Statistics show that one in four women will be assaulted or raped by the time they graduate from college. If this is true, 4,957 women on campus will be or have been raped or assaulted, Take Back the Night organizer Kaitlyn Ludgate said.
Tonight, the 24th annual Take Back the Night (TBTN) march will travel throughout campus and downtown to raise awareness of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence.
The march will begin with a mini-rally at Old Main, where women's basketball coach Coquese Washington will briefly speak, organizer Becky Dickey said.
Though the march's route is similar to past years', the men and women will not split into two separate groups at Pollock Halls as they used to, Ludgate (senior-human development and family studies) said.
Male presence may provide a sense of protection for women who have been assaulted or raped near the march's stops, she said.
"Survivors think they're alone, and when they see people support them, it helps," Ludgate said. Everyone is welcome to take part in the march, organizers stressed.
From Old Main, the group will march through campus and downtown, stopping at common places sexual assault occurs, such as East Halls, Pollock Halls and Fraternity Row, she said.
At these stops, anyone who would like to speak can stand inside of a circle of attendees.
"It will be very informal. We will encourage men and women to talk about how they feel about their experiences," Dickey (senior-crime, law and justice) said.
The circle is a "wonderful, supportive environment," said Caren Bloom-Steidle, a WMNST 423 (Sexual Violence) professor. Bloom-Steidle's class, Iota Iota Iota honor society and the University Park Undergraduate Association sponsored the march this year.
"Survivors look forward to this, saying, 'This is the year I'm going to stand up and talk or complete the march,' " Ludgate said.
Despite attempting to ensure the safest environment for the march, in the past there have been some disturbances.
"East Halls has always been an issue because people will lean out the windows and yell things. They're freshmen, but if people could be respectful in East Halls, that would be great," Ludgate said.
The First Step is Awareness
"[Take Back the Night] is not about anything but reaching out to people who have been hurt," Bloom-Steidle said. "I have had students who plan their recovery around TBTN."
Many students do not realize they have been the victim of sexual assault, rape or domestic violence, Ludgate said.
"People might come to TBTN and realize, 'What happened to me is rape or sexual assault.' Girls think you have to kick and punch them for it to be sexual assault," she said.
Another misconception is that domestic violence only refers to couples living together, Dickey added.
"We want to make women aware that it does happen. If they know they have support, hopefully they will report it," Dickey said.
A main problem surrounding these crimes is that they often go unreported, Ludgate said.
"Reports say there were between six and eight rapes in the past few years at Penn State. No way in hell is that true. A lot of it is unreported. Sexual assault isn't even listed [on the report]," she added.
Declining Popularity doesn't Indicate Decline in Assault
Over the past decade, Take Back the Night has been rapidly declining in popularity, dwindling from numbers of attendees in the hundreds to just 30 people marching last year.
Despite a lack of interest in the event, organizers said this does not reflect a decline in sexual assaults or apathy toward the cause.
"I don't think that people don't care. I think it's about what is in front of people at a certain time," Director of the Center for Women Students Peggy Lorah said. "I don't think it means our campus is any safer."
In the early 2000s, "high profile rape cases" may have contributed to Take Back the Night's popularity, Lorah said.
Though the Center for Women Students usually sponsors the Take Back the Night march and rally, this year they only held a midday march on Thursday, April 2.
The center decided on a midday rally because of last year's dwindling attendance at the march. Noontime rallies usually attract large crowds, Lorah said.
Instead of Take Back the Night's usual events, the Center for Women Students hosted Mike Domitrz, who presented Can I Kiss You? to about 150 people. It explored body language, dating and sexual violence.
Although the midday rally and tonight's march have the same name, they were not organized together.
When members of Bloom-Steidle's class found out the Take Back the Night march would not occur, 16 members of the class took it on as their required activism project.
"They say that activism is dying. But every semester I have students interested. And if just my students are that motivated, I have a hard time believing it is dying," Bloom-Steidle said. "I'm hoping this rejuvenates the event."
