape. "The reason that sexual assault is taken for granted is because it is so prevalent," she said.

Other events hoped to deal with the survivors of rape and sexual assault. Workshops were held Tuesday at the Trinity Episcopal Church in an effort to provide support to victims who

FIGHTING BACK AGAINST

"There's no difference between being raped and going through a windshield, except that afterward you're not afraid of cars, but half the human race."

VIOLATION

Rohl) Hill

Speaking to "Take Back the Night" participants, an unnamed student shares

her experience with rape. Marchers had the

opportunity to relate their own stories at an open microphone session at the courthouse after the march. by one of the chants, "Women unite! Take back the night!" because it was aimed just at women. Many wanted to change it to "People unite! Take back the night!" although this particular version never completely caught on among the crowd.

The march ended at the courthouse where an open microphone was set up for participants to share their stories. Many related the story of a friend or a sister who had been raped, and some even related their own personal story. Others made suggestions for making the campus safer. These suggestions included more lighting and additional emergency telephones. "More needs to be done to put emergency phones on campus since there are only two," Vannatta said. "Women shouldn't have to be afraid."

In addition to the march, several other events also took place throughout the week.

Monday, Professor Susan Brison of Dartmouth College spoke at Whittenberger Auditorium. Brison, a rape and attempted murder victim, has written and lectured extensively about violence against women. wanted to discuss their emotions. "These workshops are opportunities to provide them with support, a cushion for those individuals who have been victimized," said Suzanne Pauwels, cochair for Rape Awareness Week.

The week came to a close Thursday evening with an intbrmation session on sexual assault. Darrell Ann Stone, crisis intervention services coordinator for the Middle Way House, spoke for an hour about the facts and myths surrounding rape. She pointed to the types of rape, tried to dispel the myths of the "model rapist" and "model victim" and pointed to long-term effects. "There's no difference between being raped and going through a windshield, except that afterward you're not afraid of cars, but half the human race," she said.

Stone closed her speech by reminding the audience that Rape Awareness Week is not something that should just come and go. "Rape Awareness Week is every week of every year. Unfortunately, we live in a society that we have to be careful every night and every day," she said. in

Kathy Revtyak