Self Defense Classes:
Before the Take Back the Night Rally two Fullerton Police Academy training staff members led a self-defense class on the Quad on Tuesday, April 22 giving students pointers on how to better protect themselves against every day dangers.

“If you’re under attack you have to fight,” said one of the FPA training staff members who chose to stay anonymous.

The officers advised not using your phone while walking alone because that makes you an easy, unaware target for theft and rape. They went over how to easily escape a predator’s grasp and simple techniques on how to fight back if ever attacked.

“In the case that something happens, it is good to have some sort of knowledge on how to get away,” said Courtney Caylor, major undeclared.

The Sociology Club sponsored the self-defense classes with sociology instructor Angie Andrus as one of the organizers.

“We wanted the class to be fairly intimate so it felt more personal and people could connect to it easily,” Andrus said.

Take Back the Night :

The Take Back the Night Rally and Candlelight Vigil opened a platform for sexual violence survivors to share their stories and empower other victims.

The event featured two keynote speakers, Nancy Noble, CRTV major and Krystal Patterson, film major.

Patterson became a victim of sexual violence when she witnessed her mother being raped as a child.

They both shared stories of how sexual violence affected their lives and their paths to recovery.

Noble was personally affected when she found out her husband had raped a young girl and she was also sexually assaulted by her husband after he was released from jail. She expressed how strongly she believed families affected by sexual violence are not collateral damage and she advises all survivors to speak out.

“Tell your story, you are not alone,” Noble said. “Don’t feel guilty.”

Yvette Ramirez was one of the main organizers of the event along with a few of her students. She worked with different faculty members and student groups to put this event together.

“When students come together it becomes a movement,” Ramirez said.

Around 40 to 50 students watched as these individuals shared their stories. Towards the end, Noble called upon members of the audience to share their experiences with sexual violence.

Francesca Valencia, sociology major, was an audience member who spoke about her experience. Valencia used to work at Medieval Times where the revealing costumes many of the women have to wear led to many cases of sexual harassment from male guests. She reported the cases multiple times to her superiors with no action and eventually quit and filed a lawsuit against the company.

She recommends anyone facing sexual harassment at work to always write down the dates in which the instances occurred so you always have proof.

Valencia has created a club on campus named H.O.P.E., which stands for “hold on pain ends” aimed to provide relief and assistance to sexual violence survivors.

Nich Gotta, FC baseball player, along with his coach and many members of his team showed support at the event.

“There’s really no excuse for sexual violence,” Gotta said. “I didn’t really realize how prevalent it was before this event.”