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Tuesday, March 19
The Indiana Daily Student

Take Back the Night brings sexual violence awareness

Alum Shelby Everett and IU senior Savannah Lynch lead a silent march for Take Back the Night on Thursday night past the Sample Gates. The march went from Dunn Meadow to Courthouse Square and was used to raise awareness of abuse and assault.

They walked in silence.

The marchers went down Kirkwood Avenue as pedestrians and bystanders watched. Some turned to those next to them asking, “what are they doing?” or “what do their signs say?”

But as the procession passed, most onlookers were silent.

Gathered together at their final destination, the marchers stood together in an uneven circle. Finally, after a few moments they broke their silence, speaking out about abuse and assault but also survival, healing and 
solidarity.

Members of the IU and Bloomington communities gathered Thursday for the annual Take Back the Night event, which raises awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence issues. The event was organized by the IU Feminist Student Association.

“We really wanted to create a space where all sorts of different people could come together, share their stories,” said Savannah Lynch, FSA director of internal affairs. “The goal is to make it a safe, healing environment, so that people could feel supported, especially because survivors are so often denied social support.”

The event began in Dunn Meadow with table displays from organizations on and off campus that work with sexual assault advocacy, counseling or related issues.

The event culminated in a silent march to the Monroe County Courthouse in downtown Bloomington, followed by an opportunity for survivors or other people to voice their experiences or feelings about sexual assault, domestic violence or related issues.

“I think the silent march is really powerful because it is a time for us to reflect on ourselves and our experiences and to really give some time to think about how we’re feeling and to be honest with yourself about how you’re feeling,” Lynch said. “It’s really hard to ignore or invalidate your own feelings when you’re silent and everyone around you is silent.”

Lynch said the silence also serves to show solidarity with survivors of sexual violence who remain silent and honors people who have experienced sexual violence and then commit suicide.

“I know very few survivors who haven’t considered it at some point,” Lynch said. “I feel like it’s a very good opportunity for us to think about that in a constructive, reverent way.”

Lynch is a rape survivor and said she finds the services of the Sexual Assault Crisis Service within Counseling and Psychological Services to be one of the best resources on campus for people who experience sexual assault or violence.

SACS offers free counseling for any person dealing with sexual assault, and has a Sexual Assault Crisis Service line available 24 hours a day, every day, according to its website

“We want to be a presence to show support for survivors, but also for changing the culture,” Debbie Melloan, counselor at SACS, said.

Lynch said Middle Way House is a valuable resource for anyone experiencing sexual assault or violence. Middle Way House will send people along with survivors to the hospital to ensure they are treated well by staff and police officers, Lynch said. They also offer a range of other services such as transitional housing for victims of abuse and legal advocacy.

The Crimson CORPS is an IU organization that provides counseling from 
CAPS-trained peers.

This option may be more comfortable than a 
professional counselor for some students, said Emma Sullivan, a task team leader for Crimson Corps. Representatives from Crimson Corps came to the gathering at Dunn Meadow for the first time.

“We heard about the awesome cause and were invited to join, and we thought it would be a great cause to show our support for sexual assault awareness,” Sullivan said.

The event concluded with the forum for discussion and expression.

“We have our voices invalidated a lot, more often than not,” Lynch said. “You’d be surprised how unsympathetic people are when you say you’ve been raped. So, it’s really nice to have a physical gathering of people around you who will say to your face, ‘what happened to you isn’t OK, and we believe you,’ to support your healing process. It’s really powerful.”

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