RACHEL JOHNSON & ERIN CHINEN
Contributors
On a campus that faces over-saturation of philanthropic endeavors, and in a society that aims to keep its problems under the rug, we need the Eve Project.
The origin of the Eve Project stemmed from the concept and belief in the power of naming. Naming the fear. Breaking the silence. The Eve Project is not a campaign to eradicate sexual violence altogether. They are not as naïve as the writer (“Eve Project mishandles a serious issue,” April 3) chooses to depict them. Rather, the Eve Project speaks to bringing an end to the cycle of fear and shame that prevents so many from taking a stand. It’s about creating awareness — awareness that sexual violence happens far too often, and that we can make a difference.
The quote, “The Eve Project got about as close to the topic as a kid poking a dead bird with a stick,” is not only a pugnacious remark, but a pessimistic view of anyone trying to alter society for the better.
Once, a fellow student commented on how abstract art was pointless and remedial. Her art teacher rebutted, “But the thing is, they did it. And you didn’t.” The thing is, the Eve Project took a stand.
Sure, it was unfortunate that some participants were not mature enough to take the concept seriously. And yes, maybe this approach to bringing an end to the fear of sexual violence isn’t one the writer of the article preferred. But the thing is, the directors and committee members of the Eve Project took a stand.
Sexual violence is a touchy subject. It is sensitive because there are such varying levels of involvement with this issue. The greatest tragedy of sexual violence is the staggering number of victims who never say anything (only 16 percent of victims of sexual violence report the acts to authorities), and the continuation of a society who chooses to see no evil, hear no evil.
This is the fundamental point of the Eve Project: bringing the subject to light and fostering an environment where envisioning a world without the fear of sexual violence spurs action and awareness. No, the “dirty details are not as fun to put on a poster.” That’s why students worked tirelessly to creatively bring the issue to light through video and photos, not just slap some statistics on a poster. It was the hope and goal of the project to first achieve awareness, followed closely by action.
It’s sad the author criticized the philanthropic event for being overly optimistic. The content of the article made it seem as if the directors and student volunteers who participated in this year’s Eve Project were naïve and unwilling to understand their efforts were worthless. She portrayed the participants as individuals who were more willing to support a cause that may never be solved than to think realistically about the perverse nature of society. The article made it seem as though this ability to dream was a negative thing, when really it’s the most important thing any of us could ever do. Dreams inspire change, and change is clearly what our society needs when it comes to the fear of sexual violence.
We also believe the Eve Project is an effective tool in reaching those who have not been affected by the fear of sexual violence. Many of the students at Pepperdine have been blessed enough to have not confronted the fear of sexual violence in daily life. The reality is that the fear of sexual violence affects all of us, and it’s important to discuss it in order to raise awareness of the fact that it exists in all aspects of our lives. As the author pointed out, sexual violence does occur on Pepperdine’s campus, which is the reason the Eve Project attempts to reach out to students. It’s important for the Pepperdine community to be sensitive to the fact that other students may be victims of sexual violence. Their sensitivity allows survivors to speak out about it so they feel no anxiety or shame.
Sexual violence is scary. So is cancer, world hunger, AIDS, genocide and racism. And if we choose to remain in a world where we are OK with never dreaming to see something like the aforementioned end, just what are we doing with our lives?
We do agree with the author in this: Sexual violence will never completely end. Why? Because human nature is corrupt. But one thing the author failed to note was that we can dream to live in a world where the fear of sexual violence ends, and that is something to advocate.
It doesn’t matter what you are an advocate for, but pick something you are passionate about and work to support the cause. And in doing so, know and be thankful there are people who have differing passions than your own, and will take a stand defending those who don’t have a voice.
Rachel is the Student Director of the Eve Project at Pepperdine. Erin is a project volunteer.
04-10-2008