University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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any men stepbe- don [ohn man ieves )nsi- rally wing .ays sup kfor dnot rease icpes land rein- ctims .pow- said proj- ' After ebrat- end- Top left: Take Back the Night participants wave a banner before the match begins. Top right Students, par- ents and children marched to take back the night. Center: Michelle Fles- cher, Karen Flescher, Leah lltdien, andSusan Langnas march. Bottom: Women gather together before the march. WHAT IS RAPE? Rape is defined as a crime of violence in which the goal is to overpower, intimidate, and degrade the victim. Under Michigan law, sexual assault (rape) is defined as forced or coerced penetration and sexual contact (not just forced sex- ual intercourse). There are four degrees of Criminal Sexual Conduct depending on whether penetration or contact occurred, and on how much force was used in the attack. The law is the same whether the as- sailant is a stranger or someone known to the victim. Rape is usually planned in advance: 71% of all single assailant assaults, and 90% of all gang rapes are planned. Rape does not occur because of a temporary loss of con- trol. Rape is most often committed by hetero- sexual men (98% of the time). Preparedby the U-M Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center 3100 Michigan Union 763-5865 business line 936-3333 24 hr. counseling line MICHIGAN LIFE 29

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Linked arm in arm they march: Taking back the night This past year, 1,000 people joined the dem- onstration the largest number of participants in the past 10 years. Walking through the cam- pus and city streets arm linked in arm, the women chanted, Wherever we go, however we dress, ' no ' means no and ' yes ' means yes. For the past 10 years, the Ann Arbor Coali- tion Against Rape has or- ganized ' Take Back the Night, a march against the sexual assault of women. Its par- ticipants line the streets, strengthened by their number and united in their cause. Together they walk to re- gain a sense of confidence and power. According to literature put out by AACAR, Take Back the Night is a demonstration of the pow- er of women working col- lectively. It is a symbol of the fact that women must rely on other women for safe- ty. It ' s ironic because we want to be able to stand on our own, but we have to depend on other women to do so, says Lisa Newman, LSA sen- ior. According to the Federal Bureau of Investiga- tion ' s statistics on sexual assault, one in every three women, and one in every 10 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. However, in over 99.5 percent of all rapes, men are the ag- gressors. The march has always been peaceful but not without some heckling. When we marched by some of the fraternities, some of the guys were screaming things like, ' hey sexy ' or ' why don ' t you come by for a drink afterwards? ' but we just ignore them. We don ' t give into such ha- rassments anymore, says Nicole Carson, LSA junior. This past year, a group called National Organization for Men demonstrated in oppo- sition to the March. Unfortunately, not many men understand why women march alone. And, the men who do realize why they cannot fall into step be- hind the women, get frustrated. Male supporters are encouraged to stand on the sidelines and demonstrate passively. John Ifcher, Michigan alumnus and past chairman for the men ' s rally, believes men must take responsi- bility for their roles as ag- gressors in sexual assault situations. The men ' s rally is one way of showing their concern. Ifcher, says the men who participated in the rally believe that the march is a time for women. We rallied to sup- port the women in tak- ing back the night..We didn ' t want to take it back for them because we did not want to perpetuate the ' male as protector ' issue. One of the main objec- tives of Take Back the Night is to increase com-munity awareness and responsibility, in hopes of ending rape. The issues of sexual assault and harassment are slowly making their way onto the public agenda. Marching and rallying rein- force the idea that the issues and the victims are real. Take Back the Night was the most empow- ering experience I ' ve had as a woman, said Susan Langnas, LSA junior. The march proj- ects feelings of unity and hope that a change in society ' s attitudes toward rape and assault will occur. Bethany Celmins, an LSA junior, said, After the march, people were dancing and celebrat- ing. It was just a unifying thing at the end- people expressing themselves, crying and laugh- ing. It made me feel very affected. by Stacey Farb Hanging out at the record box. (BENTLEV HISTORICAL LIBRARY) 28 MICHIGAN LIFE

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Left to Right: Jon Forman, Hilary Dekraai, and Rob Spiegel pose on the porch of Owen Co-op. (Bin WOOD) Dirk and Melissa Stamp cook dinner together. (STEVE SZUCH) Left to right: Mary Aitken, Amy Herrup, Eric Norland, Ethyan Klamka, Kevin Drapera, and Egbert Schwartz dine at Owen Co Op. (BILL WOOD) OPPOSITE RIGHT: ( ARTWORK BY SHELLY KLEIN) You can fight back! Maybe you are irate because at 10 p.m. on Sunday night six painters turn up at your door , strip your walls of decor, and start renovating. Or maybe you are feeling piqued because the dregs of last night ' s dinner are still floating around in a sink minus a working garbage disposal. If you are experiencing woes like these or variations of any type, don ' t despair. There are things you can do to set your situation right. The Ann Arbor Tenants Union counsels Ann Arbor tenants on their rights, leases, and rent. Located in the Michigan Union, the AATU helps organize tenants to force changes in leases, rent rebates, maintenance, and other rental arrangements. The organization is composed of U-M students and alumni, familiar with off-campus life in Ann Arbor. All students are automatically members and entitled to free services. by Lisa Perczak 30 MICHIGAN LIFE