Abigail Shimniok

Both the Patricia A. Doyle Center and the Dean of Students office hosted Take Back the Night, held on April 16. This is an annual event that is hosted to remember the survivors of sexual assault.
Annie Steffen and Kristen Delaney introduced both the event and the speaker, Ethan Cates. Cates talked about his sexual assault experience as well as his activism in the wake of assault.
He talked about the internalized shame of everything, especially as a male survivor, because “it is very difficult to stand there and be vulnerable” with the other survivors. But he keeps stressing that you are not alone, which was a recurring theme that night.
After Cates’s speech, people in attendance were encouraged to look at survivors’ stories which were hung around the Markee. These stories were from people around the campus and the greater Platteville area and shared heartbreaking stories from many different people, which led to a discussion about sexual assault. The debrief was not only on how people were feeling after everything but how to support the survivors of these events, where everyone repeats the idea that the survivors are not alone. They have a support system and resources in the area, and it is our job as the support system to get them the tools and resources they need.
If you or a loved one has experienced sexual assault, please reach out to the Dean of Students, Family Advocates or the Sexual Assault Advocates on campus.