The Barometer Online

Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Jeff Wick Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance members Liz Delf, a senior in English, and Samantha Pride, senior in sociology and international studies, sport a peace sign while Jessica George, a senior in interior design, marches next to them at the Take Back The Night march against sexual assault. OSU students and community members marched through the streets of Corvallis Wednesday evening, chanting for peace, women's rights and gay rights.

One out of every four women and one out of every 13 men will be assaulted throughout their lifetime, according to speakers at the Take Back the Night rally last night.

Two-thirds of all rapes and 90 percent of rapes on college campuses are committed by people who are at least acquainted with their victims.

Students gathered in the MU Quad Wednesday night for Take Back the Night, an event that is a part of OSU's Sexual Assault Awareness Week.

This is an annual event that continues to take place in order to raise awareness of how prevalent sexual assault is on college campuses.

Alisha DeVogele, ASOSU's women's taskforce director, was one of several primary coordinators for Take Back the Night.

"The event is one that is meant to empower women, survivors of sexual assault and other community members. It is a positive event, intended to not only bring awareness as to what's going on at college campuses, but also to let people know that sexual assault is not okay. Safety is a right, not a privilege."

The evening began with a speech by guest speaker and author, Lori Robinson, who hails from Detroit. Robinson is the author of "I Will Survive," which speaks of her own experience as a sexual assault survivor and how she and all survivors have the ability to transcend and heal.

"All the shame and all the blame belongs to the perpetrator. Survivors are never to blame," Robinson said during her speech. "Take Back the Night gives survivors a voice."

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