As students don the purple T-shirts to stand together against sexual violence, the Eastern Mennonite University campus hosted Take Back the Night (TBTN) with a week of student-planned events. This year, student planners Katrina Poplett and Jonatan Moser focused on interpersonal response and care for victims of sexual assault.
The events began on Tuesday, Nov. 1, with a discussion group for men and their role in ending sexual violence called “Locker Room Talk.” New on the schedule this year, this discussion was well-attended and successful, Poplett said. “It shows that young men do want to become more educated about sexual violence and what they can do to help bring about the end of toxic masculinity and rape culture.”
Wednesday’s chapel, with Inside Out playback theater, and the Take Back The Night Coffeehouse hosted by Professor Carolyn Stauffer, drew many students as well. During chapel, Inside Out playback theater illustrated the pervasiveness of sexual assault and how little we address it.
Outside the cafeteria on Thursday, students had the opportunity to “Take a Picture, Take the Pledge,” making a personal and public commitment to standing with survivors of sexual violence. That evening in the Discipleship Center, “The Cage We Live In” offered a space to talk about sexual violence on college campuses.
The Coalition on Sexual Violence Prevention sponsored Friday’s chapel focusing on healing brokenness in individuals and the community. Students added their handprints to a banner in the Campus Center which was displayed later in the week.
“Students Supporting Students: EMU’s Space” on Saturday offered another opportunity for students to connect and reflect on the events of the week and their personal experiences.
“Awareness is key but we must have space for victims to share,” said Moser.
Common Grounds hosted Sunday night’s event, a showing of the movie “Spotlight,” which features Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Keaton as journalists uncovering a molestation scandal involving Catholic priests.
Monday evening, the Coalition on Sexual Violence Prevention hosted Father Tom Doyle in Martin Chapel who spoke on the effects of sexual abuse within religion. Doyle worked for the Vatican in Washington D.C. when the first abuse case emerged in the early ’80s. Since becoming a victims’ advocate, he has worked closely with Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), an organization referred to in the film “Spotlight.” The film showing the day before made Doyle’s visit especially relevant and powerful, according to Moser.
Following his lecture, a candlelight vigil was held on the Campus Center balcony.
Eastern Mennonite Seminary students had an opportunity to submit art, poetry, and stories for the creation of an intentional space where students could go to sit with these contributions to reflect and make contributions of their own.
