violence
The fight against •
Rape Awareness Year celeorates with annual march
ith all the candles lit, the group started its march by den Stevens around campus to the Monroe County W Courthouse. Escorted by two IU Police When the marchers reached Indiana Department cars, the marchers occupied one lane of the street Avenue, they raised their candles high in a and spanned about a city block. moment of silence to commemorate the "Let me hear you get pissed off," yelled graduate student survivors of violence. Erica Neuman, the march's co-organizer, through a Each participant had the opportunity to megaphone. The crowd screamed in response. share personal experiences and observations The annual Take Back the Night vigil gathered students, with the crowd. Most people used the time to faculty and Bloomington residents in a fight not only against speak openly and honestly about how rape rape, but also all violence against women. Participants roared and other violent crimes affected them, chants protesting violence. concentrating on the fact they were survivors "Women Unite, Take Back the Night." of the experience. "What do we want?" During her time at the microphone, senior "Safe Streets!" Heather Luttrell warned the crowd not to "When do we want them?" tolerate people who think violence is the "Now!" victim's fault. "I have heard in my classes Later, during a speakout, attitudes drastically shifted. people saying 'women should know better.' Instead of yelling, many protesters fought back tears as they Anyone who said that needs to be talked to," listened to people tell their personal experiences about she said. violence at the open microphone. When it was his turn at the microphone, One woman shared that her high school boyfriend dragged Matt Dominich, a Bloomington resident, said her into the bathroom when she was 15 years old and forced he witnessed violence at greek houses and in her to have oral sex with him. Another male participant told the residence halls. "The problem was the crowd that he was molested by his priest when he was 11. boundless," he said. The march began in Dunn Meadow as participants made But the most important thing freshman signs, chatted with friends and listened to music. Sarah Hyatt took with her was knowing just Messages ranged from the fairly neutral, "Women Stand talking about violence is allowable. Strong Against Violence," to the more fiery, "Cut it Out, or "It's okay to tell people that something We'll Cut it Off." bad happened," Hyatt said. Middle Way House, Inc. Executive Director Toby Strout Freshman Marie Luken said the speakout and Crisis Intervention Services Coordinator Darrell Ann Stone affected her the most. She said through the kicked off the march with speeches. speeches of other participants, she came to Stone told crowd she represented the heart, soul and tears realize the lack of others' awareness. of all the violence survivors she came in contact with in her "It was scary to see how many people six years at Middle Way. have no idea what rape means," Luken said. "It is with these people that we handed together tOr "How little people know about it." communication. No matter what, we are in this together," she said. But most of all, graduate student Julie Strout reminded the crowd that when people talked about Thomas, the march co-organizer, said she violence against women, they must also talk about the hoped people left with a greater awareness of inequality between men and women. the problem. "We wanted to think about more than violence against Thomas said the march cultivated an women," she said. "We needed to think about the context in atmosphere of solidarity and understanding. which it occurs." "At times I go from depression to anger, IU Student Association President Bob Moats said the crowd's knowing that I have to make a difference," she attitude was angry because violence against women was a topic said. "A night like this can bring you down, people got justifiably emotionally about. "People need to feel but we have to remember that we are here for strongly about this issue; it's a very emotional topic," he said. each other."
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