The Shippensburg University community shattered the silence that surrounds victims of domestic violence and sexual assault during tonight’s Take Back The Night rally, followed by a march.
The crowd of students, faculty, victims and advocates gathered in the Ceddia Union Building (CUB) multipurpose room to continue the SU Women’s Center’s annual event. Take Back The Night rallies started more than 30 years ago, and SU is among the colleges that host this night.
Representatives from the Women’s Center, SU administration, Rape Educators and Contacts (REACT), YWCA and Women In Need spoke during the rally portion of the event. Lindsey Smith, a published author, nutritionist and advocate, shared her story of how she was violated at 17-years-old during her friend’s party — while she was under the influence of alcohol.
“All I remember was waking up the next morning, completely naked, next to her male cousin,” Smith said.
The incident sent Smith into a downward spiral, causing her to become dependent on alcohol. She did not tell her family what happened until six years later, after coming out with her story to a client. Today, Smith is nearly six years sober and shares her story publicly.
“I thought I was a horrible human for having this happen [to me],” Smith said.
Smith uses her story of pain and healing to inspire victims to speak up, and encourages others to intervene before a dangerous situation occurs. She told SU students that their words, their stories have the power to shatter the deafening silence that surrounds victims. Following the rally, SU students did just that.
The crowd filed out of the CUB to begin the march, yelling chants that demanded an end to violence: “No more silence, no more violence! Students unite, take back the night!”
The march across campus ended in the CUB amphitheater, where a single microphone stood ready for speakers to use. A few students trickled forward, some quietly sharing their stories of survival as tears fell down their faces, while others expressed their suffering through raised voices. The evening ended with a candlelight vigil to honor the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Read the complete story in the next print edition of The Slate on Tuesday, April 12.
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