Why Rutgers’ SCREAM Theater program matters

Almost everyone at Rutgers at one point in time has seen a SCREAM performance. Most of us saw it at orientation and some saw it through their various clubs, organizations, and classes. SCREAM stands for Students Challenging Realities and Educating Against Myths. The program has been recognized by the White house and is guided by its commitment to help create communities that do not tolerate violence. Scream talks about some very real issues – issues that a lot of us are afraid or uncomfortable to talk about. So wit’s that said, I’d like you to meet a few members of SCREAM and get to see why this is such an important program at Rutgers.

Tell me about your role in SCREAM theater

So primarily my job is to run the program, SCREAM theater, as well as the program SCREAM athletes. But I also do a lot of prevention work, including our bystander prevention training. I also do a small portion of our clinical work where I work directly with survivors, crises calls, etc.

How long has scream been around?

SCREAM was created in 1991.

Why is it so important to you specifically?

I was in SCREAM theater as a student when I was at Rutgers. I joined right after seeing their performance at orientation and I think, for me, the big deal was that at 18 years old and well on my way to coming to college, it was the first time anyone had ever talked to me about sexual assault. That just blew my mind. I couldn’t believe I didn’t know anything about this topic. I also just loved how the education worked and so, I felt like when we were talking about such a difficult issue, to do it in a way that was interactive and engaging that’s what would pull people in. We know it’s already hard to talk about these topics, but these conversations aren’t happening anywhere else because of how hard it is to talk about it elsewhere.

Why should this be important to all students on this campus?

I think the issue of interpersonal violence should be important to everyone. The rates of sexual and domestic violence and stalking are so high that we know that it’s coming down to the fact that 1 in 3, and 1 in 4 people will experience this themselves as a victim. So that means that nearly everyone knows someone who has been victimized, and of the people who know a victim of such violence, many are friends with said victims or are even friends with the perpetrator or abuser. When you’re in that situation, that’s not something that we’re born knowing how to respond to and we don’t even really learn how to respond to it much in our lives. So, I think being aware that this issue can touch you personally and have some preparation to be able to respond it is a really important aspect.

Do you have any advice for students who are looking for a way to approach this conversation?

I think that this is something we should all unite over because any act of violence should be unacceptable. We should live on a campus where every single person says that it’s not okay to do any of these things. We need more people to connect that idea and recognize that it isn’t just something that’s a woman’s issue. This is everyone’s issue because it impacts everyone either directly or indirectly at some point.

Why do you SCREAM?

I SCREAM for every single student here. I SCREAM for every person who has a new thought or new way to handle this conversation, for every single person who has some kind of impactful moment or experience while watching a skit or having a dialogue.

Why is SCREAM so important to you?

Throughout my life, I’ve had many people who were close to me affected by sexual and domestic violence in my family. As a man in society, the norm is to stay quiet and not speak about it. People don’t realize it’s not just a women’s issue. It’s very important that everyone should speak up on it. It could be your loved ones or someone you know. People need to be more aware of the issues, it means a lot to me because we’re making a difference in a different way. We’re doing it through expression, through theater, through performance because that way they look up and they listen. It’s not just the typical lecture. So, I do this for the larger cause but I also do this for myself because it’s something that is relevant to me and should be relevant to everybody, because anyone, even yourself could be subjected to it.

Why do you SCREAM?

I SCREAM for all the voices that are silenced by sexual and domestic violence.

Why is SCREAM important to you?

SCREAM is important to me because I know that it does a good thing that affects a lot of people that don’t often get a voice.

Why do you SCREAM?

I SCREAM for change.

Why is SCREAM important to you?

I have known too many people affected by the forms of interpersonal violence that we discuss, and so I have to do something. Being someone who has done theater and who has specifically done social interest/issue theater for almost my entire life, it’s just a perfect fit for me. SCREAM is not only a place where I can talk about things that matter to me but also a place where I have found a home on a very large campus.

Why do you SCREAM?

We all SCREAM because there are sexual and domestic assailants that don’t know they’re assailants – we’re here to change that.