EMERGING FEMINISMS, 1 in 4

By Courtney Sylvester

**Content Warning: sexual violence, rape**

1 in 4 finally gets invited to a party 1 in 4 gets ready for a party by buying a pretty dress 1 in 4 accepts alcohol given to her by a cute guy from her class 1 in 4 finally feels like she fits in 1 in 4 flirts with the boy from her class and thinks nothing of it 1 in 4 gets compliments from said boy that makes 1 in 4 blush 1 in 4 gets separated from the crowd 1 in 4 starts to feel dizzy 1 in 4’s world goes black 1 in 4 wakes up not knowing where she is 1 in 4 notices she is naked 1 in 4 vomits and starts to shake 1 in 4 looks for her underwear, bra, and dress 1 in 4 feels alone 1 in 4 starts to cry 1 in 4 has someone walk in on her still naked and hears laughter 1 in 4 dresses but her underwear is ripped so she leaves it 1 in 4 goes home sobbing 1 in 4 is afraid to tell her parents 1 in 4 is ashamed and takes a shower 1 and 4 is asked by parents what happened 1 in 4 confesses 1 in 4’s parents worry about pregnancy and race of perpetrator 1 in 4 decides to keep quiet and not give any details 1 in 4 has panic attacks when she sleeps 1 in 4 goes to school and has classes with the boy 1 in 4 hears gossip being said about her 1 in 4 is told by some girls that he has pictures 1 in 4 is told she just wants attention 1 in 4 is told that just because she hooked up and feels bad about it now doesn’t mean she should change the story 1 in 4 loses friends because they say she is lying 1 in 4 sees boy move onto another girl but he still smiles at her 1 in 4 feels lost everywhere she goes 1 in 4 tries to talk to a counselor 1 in 4’s counselor tells her boys will be boys 1 in 4 tells her older brother 1 in 4’s brother tells her to keep quiet because he knows the boy and the boy wouldn’t do that 1 in 4 feels nauseated 1 in 4 starts skipping school and consequently fails her grade 1 in 4 drops out of school and gets GED 1 in 4 has a round belly 1 in 4 sees her old classmates sometimes and they make faces at her 1 in 4 gets prank calls 1 in 4 gets eggs thrown at her house and slashed tires on her car 1 in 4 files a report 1 in 4 is interrogated 1 in 4 is asked why she waited so long 1 in 4 doesn’t know 1 in 4 says it is her fault 1 in 4’s interrogator asks her how many people she has been with 1 in 4’s interrogator asks her to write down what happened and what he did exactly, did he violate you anally? 1 in 4 doesn’t remember 1 in 4’s interrogator is asking to have a DNA test on the baby after the little girl is born 1 in 4’s perpetrator says she asked for it 1 in 4 goes two long years before being told the case is inconclusive 1 in 4 gets put on medicine 1 in 4 gains weight 1 in 4 cant hold a job 1 in 4 longs for the day she can move away 1 in 4 can’t date 1 in 4 can’t be in crowded rooms 1 in 4 can’t smell Ralph Lauren cologne without getting sick 1 in 4 can’t sleep with the lights off 1 in 4 wears long sleeves and pants and gains more and more weight 1 in 4’s perpetrator is married now 1 in 4’s perpetrator wants custody 1 in 4’s perpetrator tells her that she was fantastic and went all night long 1 in 4 is told that he thought she was a virgin because he could hardly get it in 1 in 4 is told how he carried her and had to situate her up so he could enter her 1 in 4 is asked by perpetrator is she has ever heard of a bucking bronco? 1 in 4 says no and 1 in 4’s perpetrator tells her that’s when you fuck a girl from behind and then stick it up her ass really quick without her expecting it

Courtney Sylvester is a single mother, and a senior at Georgia Southern University. She cares deeply for women and the issues that concern them.