Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

By Maureem Ventura



Every three minutes someone is diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 178, 480 women and 2,030 men will be diagnosed this year. It is important for women and men to be informed about breast cancer.  There are many organizations that raise money for breast cancer research and the Avon Foundation for Women is a large contributor to such a cause. Every year they host a two day walk in various cities around the nation where there are thousands of participants. Each contributor raises money to sponsor their walk which then goes to help find a cure for breast cancer.

The Avon Foundation for Women is a public charity that was founded in 1955 to improve the lives of women and their families. Their two key areas are in breast cancer and domestic violence. In 1992, the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and Avon breast cancer programs in more than 55 countries were launched to support advancing access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Foundation raises money for breast cancer awareness and education, screening and diagnosis, access to treatment, support services, and scientific research. One way they raise this money is through their annual breast cancer walk that they host in various cities.

This year, the Avon Breast Cancer Walk closes to our area is being held in San Francisco on July 9th – July 10th. All walkers and volunteers will unite with one purpose and one goal: to end this deadly disease of breast cancer. The participants walk through San Francisco’s crazy downtown area to beautiful Marin. They are able to experience the charm and diversity that San Francisco offers. The hills are only a small price to pay to address the high occurrence of breast cancer in the bay area. At the end of the weekend, the walkers will have traveled a total of 39 miles, each mile striving to end breast cancer. Each participant raises over $1,800 to benefit the breast cancer foundation.

During 2003-2010 the Avon Breast Cancer walk has raised $380 million. The money that is raised also provides women and men breast cancer screening, support and treatment that they need regardless of their economic standing. “Early detection helps save lives”, so it is important to fund screenings for everyone.  There are over 2 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. because they were able to get treatment. 

Every 13 minutes a life is lost to breast cancer; 40,460 women and 450 men in the U.S. will die from the disease annually.  It is a strong misconception that men cannot get breast cancer.  Although it is not as common for men to get breast cancer as it is for women, men make up 1% of all cases of breast cancer.  Survival for men is the same as women.  Men need to stand up and help end breast cancer as well. 

           

A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.  So stand up and fight to end the disease.  Join the Avon Breast Cancer walk and be “In it to end it”. Show your support by becoming a walker, donating, or volunteering. 

For more information visit www.avonwalk.org. 

Also, check out my personal walk page at: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/SanFrancisco?px=5645531&pg=personal&fr_id=2050

AS Women's Center Radio Show

By Meggie Schultz

I remember the first time I heard my voice on the radio.  I had called in for an on-air talent contest and the listeners of Sacramento were graced with the lyrical sensation that was middle-school me singing “Hakuna matata.”  I giggled as my voice echoed back and, although I didn’t win the contest, I was so proud to tell everyone I saw that I had been on the radio!  It was so exciting to know that for a 2 minute period, people were listening to me doing something I loved.

The second time I heard my voice on the radio, I had officially joined the team of AS Women’s Center radio interns as DJ Vagtastic.  Every Thursday from 6pm to 7pm, I join fellow intern DJ Gynomite in educating the listeners of kcscradio.com on feminist issues within our campus, community, and world. 

As an intern, I’ve assisted with putting together several events, including last semester’s Take Back the Night and this semester’s Maggie Awards.  I’ve stood in protests, holding signs to show my support for my cause.  I’ve sat at informational tables, educating students about women’s issues.  And I’ve proudly stood beside my fellow interns, joining them in changing our campus and community for the better.  And yet I had never considered going on air to share current events, social issues, and my own unique opinions as a form of activism.  

In Philadelphia, a group of volunteers came together in 2008 to build a radio station for their local community as an attempt to bring people together.  Inviting all community members to come on air and get involved, the volunteers created an opportunity for people to share their own voices on issues influencing their community.  One of the members commented that “This is an extremely positive endeavor…I see this as a venue for voices that are often marginalized or drowned out.”  Having the radio has allowed the community members of West Philly to have their voices and opinions to be heard; far too often, the voices of communities are ignored in mainstream media.  As far as discussing social and political issues, one community member sees the radio as “an opportunity not just to preach your politics but work together to build an institution.”  Including local news, hit music, and community announcements, the radio station, although often facing economic hardships, has worked to bring the community together and have their voices heard.

On the other side of the globe in 2011, young women in Fiji joined together to use a community radio broadcast to address daily issues that affect the lives of young women in their area.  This group of 21 women included those from Labasa, Nadi, Suva, the autonomous region of Bougainville, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands.  This radio program became an opportunity for these young women to raise their often ignored and unheard concerns; the main goal of the group was “to develop some radio series on issues that connected women in all divisions.”  The women wanted to discuss issues of women’s access to appropriate housing, food security, health issues, and education.  They even emphasized their desire to provide information on a pap-smear, including how it worked, its purpose, and the danger of cervical cancer.  By using this radio program, the women of Fiji have been able to build a strong community of women who are educated on issues concerning their lives and their bodies. 

Today, Chico’s KCSC radio program has become an opportunity for me and my co-host DJ Gynomite (Hannah Clause) to use our voices for activism.  Each week, we come together to raise awareness on important feminist issues, sharing with our listeners knowledge, opinions, and lots of laughs.  Whether it is women’s rights issues or women’s pleasure issues, we are ready to step up to the mic and talk it out.  DJ Gynomite remarks that she has “been able to express my activism to anyone who will listen…using forms of media is one of the strongest ways to get ideas and issues circulating in the public, and the DJ show allows me to be the one to put that information out there.”  For me, using the radio program has allowed me to show my support for women’s rights and my concern for women’s issues, while also building my confidence in how I can truly be an activist in my community. 

Listen in every Thursday from 6pm to 7pm at kcscradio.com. 

For more information, search for the AS Women's Center Radio Show on Facebook!

AS Women's Center's 14th Annual Women's Conference

By Rachel Robledo

The 13 annual Women’s Conference is final here! This Sunday April 10^th in Sylvester’s Café. I have never attended a women’s conference before but if I had to pick one to go to, it would most definitely be this year’s conference. This year’s conference theme will be, “Breaking Feminist Cultural Boundaries.” This theme may have different meanings for people. For me the theme shows how struggle and/or self-exploration of my own identity have exposed the many different identifiers in that I have in my life. I find that depending on how I grow and mature I see myself through many different lenses such as my cultural identity, my school identity, the identity I portray with my friends or family, and much, much more. As an example today I am a Hispanic and White female who is a student, involved in Greek life, is a practicing Catholic who loves TV, all foods, clothes and I am a feminist. What I am trying to say is, although my identity is always evolving I can be all these things and also be a feminist. I can be anything I want to be and as long as my values and personal beliefs stay constant I will still consider myself a feminist. When I doubt myself or think, well my religion says this or my behavior shows that…I think; do I believe that every person should have a fair say, that andocentric language is wrong or that in the year 2011 there should no longer be a wage gap? Then I know I am a feminist.  Feminism is an identity in itself and is different for every person. It will always be evolving and changing.

At this years conference I hope every person walks away feeling empowered and more knowledgeable about feminism. Not only feminism but specifically how feminism and culture bring people together. Through a variation of workshops and lectures we will be breaking down the stereotypes and show how related culture and feminism really is. Please join us if you want to discuss feminism, boundaries, diversity, and ultimately come together to support each other. The event kicks off Sunday, April 10^th in Sylvester’s Café on the CSUC campus. Join us from events from 10-3:30, with a free lunch and our new tote bags for sale, only $7!

For further information, contact:

Jillian Ruddell, Director of the AS Women’s Center, BMU 002

530-898-5724

Email: ASWOMENSCENTERSD@CSUCHICO.

Moving Through the Pain

By Nicole Walker

Movement.

The ability to wrap your arms around someone you love, to run to someone you haven’t seen in a period of time, to smile and laugh at the best days of your life, to see the most beautiful of scenes and to be independent. These actions may seem ordinary, but to someone who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, commonly known as MS, they are extraordinary and every smile, footstep and hug is made with the knowledge that it could be the last.

Moving is not a guarantee and last year my family was reminded of that when my mom began complaining about not being able to see out of one of her eyes. After being seen by a physician, there was a possibility that she could have MS. After further testing, that possibility quickly changed to a reality.

Although the vision loss was temporary, the disease that is and will continue to attack her is permanent and proceeding. Currently my mom is 45 years old and relies fully on a walker to get her around and is medicated everyday, but she finds the strength to smile at every chance she gets.

Our bodies are in constant motion--moving information from the brain to the body. But, MS stops people from moving by attacking the myelin that protects normal nerve tissue. This damage keeps people from living smoothly, both inside and out.

When she was diagnosed, I was 18 years old, selfish and rarely ever home. I distanced myself even further from my mom and the realistic nature of her condition after I learned the extent of it. I became independent and for what I couldn’t handle, I relied on my older sister for.

My sister and I rarely discussed our home life with people around us, nor did we alone with one another. In our minds, if it was unspoken it wasn’t real. Being in denial made it simple to distract myself with my last month of my senior year in high school.

When graduation came around, reality set in. After the ceremony the parents of the new graduates come down to the field for pictures, hugs and memories in the making. I got up from my chair after the diplomas were handed out, looked around and felt so alone while hundreds of people surrounded me.

I stood, alone until my sister and some of our extended family made it out onto the field to congratulate me. I was grateful and happy they did, but behind that smile captured in a series of photos, I wanted to cry. My mom couldn’t come down to the field because she couldn’t walk. My step-dad, who has been the main father figure in my life, couldn’t come down either because he had to take my mom to the car.

I never got my graduation picture with my parents, and although some people don’t see the importance of it, it represented what could potentially turn into my life without my mom—alone. This realization made me question my life, my career path and my choice to move six hours away to attend Chico State in the fall.

Everything felt to be falling apart and emotionally my mom wasn’t strong enough to be there, or so I thought. I was afraid to share my feelings about her disease with her, the person I had shared every fear, dream and heartbreak with for as long as I remember. I had to be strong for her and the only way I knew how was to move on and go about life as if I had planned.

I made the six -hour move up California to Chico State. Once again, my mom nor step-dad could be there because doctors didn’t think it was smart for my mom to ride in a car that long.

Although my aunt, uncle, sister and grandma filled in the gap and helped me move, I still had that familiar feeling of being alone. Although the feeling was familiar, I never and still haven’t adapted to it.

I struggled my whole freshman year in college while my mom suffered her whole first year with MS. With distance between us, we grew apart and I found myself in positions where I needed my mom more than anything.

I stayed in on parent weekends and always resented those who got baked goods from their moms. As the year went on, I distanced myself a great deal from my mom and home life while focusing on school, switching my major from biology to journalism and getting involved in every aspect of campus.

Summer came, and I left Chico. Not to go home like the rest of my friends, but instead I spent my entire summer in Florida with my aunt, uncle and cousin. Some would call it running away, but it was a chance for me to catch my breath, find out who I was and wanted to be. I realized how much I had changed from the careless, free spirited young woman I was to the person I had become. I became afraid of living my life, while my mom was fighting an ongoing battle for hers.

Currently I am 19 years old and into my second year at Chico State. I work, have an internship and write for the school newspaper in addition to taking classes. I keep myself busy and I still feel as if I am attempting to distract myself.

As time has gone by, I have developed a close relationship with my mom. Although I have not fully accepted the full realities of her disease, I have begun to return the favor of her strength as a mother who has made me who I am today. Although we have distance apart and my step-dad is her sole caregiver, I want my strength for her to shine through.

I want her to know that no matter how far I go, she and I will remain mother and daughter and I will always view her as a strong woman even without the physical strength that MS will take away from her.

My mom complains about the pain, the numbing of limbs, loss of balance, blurred vision and memory loss. She has difficulty understanding and conversing with people. However, she is still the beautiful, strong willed, feisty, determined woman who birthed me and has been through more than many could ever imagine.

MS has impacted my family greatly, my step-dad has dedicated his life to taking care of my mom, my sister had to mature and take the roll in raising me. But, they have all shown great strength throughout this journey. I, on the other hand, have finally began to realize that I may have had my world turned upside down when my mom got diagnosed with MS, but her world was taken over and replaced with and life of full dependence on others and the unknown of what will come in the future.

On April 16, 2011, I will be leading my team, Walk it Out Chico State, in the fight against MS. We will walk in support of the National MS Society that addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward.

There are 400,000 Americans living with MS today. Money raised at Walk MS funds groundbreaking research and innovative programs and services to help people living with MS fight the battle. Currently, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with a diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability.

MS is not going anywhere without our support for the fight against this ongoing battle. I may be hours away from my mom, but I have grown to appreciate her and cherish every moment with her as time goes by. This walk is just one way to represent my gratitude toward such an inspiring woman who has never once gave up on me and I plan to never give up on her.

Because mom, I will walk forever for you.

For more information on how to get involved with Walk MS and joint Walk it Out Chico State please visit the following website, http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=9233383&pg=personal&fr_id=16486

Victim Blaming in NYTimes

By Daniella Galaviz

In a New York Times article, entitled “Vicious Assaults Shakes Texas Town” by James C. McKinley, McKinley goes as far as blaming an 11 year old girl for a sexual attack made against her.  The article begins by speaking about the boys future “the boys have to live with this the rest of their lives” but what about the victim? Five of the suspects were in high school, one was a 21 year old son of a school board member, a few have criminal records that range from selling drugs to robbery, and in one case, manslaughter. The ages range from middle schoolers to a 27- year old.  These “boys” knew what they were doing. This11 year old girl, however, is not old enough to consent.

Victim blaming is holding the victim of a crime or any type of abusive maltreatment to be responsible for the transgressions committed against them. In this case an 11 year old girl was brutally assaulted. The assault took place after a 19 year old man invited the victim to ride around in his car, he took her to a house where another man, 19, lived.  There the girl was disrobed and sexuality assaulted by several boys in the bedroom and bathroom. When a relative of one of the suspects arrived, the group fled and went to an abandoned mobile home, where the assault continued. There the assault was recording and later shown to other students (McKinley, 2011).

McKinley goes on to state that the 11 year old girl had been seen wearing provocative clothes, and make-up, not suited for her age but rather for a woman in her 20s. Even though this child, might wear provocative clothes it does not mean that others have the right to sexually assault them. The word provocative is defined as “Serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate” according to Merriam-Webster. This young girl didn't intentionally or willingly try to “provoke” or “excite” these men. No women who has been sexually assaulted tries to provoke their attackers into committing such a crime.

In the article, “Did the New York Times Blame the 11 Year Old Victim of a Texas Gang Rape?” by Andrea Grimes, Grimes mentions how irrelevant stating that an 11 year old wearing make-up was. Grimes states that McKinley, a graduate of Cornell University, should have known better than to print this information in a national news article. By printing how some people perceived an 11-year-old child to dress in a sultry, sexy way doesn’t give readers information they need – which is the fact that this is a horrible thing that happened in our society. Writing about how people in the community thought about the boys' welfare rather than the girl's perpetuates rape culture not only within the small community itself in Texas, but all over the nation. It gives those who want one an excuse to dismiss the behavior of 18 men who have been suspected of gang-raping an 11-year-old girl.

When a woman, in this case a child, is raped or sexually molested society always questions the victim rather than facing the actual culprit and investigating why they did it or how they could have committed such a crime. Society instead blames the victim with common ideas like “if she hadn't been wearing clothes like that..” or “she was asking for it” or “she shouldn't have been walking around that late.” It is sickening that society even questions what a woman must have done to provoke sexual assault. Instead of blaming the victim, society should look at the real problem, the perpetrator.

Now, to be fair, the NYTimes publication did come out and tried to re-examine the article, breaking it down into sections and pinpointing certain pieces that proved that the original author didn't mean to victim blame. However, they still use the same type of language as in the first article, "These elements, creating an impression of concern for the perpetrators and an impression of a provocative victim, led many readers to interpret the subtext of the story to be: she had it coming." Now, they did try to explain themselves and said that they were simply giving an insight into the community that was questioning the lack of supervision that left this young child at risk. This still puts blame on the victim's family when there should be investigation into the perpetrators family, the way they were raised, and how they lured such a young girl into this situation. 

The article continues, trying to clean up it's language and tone, "Philip Corbett, standards editor for The Times, told me earlier today that the story focused on the reaction of community residents and that there was no intent to blame the victim. He added, “I do think in retrospect we could have done more to provide more context to make that clear.”" This is something that the NYTimes and our patriarchal society needs to work on in general. I think they were woken up to this incident and rightfully so. 

Ohio's Proposed Heartbeat Bill

By Sarah Mann

The issue of abortion rights has been at a new height over the past few weeks. Abortion rights activism has been one of the leading social issues of our generation and recently in Ohio there has been a new twist in the potential for state restriction of this federal right.

House bill 125 or the “heartbeat bill” was set forth by Ohio Republican Rep. Lynn Wachtmann in February to ban abortions once a heartbeat is detectable on an ultrasound.  As of right now there is no specific timeline regarding how many days along a woman must be in her pregnancybefore this restriction might take place, but it is known that as early as 18 days a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

Since 1973, the Roe v. Wade case decision brought legal abortion to all women in the United States, and this heartbeat bill is by far the most aggressive challenge since its passage.       

Prior to researching more about abortion laws and rights, I have to admit I was a bit confused as to how legislators in Ohio could essentially overturn this 1973 Supreme Court decision to legalize abortions.  Then I realized it was because they justified this bill as a restriction to an abortion. 

Although abortions are technically legal in all 50 states, many states have made them more difficult to obtain than others. Many states have demanded mandatory ultrasounds, parental consent if underage and even a 72 hour waiting period prior to an abortion, but no restriction as gone as far as Ohio.

During the case on March 2, two Ohio women, both supporters of the bill, took the stand and had ultrasounds preformed on their 9 week and 15 week old fetuses. Controversy over the depiction of these women who are suppose to, in effect, represent all women in Ohio, was conveyed by Kellie Copeland, spokesperson for NARAL Pro-Choice in Ohio.

"They were used as props, and women are not props. Women are citizens and we deserve the right to protect or have them to make their own decisions.  I don't think Lynn Wachtmann or anybody else should be able to make decisions for every woman which is exactly what they're trying to do."

Since Republicans control all aspects of Ohio state's government, it is likely that this bill will in fact pass.  The United States Supreme Courtonce again has a conservative edge with John Roberts as its Chief Justice.  If the Ohio law were to be appealed to the Supreme Court, it may be upheld.   

When looking into any critical social controversy I like to look to both sides and see why people see things so differently.  And when watching a video on www.heartbeatbill.com, a woman emphatically asks for support on the bill and discusses the need for defenders for unborn fetuses.

 What I have interpreted from many pro-life activists is that it’s pro-life v. pro-abortion, and I don’t believe this is really the case.

 I consider myself pro-choice, not because I agree with the procedure of abortion, but with the choice its gives us.  The bottom line, for me anyways, is that there simply has to be the option, the choice, the opportunity because if that’s taken away from us we all know the procedures certainly won’t stop, they will just get dangerous and unsafe.

I believe this is what all the pro-life activists aren’t addressing.  That is the real issue.  It’s not that I, as a pro-choice supporter, believe that terminating a pregnancy is good or ok, but I understand that taking away the option to abort a fetus will only lead back to the dangerous road of back alley abortions and unsafe conditions.

For an update, check out the Jezebel article!

Roe V. Wade Economics

By Kate Finegold

Roe v. Wade, a landmark Supreme Court case from 1973 that made abortions legal in the U.S., has most definitely brought about pivotal improvements in the lives of women. Some of which are more obvious than others. By declaring that abortion is included in a woman’s guarantee of privacy under the 14^th Amendment, the abortion procedure was brought into the public arena to be regulated and standardized, making it less risky for women and also not as taboo a subject. Now that women can go to a licensed doctor and have their operation in a sterile hospital room, instead of being forced to seek out a “back alley butcher”, the complications and deaths associated with abortions has dropped to just below 0.3%. Before Roe v. Wade, 50% of maternal deaths were a result of illegal abortions. Now, abortion is 11 times safer than giving birth, a statistic that really drove home for me how important to women’s safety legalizing abortion has been (for more statistics, go to NOW).

Other societal benefits that can be attributed to the Roe v. Wade ruling are less apparent. Economist Steven Levitt believes that the legalization of abortion in the 70’s led to the substantial crime drop that occurred in the 1990s. Crime rates in the eighties were on the rise, and most people expected another spike to occur in the following decade. But what happened instead was a 30% decrease. Explanations for the sudden change included more innovation policing methods, harsher sentencing of criminals, a crack-down on the crack market, tighter gun control, a strong stable economy and more police. But based on Levitt’s calculations, these factors only contributed to half of the decrease in crime. What other explanation could there be? Abortion. If it wasn’t an option for parents not ready to start families, there would be a lot more children born into the world whose parents weren’t in a position to give them the proper care and attention. The first wave of unplanned for kids born in the seventies would be the prime age for crime in the nineties, but since they were never born, crimes they may have grown up to have committed didn’t happen. Thus the drop in overall crime activity, according to Levitt.

When I at first watched a FreakEnomics YouTube video about Levitt’s findings, I wasn’t buying it. In the heated debate still surrounding abortion, Levitt’s argument would definitely add ammo to the pro-choice side. Because let’s be honest, politicians, and most people for that matter, care most about and focus most on money. So an argument that shows that we could save dollars on law enforcement by having people police themselves with abortions could persuade a lot of folks to join the pro-choice side. While such an argument is indeed persuasive, is it true? I remember from a former statistics class to be wary that apparent correlation does not always mean causation. It seemed so far-fetched to me that I thought it was a farce, but then I researched the various effects of Roe v. Wade and what Levitt is saying began to make a lot more sense.

Children born to families that planned on having them are usually raised in a more caring environment. Mothers with unwanted births have a harder time forming a healthy relationship with their child; they spank and slap their children more often, according to a study posted on Planned Parenthood’s website. In addition, children born after 1973 in states that are pro-choice are less likely to be born in single-parent households, live in poverty or receive welfare. Hence, the option for legal, safe abortion that Roe v. Wade has made possible gives women the freedom to choose when they are ready to start a family, and when they are in the best position in their lives to do so. Although it is sad to think about children being neglected and mistreated because they weren’t “wanted”, it is more uplifting to think that less children are being born into this situation since the legalization of abortion, and that our entire society is benefiting from this in the form of less crime. 

Kappa Sigma Email "Targets" Women

by Nikki Allair

Clearly, feminism is still needed in this world. No matter what one person tells me, I will always stand beside my feminist ideals and especially during times like these.

Recently, the USC Kappa Sigma fraternity sent out an e-mail explaining how to target women as sexual conquests. Women in this context aren't real humans. If you think I'm joking or going overboard, read the e-mail that was sent out. The fraternity brother has been quoted as saying, “Note: I will refer to females as "targets". They aren't actual people like us men. Consequently, giving them a certain name or distinction is pointless.” He doesn't even give her vagina any credit (even though that's the only part these fraternity brothers should care about, right?). He calls it a “pie”. Something to be eaten, to be bought, to have brought to you, to be served to.

The woman clearly has no agency and has no part that is even remotely female (not even her title). She is placed in a ranking system by comparison to celebrities who are airbrushed. If a brother gets even close to this he “should be lynched”. Lynching is something that is racially charged and was a tactic used to scare other African Americans in the deep south from pursuing any avenue that deals with getting ahead in life. It was used by white supremacists. This shouldn't be something taken lightly or joked about.

Cheating seems to be something that is taken lightly with these men. What if someone they deeply cared about (say a 7 or better known as “wife material”) cheated on them? Oh but they're men … they can take it like they dish it out, right?

Another thing not to joke about is rape. Rape is such an emotionally charged word and one that can affect not just women in particular, but also men.

“Non-consent and rape are two different things. There is a fine line, so make sure not to cross it.” Let's get one thing clear; not receiving consent for a sexual act one is about to commit is rape. Don't think that just because she's too drunk, too drugged out, or is too scared to actually say no means that the person can move forward without asking for consent. Consent needs to be coherent and it needs to be sober.

The descriptions of the “pies” here are not only racist, but also very creepy. If someone were to describe me (and particularly my vagina) by a type of pastry, I would be very freaked out. I don't want anyone eating my vagina like a piece of desert. It doesn't taste like pie so don't treat it like that. Treat it like you're supposed to – with respect.

This idiot also thought that it was smart to tell his fraternity brothers to not “fuck middle-eastern targets. Exhibit some patriotism and have some pride. You want your cock smelling like falafel? Filth.” I keep thinking we're past this specific racist ideology, but I guess not. Racism like this leaves a gross taste in my mouth. I have no other words other than that … they can speak for themselves.

Luckily the authorities at USC have described this as “repulsive”, “ridiculous”, and “insulting”. These words can't even begin depict my facial expression while reading this e-mail.

It sucks that all that I know about fraternities is negative press. They really need to get back to their foundations and start regulating those who are ruining the image of fraternities and the Greek system in general. 

My First Take Back the Night Will Not Be My Last

by Kaitlyn Azevedo 

Wow, where do I even begin?? Take Back the Night was so awesome, I can only help but feel like we touched and impacted so many people by putting on this event. This semester, I am not only lucky to be an intern, but I was on the TBTN committee as well. This was super cool because I had never been to a Take Back the Night before, and so putting it together and getting to see it turn out so well was really special.

Although it only lasted for three hours, I learned how much effort, time, and detail really go into the coordination and preparation in order to make the event run as smoothly as it did. Having an experienced mentor such as Kerrie also helped, as she was able to guide us new interns, and teach us the ropes of putting together TBTN.

During class talks and tabling I could see the different reactions people would have regarding the focal point of Take Back the Night. There were tons of people who said they wanted to come and were interested in what the event is about, while others wanted nothing to do with it. This struck me as interesting, and just further exemplifies the need for education regarding the frequency of sexual assault, domestic violence, and rape. It was also empowering to see people come who were initially hesitant about the event, but still stretched their boundaries.

We had two great days of tabling; there was a wide spread variety of organizations that came, and lots of interest was shown by people passing by. I felt like these two days were a great way to kick off the event, and to have interaction between the campus community and some of the clubs.

Another awesome thing to add to an already wonderful event, was the fact that our event was used for a movie! The anthropology professor Jesse Dizzard and a fellow student are making a documentary regarding people's knowledge of sexual assault, and to further educate and enlighten people of its prevalence. They took footage of us tabling, the speech that our keynote speaker Kate Transchel gave, as well as the actual march. I also had the experience of being interviewed for the film, which was really cool. I think the subject of their movie goes hand-in-hand with our Take Back the Night, and was so glad they were able to catch our event on camera. Now, hopefully, our message can be passed even further along.

Before Tuesday night, I was really anxious to see how many people were going to come make posters during tabling, how much the Toms we were going to be auctioned for, and ultimately, how many people would show up. As a student, I know it can be intimidating or uncomfortable to go to club's events for the first time (which could potentially be the reason I hadn't attended TBTN until Tuesday) but that night we had a really great turn out of people, including returners and first-timers alike. The overall energy of the event was really powerful, and it was clear to see that the people who came out to participate were there for one main reason: to end violence against people!

I am so grateful I not only attended Take Back the Night, but being able to help administer and facilitate this amazing event was something I will always remember. There were a lot of firsts during this experience, but now that I've put my foot in the door, I plan on Taking Back Many more Nights!

History of Take Back the Night

by Jessica Arriaga

The anxiety women feel when walking alone at night, the potential fear that they can radiate the body, the danger people say “they are putting themselves in,” and the fact that a women simply cannot feel safe when the sun goes down are all reasons why Take Back the Night began

According to takebackthenight.org the first Take Back the Night in the United States occurred in October of 1975 in Philadelphia. People partook in the event after Susan Alexander Speeth, a young microbiologist was stabbed and murdered while walking home alone. The first Take Back the Night to take place over seas happened in Brussels, Belgium March 4-8 in 1976. In Belgium the event was huge, two thousand women representing 40 countries attended. Both in Philadelphia and in Belgium there was a candlelit progression; these were the first documented Take Back the Night Marches

In Europe the event is called Reclaiming the Night and it started in Rome in 1976. The reported 16,ooo rapes that year are what fueled Reclaim the Night, that is a lot of women, a lot of individuals that were affected by violence. This brings me to the point that rape does not solely affect the individual but also affects so many people associated with the victim. From Rome, the event took place in Germany, on April 30 1977, which was a place where women suffered constant harassment both during the day and at night. This important movement began to grow and become acknowledged, and the next city to hold the event was Leeds, England in November of 1977. Leeds put on the event in response to many, many women being attacked, raped, and killed. These women were all prostitutes, but that was not a welcome to violence against them

Australia and India also began putting on Reclaim the Night events. Australia’s events first aimed to raise awareness against abortion and contraception. In Bombay, India after a pregnant woman was gang raped women put on a Reclaim the Night in March of 1978

In New York, the first march for women was held in 1976 and it was not until 1977 that the slogan “Take Back the Night” was brought to light by a woman named Anne Pride. In 1978 San Franciscans put on a Take Back the Night in protest to pornography, which I find interesting being that so many of us see this event used to mainly protest violence usually of a sexual nature against women. In Canada, The Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centers declared the third Friday of September the official evening for Take Bake the Night marches nationwide

For over 30 years women have been speaking out at these Take Back the Night events attempting to combat and raise awareness of violence against women. The event seeks to eliminate all forms of sexual violence. Thousands of colleges, universities, Women’s Centers and rape crisis centers have sponsored these events all over the country, and the AS Women Center is extremely proud to be one of those organizations

Please come and join us Tuesday night for our spring Take Back the Night Event! We will be tabling both Monday and Tuesday morning. On Tuesday at 7:30pm The Women only Survivor speak out will take place and the Gender Inclusive Workshop will be going on simultaneously. We encourage women to come tell their stories, read a poem, or anything they feel comfortable sharing. The Gender Inclusive Workshop will cover bystander awareness, how we perpetuate rape culture in our society and tips on how to combat it. At 8:30 the Keynote address will be given by Kate Transchel who is a professor in the History Department on campus and has done extensive research on sex trafficking. Following the keynote will be a silent candle-lit march at 9:00pm. This event is extremely empowering and strives to promote change. So please come out and support the cause.