On Wednesday evening, students, faculty and staff will march around the Syracuse University campus with posters in an effort to Take Back the Night and raise awareness of sexual assault.

Take Back the Night is an international event meant to bring people together to speak about combating sexual, relationship and interpersonal violence. SU holds one every year, and this year’s event will take place on Wednesday at 7 p.m. starting in Hendricks Chapel. The event will feature speakers, a march through campus and a survivor speak-out.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Take Back The Night is meant to give the community an opportunity to speak on forms of interpersonal violence and “provide an opportunity for community members to proclaim that each individual has the right to live free from violence and for the voices of those who have been affected by violence to be heard,” according to the Office of Health Promotion website.

The origins of Take Back the Night are unknown, but it may have started in England or Belgium where women protested and took a stand against interpersonal relationship violence. Thousands of Take Back the Night marches and rallies have now taken place across the world, per the website.

Michelle Goode-Battisti, a health promotion specialist with a specialty in sexual and relationship violence prevention and co-chair of the Take Back the Night planning committee, said that she thinks SU students look forward to this event every year.

“There is a sense of familiarity about it from other students,” she said. “Come ready to be empowered and ready to hear some phenomenal speakers and to go on a march together through campus to raise awareness and to share your voices.”

Attendees will be welcomed to the Take Back the Night event by Hendricks Chapel’s dean Brian Konkol. From there, speakers will include senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience Dolan Evanovich, keynote speaker Tekhara Watson, who is a staff therapist at the SU Counseling Center and SU seniors Gabrielle Krawczuk and Nathalie Pollack, Goode-Battisti said.

After listening to the speakers at Hendricks Chapel, attendees will march around campus. During the march, participants will raise posters they’ve been making throughout the week as marchers continue to voice opinions on interpersonal violence, said Rachel Saunders, an SU senior and co-chair of the Take Back the Night planning committee.

Saunders said that, although traditionally Take Back the Night focuses on just sexual violence, this year’s event will include dialogue about interpersonal violence.

“A lot of the signs will talk about ‘No Excuse for Abuse’ or ‘Consent is Sexy and Mandatory’ and stuff like that,” she said.

Following the march, a smaller, more private survivor speak-out will take place. According to the Office of Health Promotion website, “individuals have the opportunity to talk in a safe space about how violence has impacted their lives and to talk with one another about what each of us can do to work to end the violence.”

Given the weight of the subjects being tackled, Goode-Battisti encouraged participants and survivors alike to take some time for self-care the next day. She said the event is incredibly powerful, and it may take time to process everything you’re hearing.

The Counseling Center will have staff members at the event from the sexual and relationship violence response team available to speak with anyone, she added. Other events provided by Office of Health Promotion include a Q&A on sexual and relationship violence on April 13 and other events related to Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“We want to highlight what every single member of the audience can do to help contribute to and be a part of a change in our culture,” Goode-Battisti said. “To change some cultural norms that exist on our campus so that it is a safer community.”

Published on March 27, 2018 at 10:07 pm

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