No fear for survivors, supporters at Take Back the Night

Thursday night, hundreds of students gathered to fight against domestic and sexual violence by marching across campus, shouting, “Penn unite, take back the night!”

Despite the controversy surrounding Take Back the Night in previous decades, the student group Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention collaborated with Penn Women’s Center and One in Four to execute a peaceful protest on campus.

The controversy no longer exists today, ASAP Chair and Wharton senior Morgan Humphrey said. “There’s a different culture at Penn now,” she said.

Both men and women were encouraged to join the fight, regardless of their own experiences.

Take Back the Night began on College Green with a rally, where students held up signs with slogans such as “Stop the violence” and “Consent is sexy.” The rally was meant to motivate others to be part of an opportunity that gives survivors of sexual violence a voice — one that is often silenced by shame.

For those without personal experience, Humphrey hoped that Take Back the Night would open their eyes to the fact that sexual assault can happen to anyone. There are no certain characteristics or traits that make a person the target of sexual violence. “There is no perfect victim,” Humphrey said.

There were several speakers at the rally, including violence prevention educator Nina Harris, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush, One in Four President Jeremy Pincus, Penn Women’s Center Director Felicity Paxton and feminist activist Amy Richards.

Many of the speakers emphasized the continuing relevance of the issue and called for an ongoing fight to prevent it.

“The more we talk about it, the sooner it will end,” Pincus said.

“Sexual assault isn’t about sex. It’s about power,” Richards added. She explained the power of storytelling during Take Back the Night.

“We should also be telling the stories of our strengths — the times we were able to triumph, not when we felt vulnerable. It’s through those stories that we start to claim our power,” she said.

This year marked College freshman Roderick Cook’s, first Take Back the Night experience. He had heard from others that “even if you were involved in Take Back the Night in previous years, each year is a completely different experience.” He hoped that the protest would speak to the importance of sexual violence prevention and reaffirm the amount of support available in the Penn community.

A march across campus followed the rally. Starting from College Green and going as far west as 40th Street, students united against sexual violence by chanting proudly and displaying signs.

The march ended at Wynn Commons, where a candlelight vigil took place. At the vigil, which was closed to the press, survivors had the opportunity to share their experiences of sexual violence.

College and Nursing senior Becky Duncan said Take Back the Night not only allows people to break down social norms and take a stand to end sexual violence, but it also allows others to see something new. “It’s an opportunity to see the community open up in a vulnerable way,” she said.

According to College senior and ASAP Outreach Chair Sarah Gutman, the message of Take Back the Night should be, “Teach people not to rape, don’t teach people how not to be raped.”

“No one is going to give you this change,” Richards added, echoing Gutman’s sentiments. “You have to ask for it.”

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