2008 Woodie Awards
Event raises awareness about sexual violence
Andrea Kernodle
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: College News
A woman, child or man is raped every two minutes in the United States. This is no longer just a women's issue.
A small group of students and professors rallied outside of the Campus Center in front of Barnes and Noble Wednesday afternoon to raise awareness for sexual violence.
When the rally ended, students marched on New York Street during rush-hour traffic to spread the message further.
Neon signs with messages such as "Stop Rape" and "No means NO!" floated along the sidewalk while students chanted.
IUPUI hosted its second annual Take Back the Night (TBTN) this week, a three-day event sponsored by the Sexual Assault and Violence Education Network (SAVE). This event attempts to give victims a voice.
The rally had six guest speakers to help inform students about what sexual violence is, how students can prevent it and what to do if it occurs.
Sophomore Emylee Newby volunteered her time for a sociology class but now wants to join the planning committee next year. Newby wants to raise awareness to help prevent sexual violence.
"The more awareness we get out there, the fewer people that will be affected by it later on," said Newby. "So [by speaking out] you could save a life and save someone from having to deal with that."
Guided by a police escort, the march ended in the campus apartments. The event concluded with a peer speak-out, during which victims had a safe and confidential environment to share their story and to begin the transformation into a survivor.
Referred to as "the silent, violent epidemic" by the American Medical Association, sexual violence is a crime that affects everyone. One in seven women in Indiana will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
More than 80 percent of rapes are committed by someone who is close to the victim. Some statistics say rape is the most underreported crime because of the stigma that comes with sexual assault.
The origination of TBTN is disputed. According to Angie Turk, director of prevention and outreach at the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the event originated in London around 1796, when women protested the fear and violence they experienced at night.
TBTN made its way to the United States around the 1950s.
This is an international annual event hosted by universities around the world. IUPUI chose April to host the event because it coincided with National Sexual Assault Awareness month.
A small turnout - only about 15 people participated in the march - did not let Turk or her committee down.
"Hopefully as the years go by we can continue to unite and have even more students," Turk said. "There is always strength in numbers, but just having our group here shows the small ripple of what is hopefully to become a huge event here at IUPUI."
In addition to the rally and march, TBTN included films with discussion, workshops to help identify and prevent violence, and a sign-making party for the march.
Contact Andrea Kernodle at akernodl@iupui.edu.
A small group of students and professors rallied outside of the Campus Center in front of Barnes and Noble Wednesday afternoon to raise awareness for sexual violence.
When the rally ended, students marched on New York Street during rush-hour traffic to spread the message further.
Neon signs with messages such as "Stop Rape" and "No means NO!" floated along the sidewalk while students chanted.
IUPUI hosted its second annual Take Back the Night (TBTN) this week, a three-day event sponsored by the Sexual Assault and Violence Education Network (SAVE). This event attempts to give victims a voice.
The rally had six guest speakers to help inform students about what sexual violence is, how students can prevent it and what to do if it occurs.
Sophomore Emylee Newby volunteered her time for a sociology class but now wants to join the planning committee next year. Newby wants to raise awareness to help prevent sexual violence.
"The more awareness we get out there, the fewer people that will be affected by it later on," said Newby. "So [by speaking out] you could save a life and save someone from having to deal with that."
Guided by a police escort, the march ended in the campus apartments. The event concluded with a peer speak-out, during which victims had a safe and confidential environment to share their story and to begin the transformation into a survivor.
Referred to as "the silent, violent epidemic" by the American Medical Association, sexual violence is a crime that affects everyone. One in seven women in Indiana will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
More than 80 percent of rapes are committed by someone who is close to the victim. Some statistics say rape is the most underreported crime because of the stigma that comes with sexual assault.
The origination of TBTN is disputed. According to Angie Turk, director of prevention and outreach at the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the event originated in London around 1796, when women protested the fear and violence they experienced at night.
TBTN made its way to the United States around the 1950s.
This is an international annual event hosted by universities around the world. IUPUI chose April to host the event because it coincided with National Sexual Assault Awareness month.
A small turnout - only about 15 people participated in the march - did not let Turk or her committee down.
"Hopefully as the years go by we can continue to unite and have even more students," Turk said. "There is always strength in numbers, but just having our group here shows the small ripple of what is hopefully to become a huge event here at IUPUI."
In addition to the rally and march, TBTN included films with discussion, workshops to help identify and prevent violence, and a sign-making party for the march.
Contact Andrea Kernodle at akernodl@iupui.edu.
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