Sticker from Take Back the Night
Courtesy of: Morgan Kilger/The Bona Venture
BY MORGAN KILGER, FEATURES EDITOR
With October being Domestic Violence Awareness month, Empower, a club based around sexual violence education and prevention on campus, hosted its biggest event of the semester — Take Back the Night.
“We need to not shut ourselves in, out of fear. Let’s reclaim the night,” said Tara Kent-Leonard, director of sexual violence protection and education.
Take Back the Night is an international event and organization that focuses on combating sexual violence. The first Take Back the Night march dates back to 1877, when the women of London, England protested the fear and violence they experienced while walking the streets after dark.
Kent-Leonard said she finds it important for people to feel safe as they walk, especially at night.
“The freedom to move about as we please at any time of day and night is a right,” said Kent-Leonard. “Threats, intimidation and violence that alter our behavior violate our basic right to ownership of our bodies and space. In order to make the streets safe, we need to get out and stay out late.”
Norah Marriner, a senior health and society double major, said she felt that safety after dark is important on campus due to fewer people being out.
“I think safety is a bigger concern at night, especially on campus, because there are generally less people around that could help in case of an emergency or unsafe situation,” said Marriner.
Instead of walking through campus as they did in the past, Empower members spoke about the history of Take Back the Night, heard from Safety and Security and read student testimonials.
In preparation for Take Back the Night, Empower members set up tables and asked students the question: What would you do in a world without violence?
“The idea is for them to think about how fear is stopping them from living their most fulfilled lives,” said Kent-Leonard. “The responses range from walking alone at night to wanting to be able to go home without fear of the violence in their neighborhood.”
According to Marriner, 47 of the 186 responses were about being able to walk or jog alone at night.
“My favorite part about the Take Back The Night Event is being able to read off the responses to our prompt,” said Marriner.
Safety and Security informed participants about the quickest way to contact them through the Bonnies Connect App. They advised participants to use the security feature if they are feeling unsafe in areas on campus where they aren’t near a blue light — such as the Allegheny River Trail.
The biggest takeaway that Kent-Leonard wanted students to have is that they should not have to live in fear after dark, as well as they will be supported if something does happen.
Kent-Leonard said she wanted students to know they should not live in fear after dark.
“We all have worries in this world no matter what your background or past experiences in life are,” said Kent-Leonard. “This is why we must continue to be proactive bystanders and look out for one another.”
kilgermi22@bonaventure.edu
