Thursday, May 23, 1996
Route through Fraternity Row, dorms, ‘rape trail’ scheduled for
todayBy Brooke Olson
Daily Bruin Staff
Several months ago, an unidentified suspect attacked a woman in
Lot 8, serving as a reminder that the campus is still not
completely safe.
Tonight, a "Take Back the Night" rally will be held at UCLA to
protest violence against women and call for increased security and
lighting on campus.
"Women should be able to walk anywhere at night without the fear
of rape or violence. We should not be victims trapped in our
homes," asserted Barbara Brazil, the undergraduate internal vice
president.
The march will began in Westwood Plaza at 7 pm, where student
speakers will discuss the types of violence against women in the
United States and share their personal experiences.
Sponsored by the Women of Color Coalition, the undergraduate
internal vice-president’s office and Panhellenic council, the rally
is aimed at what organizers believe is a rise in the amount of
violence against women.
"I think the facts show that there is an increasing number of
attacks on women," said Janet Guggemos, a member of the Womynist
Collective. "If no one makes an effort to stop this, the number of
attacks will continue to rise."
Indeed, U.S. Judicial Department statistics show that one in
four women will be raped within their lifetime, and that a woman is
physically abused every 18 seconds.
The march will proceed up Bruin Walk to Griffin Commons and
through the "rape trail," an isolated and unlit walkway leading to
Westwood.
"This area is really dark and surrounded by trees and bushes,
and has been the sight of several attacks over the years," said
Mary Mantel, a second-year political science student who plans to
participate in the event. "It’s a dangerous place for any
woman."
After a series of speeches at the end of the trail, the march
will continue down Gayley Avenue and past Fraternity Row, ending up
back at Westwood Plaza for an open mike session.
"Actively and progressively, we are trying to end the
exploitation of women," said Dawn Fraser, a member of African
Student Union and director of the Women of Color Coalition. She
added the rally is also essential to establishing a support network
for those who have been victims of violence.
One of the speakers for the rally is Karla Zombro, a UCLA alum
and labor union organizer. A member of the undergraduate council
three years ago, Zombro worked on the Campus Safety Act, which
increased both lighting and police patrol on the campus.
Part of the march along Fraternity Row has angered several
fraternity members, who felt that the march is unfairly singling
out the greek system as the one of the main contributors to
violence against women.
"We just want to have fun at the fraternity houses," said Matt
Arnald, a member of Zeta Beta Tau. "We’re not out to hurt anyone,
and it’s unfair for them to accuse us of violence."
But rally participants said they are targeting all areas of
violence against women, and the fraternities are just one small
part of the problem.
"Historically, the fraternity houses are where a lot of rapes
happen, but we are going places where attacks occur  parking
lot 8, the dorms, Fraternity Row," Guggemos said.
Past incidents, such as the discovery of sexist and racist
fraternity songbooks in 1991 and 1992, demonstrate fraternities’
mentality towards women, Guggemos claimed.
Various songbooks belonging to the Theta Xi and Phi Kappa Psi
fraternities were released anonymously to together, UCLA’s the
feminist newsmagazine.
The songs celebrated fraternity life, and some included
references to violent sexual acts and mutilation of women. Theta Xi
was suspended by its national organization, and the undergraduate
council removed its sponsorship of the Interfraternity Council.
Although many fraternity members had refused to comment on the
songbooks, Marc Buckhantz, the Theta Xi president at that time,
insisted that the songbook was withdrawn from use because members
found the traditional drinking tunes offensive.
"The songbooks may have at one time existed, but that’s not the
mentality of fraternity members now," said Scott Lyland, a
first-year undeclared student who plans to rush in the fall. "Frats
do a lot of community service, and they provide a positive and
strong brotherhood environment."
This is the first "Take Back the Night" rally at UCLA since
1990, when feminist organizations such as the Women’s Coalition
emerged on campus. The feminist movement resurged this year as a
result of recent attacks on affirmative action, said members of
campus feminist organizations.
Feminist groups hoped the rally will not only increase
membership in the sponsoring organizations, but also provide a
forum for people to express their views on harassment and
assault.
"This rally is important because it will allow women to
acknowledge that violence still occurs on campus," said
Gülgün Ugur, editor in chief of together. "It will also
bring about awareness and remind the university that they have a
responsibility to make the campus safe for all of its
students."