Photo by: DU Environmental Team
Advocacy groups against sexual and gender crimes joined together to raise awaremess on campus on Tuesday night in the annual event “Take Back the Night.” Participating groups included Sexual Assault Survivor Advocate Network (SASA), Greek Leaders Against Sexual Assault (GLASA), Rape Awareness and Gender Education (RAGE) and other sexual assault awareness advocacy groups.
This rally occurred during Sexual Assault Awareness Week.
The evening rally began with a “speak out” where members of the DU community took turns speaking about the issue.
Participants then marched across campus from Penrose library to Driscoll Lawn where the night was finished off with a candelight vigil.
Caitlin Shea, president of GLASA, said SAAW is important because it highlights the need for student involvement to stop sexual assault on campuses and in the community.
“I have seen how this issue has affected people around me, as well as Greek life as a whole,” Shea said. “I want my friends, my sisters and my community to be safe and to know that they always have support.”
The rally last week consisted of speakers from RAGE and GLASA, as well as holding an open forum for those in attendance to share their stories and concerns about sexual violence.
Also that week, as part of SAAW, blue ribbons were passed out on Driscoll Bridge, which many students wore to show their support for victims of sexual assault and to show their advocacy towards prevention and awareness.
Overall, SAAW is a time for campuses to remember those who have been impacted by sexual assault, as well as those whose families have been touched, according to Shea.
Students attended the rally for various reasons. Laurel Story, a sophomore, attended because she said she feels sexual assault is a serious issue that needs to be discussed more openly.
“Even if I myself am not a victim of sexual assault, chances are extremely high that at least one of my friends is, whether I know it or not,” she said in response to the statistic that one in four women will become a victim of sexual assault between high school and college.
Shea said that groups like RAGE and GLASA have an important mission to recognize the serious nature of sexual assault on campuses, even when many students may not.
“Events like Take Back the Night and SAAW will always be valuable,” Shea said. “Because even if they touch one person, that may be a life that can be saved or a person who needs support and has finally found it.”
