Annabelle de St. MauriceThe ground may have been wet and the night sky may have been cloudy, but the music was loud and the hugs were plentiful, as the marchers at Take Back the Night prepared to walk Wednesday night.
Over 250 students, staff, faculty, and community members gathered in the Quad at Washington University before the event to talk with other participants and fill out a card that began with “In a world without rape and violence.”
Students said the goal of Take Back the Night is to work toward a violence-free world by promoting unity in the fight against violence and sexual assault. The annual event entailed a march, discussion and closing ceremony, and was designed to unite those involved. It is a national program, with similar events taking place in other cities.
This year, Take Back the Night at WU was co-sponsored by Student Union, WRC, CORE, SGC and Four in One, a new student group that planned a program for the male participants.
Andrea Sifferman, one of the coordinators of the event, described Take Back the Night as “an empowering, celebratory event.”
“Our goal is to leave every person that attends with a sense of awareness, community, and empowerment,” said Sifferman. “Take Back the Nights means something different to everyone.”
For sophomore Kate Darwent, the event was a way to show her support for those who are in need.
“It’s unfair that anyone should feel unsafe,” said Darwent.
Darwent participated in the march last year and left with such a positive feeling that she wanted to repeat the experience.
Freshman Aurora Steinle had never taken part in a Take Back the Night march, but she became part of the planning committee after the activities fair in September.
“It’s a really active group,” Steinle said. “They put on a great event.”
Steinle stressed the importance of Take Back the Night in bringing together the community and the students. She said the event furthers the problem beyond the university.
One such community member is Heather Reed, who lives in St. Louis.
“A lot of people don’t see why I’d want to live in the city,” said Reed. “They think it’s dangerous. But it’s my community and I want everyone to feel that they can go anywhere in it.”
Tonya Edmond, assistant professor of social work at WU, echoed Reed’s desire for a safe community. In her speech to all participants preceding the walk, she said “we have to able to go wherever we want, whenever we want.”
After Edmond spoke, the men separated to participate in a discussion. Sophomore Nathan Ratcliffe said that this session helped make the event more appealing to men.
“This year, it’s not just an empowerment event for women, but uniting. I feel very welcome here,” said Ratcliffe.
The goal of the discussion was to talk about those factors that contribute to a male culture that tolerates rape, and develop ideas on which that culture could be changed.
The women embarked on a march that took them down Skinker to Delmar and back through campus. Participants held hands and posters as they chanted “Women unite, take back the night.”
As they passed the walkers on the street, passing cars honked their horns.
The entire walk lasted about an hour, culminating in the uniting of the men and women in the field next to Wydown Middle School. There, all participants stood in a circle and were able to discuss their respective experiences.
A megaphone was passed around and each person was given the opportunity to dedicate his or her involvement in the event to a certain person. People dedicated their participation to family, friends, and humanity, sharing feelings of hope for a rape- and violence-free future.
To end the closing ceremony, a flame was passed to the candle provided to each participant, until the entire circle was marked by the glow of the candles. After everyone’s candle was lit, they were encouraged to reflect on the events of the evening before blowing out the flame.
As they left the field, all people involved in the event were given one of the cards that were filled out prior to the march. Each card expressed one of the visions of a world without rape and violence as envisioned by another participant.