A group of students gathered Tuesday to participate in Take Back the Night, a world-wide event that seeks to combat violence against women and raise awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Take Back the Night, an event sponsored at Saint Louis University by Una, the campus’ feminist student group, is centered around a march in which women make an effort to assert their ability to walk alone at night, free from the fear of sexual assault.
The rally has its roots in the 1970s, and has since become an international program that aims to bring issues of sexual assault to the public. SLU has hosted the event annually for six years.
Senior Elizabeth Henricks, co-moderator of Una, said that this program is especially relevant to SLU, along with other college campuses. “Campuses are breeding grounds for [sexual assault],” she said. “On SLU’s campus, nobody ever talks about the fact that women are raped. . Women are raped on campus and the women who have been raped are not alone.”
Senior Anna Calhoon was drawn to attend the event after a positive experience at last year’s march. “I think that violence against women is overlooked in our society and on campus . I think it’s [also] important to know it’s going on internationally as well,” she said.
The demonstration began with a brief presentation at the rain-soaked amphitheater by the clocktower. The presentation highlighted a handful of myths regarding sexual assault. Afterward, Una distributed buttons, posters and candles to participants.
As the cross-campus march was about to begin, Una leaders announced that the two men in attendance were welcome to march alongside women. Traditionally, men gather separately to discuss ways to adapt a patriarchal society to the belief in gender equality while the women march alone.
Katie Cushwa, a freshman who was recently elected as a co-moderator for Una next year, called the addition of men to the march “a group decision.” “The men who came were interested in learning and standing in solidarity with [women],” she said. “When we looked at the loyalty of the few men that decided to come . we decided [their participation in the march] was a good thing.”
The group of about a dozen participants marched toward Grand Boulevard and then around the perimeter of campus on Laclede Avenue.
People chanted loudly while carrying candles and posters featuring statistics on the prevalence of sexual assault in contemporary times. Curious students watched the march from the doorways and balconies of their apartments and dormitories.
After marching, the group gathered once more at the clocktower to discuss the relevance of such an event to a collegiate community.
Evan Krauss, SGA president, was one of the two men in attendance. He cited Una’s active protest as a positive presence at SLU.
“Many students and student organizations?talk about the importance of civic engagement and activism. Una puts action behind their words,” he said.
Krauss also acknowledged the issue of sexual violence at SLU.
“There is a hidden community of women on campus … who are too afraid to tell anyone their stories,” he said.?”As a campus community, we should be there to?support these women, as well as the men who have been victimized.? This is a start.”
Cushwa believes that April is a crucial time to raise awareness of the reality of sexual assault: “This time of year, when people are really busy, it’s important to keep in mind that [assaults] are still happening on campus.”
