The dim light from one lamp reveals the faces of many. The silence is so thick, no one wants to contaminate it with words. People struggle with what to say and if they should say it. Finally, someone speaks.

It is April 16, and we are taking back the night.

The annual Take Back the Night event came to Guilford College in 2008, when Julie Winterich, coordinator of the women’s, gender and sexuality studies program and associate professor of sociology and anthropology, joined the faculty.

“I asked folks, ‘Is there a Take Back the Night?’” said Winterich. “I just put out a call through The Buzz, and a bunch of students came. They had so much energy and had so many amazing ideas.”

Every April, Take Back the Night happens across the country to speak out against and remember instances of sexual violence.

“There are people who don’t understand the impact that comes with sexual assault,” said first-year Colin Nollet, Sexual Assault Awareness Support & Advocacy treasurer. “It’s put together to not only help people and show people this, but also to get rid of stigma.”

After t-shirt making and music, Assistant Dean of Career and Community Learning Alan Mueller spoke about sexual assault in the Community Center, where the event took place.

“I’m a brother to a sister, a husband to a wife and a father to a daughter,” said Mueller. “I’ve had far too many friends be victims of sexual assault. I’m fed up, but there’s a time for fed up and there’s a time for teaching and using all the privileges I have as a white, hetero male to tear that privilege back down.”

Since last year, SAASA has brought in male speakers for the event.

“It seems like sexual assault is just a female issue, and it’s not,” said senior and SAASA member Rachel Trontz.

Large male presence in the Community Center thrilled SAASA.
“I’ve long been very passionate about this,” said junior Chris Rowe. “It happens to mentoo, a lot more than people would think.”
Discussions centered around survivors, both male and female.

“We forget about the male survivors,” said first-year Molly Anne Marcotte. “We make the entire male population the enemy, but there are … men who believe in consent and have their consent taken away from them.”

After Mueller and Winterich spoke, attendees went outside to a candle-lit vigil and transitioned into the speak out portion of the event.

The speak out is a safe space for survivors and witnesses to share experiences and supporters to voice their solidarity.

“Being able to say these things out loud is a huge part of people’s healing process,” said first-year and SAASA member Olivia Chalkley. “The people who did share their stories are extremely brave.”

SAASA hopes that discussion of sexual assault becomes more encouraged.

“We need to increase communication and acceptance that this is a problem that needs to be talked about,” said Marcotte. “Until it’s talked about, it isn’t going to get solved.”

For a lot of students who have not had as much experience, Take Back the Night brought issues of sexual assault to light.

“It was good for people who … haven’t experienced sexual abuse to be able to see the impact on our school or how much of it happens … whether it’s the first day of someone’s freshman year or at a huge party like serendipity,” said sophomore Leah Meservey.

The event also educated attendees on how to deal with dangerous situations.

“I feel better equipped to have conversations about consent,” said senior Emily Morazan. “I also feel entitled to intervene on someone else’s behalf if I recognize that they are impaired and may be in a dangerous sexual situation.”

The next step: deliver the message to the rest of Guilford.
“The challenge is how to get the message to the people who aren’t there,” said Mueller.

Hopefully, the rest of Guilford is up to the challenge. Sexual assault is all too common on college campuses — Guilford included — and we can not successfully heal, support each other, or prevent instances, without community-wide dialogue.