Take Back the Night informational meeting to be held Monday
For those interested in marching in support of survivors of sexual violence, a Take Back the Night march is scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19. The march will begin outside of the Charles V. Park Library and will be followed by a Survivor Speak Out in room 221 of the Bovee University Center.
An informational meeting about the march will be held at 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9 in Anspach Hall room 256. The march is coordinated by registered student organizations Students Advocating Gender Equality (SAGE) and Transcend, an RSO that aims to build community among transgender and gender non-conforming people.
Take Back the Night is an international event, with hundreds of events being held annually. The idea of “taking back the night” is about asserting the right to take up space and be out at night even though many people — particularly women — are told they should be afraid of walking alone at night, said Midland senior Cali Winslow, president of SAGE.
“It’s a really good show of support,” Winslow said. “People in the past have said they found it empowering to be walking around at night, chanting and being like, ‘yes, we’re taking up this space — this is our right.'”
The march route and safety protocol will be discussed at the informational meeting. Leadership roles, such as chant leaders, march leaders and safety contacts, will be assigned at the meeting. People who attend the meeting will also have the opportunity to order and pay for Take Back the Night t-shirts. The cost has not been determined yet. People who want to buy shirts can also contact SAGE on Facebook.
The shirts will be distributed on the night of the event. The t-shirts will be white so if people who don’t buy t-shirts want to match the group, they can wear white to the march, Winslow said.
“(The event is) important on campus to show there is support for survivors,” Winslow said. “At the Speak Out, we’ll have people tabling about different resources. It’s a really good way for people to feel empowered and also connected to what they need to help them on campus.”
Last year’s march had about 20 to 30 participants. Winslow hopes for about 50 to 60 participants this year.
