More than 350 students gathered in Whitley Auditorium Wednesday night, April 16 for "Take Back the Night." The annual march and rally demonstrates Elon's commitment to ending all forms of violence against women. Details...
During the rally, which included music by campus groups Twisted Measure and Elon’s Finest, students heard testimonials from victims of sexual assault. Representatives from a variety of campus and community groups, including CrossRoads Sexual Assault Response Center, the Alamance County District Attorney’s office and the Elon University campus police, were on hand to educate students about the resources available to women who are victims of violence.
Following the rally, students marched across campus from Whitley to Moseley Center, symbolically taking back the night. Take Back the Night began in England in 1877, as women protested against the violence and fear they encountered on the streets at night.
Laura Wollaston, a senior from Pennsylvania, and Rosie Allensworth, a sophomore from Fredericksburg, Va., said they came to support a friend who was a sexual assault victim. They said the event is important to bring attention to a subject some find uncomfortable.
“I think it’s really important, because I didn’t know it was a problem until recently,” said Wollaston.
Allensworth said she was encouraged to see a large number of men in attendance. “Usually, we see this as just a female issue, but it’s not. Men need to be involved, and it’s good to know they’re here tonight to show their support.”
On the sidewalk outside Whitley, shirts from the Clothesline Project were on display. Survivors of violence, as well as their friends and families, have created shirts that demonstrate the pain and suffering survivors have experienced. By expressing their feelings through artwork, survivors celebrate their strength and courage to overcome the past.