Despite the rainy weather, rape survivors and their supporters lit the Amphitheatre with candles as part of the annual Take Back the Night vigil last night. The event attracted 400 to 500 people, said Lauren Russo, University chapter of the National Organization for Women external vice president.
As a display of support for sexual assault awareness and education, demonstrators marched from the Downtown Mall to the Amphitheater for the 17th annual Take Back the Night event.
The members of NOW, All Women Attaining Knowledge and Enrichment and the Sexual Assault Leadership Council sponsored Take Back the Night, which included a rally, march and vigil.
The rally began at the Downtown Mall, and demonstrators marched to the Rotunda. The evening culminated in a silent vigil in the Amphitheater during which candles were distributed and student survivors of sexual assault violence shared their experiences.
"I hope it will give survivors an outlet, a space to feel part of a safe environment," Russo said. "We want to provide a space for people to come together and share their experience. We want to help people heal and inspire people to action."
Trained Sexual Assault Resource Agency volunteers were available to offer support to survivors who shared their stories, and each speaker was provided with a care package as a thank you for speaking, AWAKE President Jill Raney said.
"We want survivors to connect with other survivors," Raney said. "So often, people think they are the only ones."
Take Back the Night also consisted of week-long events leading up to last night's vigil, including a discussion open to the public about the recent reforms made to the University's sexual assault policies, panel discussions and historical tours of the University that focused on women's experience at the University.
Russo said student members of other organizations, such as the Inter-Sorority Council, the Queer Student Union and Lamba Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, helped co-sponsor the events, demonstrating their support for sexual assault awareness.
"This year in particular, there has been a convergence of a lot of groups, and we have accomplished a lot of things," Russo said. "This has been an issue in the forefront of peoples' minds, and we have seen a huge response. We've seen a really strong, positive community response, which is fantastic."
One-in-Four member Carlos Guevara said the organization participated in the event as an expression of support for sexual assault awareness.
"We all have experience with this issue and want to offer support," Guevara said. "We hope to increase awareness about this issue and put a face on this issue."
The organizations sponsoring the event are pleased with the progress the administration has made so far to increase education concerning sexual assault, but the organizations would like to continue to implement reforms, Raney said.
The organizations would like to provide more education about sexual assault to students outside of the Greek system, Raney said. Also, Raney said the organizations seek to create a more in-depth and mandatory program for all first-year students than the current program.
Further, Raney said members of the organizations also want to increase awareness and education of sexual assault to upperclassman.
Raney said ultimately, the members of the organizations want all rapists to be expelled for the safety of the community.
SALC President Sloane Kuney said while the vigil was emotional, the main goal was to urge students into action to prevent sexual assault.
"We want people to be inspired, angered and moved to do something about it," Kuney said.
The amount of support from students of all groups is indicative of how important students view sexual assault issues, Kuney said.
"I think it is a declaration to the administration that all students care about this," she said.
Read More
Honor Committee considers formal ban of AI detectors as evidence in trials
By Lexie Stadler | YesterdayThe Committee also addressed balancing student perspectives with those of Committee representatives during panel discussions.
Pro-Palestinian protesters form encampment near University Chapel
By CD News Staff | YesterdayThe encampment overlapped with a separate “May Day” protest on the Lawn, which was hosted by student activist group U.Va. Dissenters and the U.Va. Apartheid Divest Coalition.
Another aggravated assault incident reported to UPD
By Thomas Baxter | YesterdayThis is the first community alert of May.
