As a Marquette freshman in the fall of 2000, I was excited to experience all I had learned about Jesuit radicalism and social justice during my experiences in the Dominican Republic in 1998.

My understanding of being Jesuit meant loving neighbors, standing up for the oppressed and a love that penetrated all boundaries and was not afraid of criticism.

I found a very human community here that struggled between rationalism and the radicalism of Christ's message. Today I think back on those days and the challenges we faced overcame.

I am sorry to see now that the community where love and dialogue were valued has shut the door on such issues as sexism, female empowerment, rape and love.

During my first semester at Marquette, I was sexually assaulted by a junior fraternity member after a dance. I was scarred by this and struggled to find understanding, refuge and support.

I went for counseling through the university but was told it was I who needed to create boundaries, protect myself and learn from this situation.

I was told I could report the incident to the Department of Public Safety if I wanted but that it would be a long and hard road. Basically, I was discouraged.

I learned that I could not expect support from my community but would have to figure out on my own.

I still struggle with this six years later. I learned that few people were willing to stand up when my dignity was violated and that others around me were paralyzed by the fearful reality of my experience. I retreated into silence and only now am able to speak.

Women are told to fear and protect our bodies, but without wider community support we are condemned to suffer alone.

This is why "The Vagina Monologues" is important. Violence and personal invasion is a community issue, and we recognize this when we talk about robbery, when we talk about physical assault, when we talk about crime.

Why then do we turn a blind eye when we talk about sexual violence and the common fear women share about the violation of our most beautiful gifts? When I saw my community did not care about the violation of my body, I heard in those voices that there was nothing worth loving about my body.

This is the message that "The Vagina Monologues" offers: that my body and all women's bodies are worth loving and understanding, are beautiful and that both the acceptance of and violence toward women's bodies are community issues.

I hope women today have more resources and support on campus. Unfortunately, seeing the reaction against a simple play, I fear more women are suffering alone as I did.

Sexual violence and women's alienation from our own bodies is a reality that must be addressed.

For all of you out there suffering, please know you are not alone. There are many of us struggling to accept and love ourselves. We struggle to convince others that what happens to us alone in bedrooms at parties, or even in our own beds against our will, is a community issue that will not stop until we all look it in the face and react with compassion, love and honesty.