ASHLEY DAY
A&E EDITOR

Domestic violence and sexual assault plague women every day. On Thursday, April 14, the CSUSM Women’s Center will hold its fifth annual Take Back the Night event—an energized occasion with a mission to “break the silence that surrounds the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to demand an end to gender violence,” according to Women’s Center Director Lea Burgess-Carland.

The event, which will begin at 5 p.m. in the Library Plaza, is a place where people of all ages and genders can gather to find support and raise awareness. Specific information about Take Back the Night is available at csusm.edu/wc/events.

Our campus is not the first to host this event. Take Back the Night is an international event that has been around for 35 years in hopes of bringing an end to sexual assault and abuse. Burgess- Carland stated, “Often, victims of these crimes remain silent out of fear, shame or feelings of guilt. Fewer than five percent of sexual assaults are reported to the police, and many survivors will never speak out about the abuse they have suffered. This can lead to feelings of isolation and powerlessness. Take Back the Night provides an opportunity for people to speak out and demand an end to these crimes, which is incredibly empowering.”

“Four women die in the U.S. each day from domestic violence— brutally murdered by the men who claim to love them,” Heidi Breuer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Literature and Writing Studies, said. This alarming statistic means domestic violence takes the lives about 1,460 women each year. Statistics on sexual assault against women also show a significant amount of problems women face in their daily lives.

“Events like Take Back the Night are necessary because, while 54 percent of women say they have been sexually assaulted, only 25 percent of men say they have engaged in sexual aggression or forced sex,” Prof. Breuer continued. Burgess-Carland revealed, “Women aged 16 – 24 experience the highest rates of sexual assault and intimate partner abuse. 1 in 5 women will be a sexually assaulted while she is in college[…] these are people in your classes, people you work with and people in your student organizations. It is a reality at CSUSM, and we must demand an end.”

Take Back the Night events hope to reclaim safety and peace of mind. “As women, we are taught from a very young age to be fearful of the night. We are told to stay inside and to be afraid of walking outside at night. Even though most violence against women happens at the hands of someone we know, the threat of the ‘stranger jumping out at us’ at night is enough to keep us terrified. Take Back the Night is about taking back that fear of the night” Burgess-Carland said.

CSUSM’s Take Back the Night event will be a powerful evening. The night will feature a performance by the group “transcenDANCE,” who, according to Burgess-Carland, “will be doing dance and spoken word. They are a powerful and inspirational group of youth living in the lowincome neighborhood of City Heights in San Diego who are finding empowerment and educating others through dance.” Their performance is only the beginning. “We will also have an interactive educational piece presented by the Center for Community Solutions, to get students activity involved in learning about how to stop sexual assault and how to check for consent. We will also be hearing the story of a victim of a rape, and her journey to healing” Burgess- Carland continued.

Resources, snacks, and creative opportunities will also be available. Participants will have the opportunity to create a personalized T-shirt that will hang in the Clothesline Project, an artistic feature that Burgess- Carland described as “a visual display that bears witness to sexual and domestic violence. Each shirt is decorated to represent a particular person’s experience— either the survivor’s by someone who cares about the survivor.”

In addition, the event will also include a candlelight vigil speak out circle. Survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence will have the chance to share their stories in a safe, affirming environment. “This is probably the most powerful, healing aspect of the whole event,” Burgess-Carland said. “Speaking out about your experience of abuse is truly transformative. I have talked to women at CSUSM who told me that Take Back the Night was the first time they ever talked about what happened to them. To me, this is the whole reason we have the event. When people speak out they can begin to heal, and start moving from victim to survivor.”

Take Back The Night will conclude with a march down Twin Oaks Valley Road with hundreds of participants making a physical statement that they will no longer tolerate sexual abuse and violence towards women.

“Take Back the Night is an event for the entire community, not just for women,” Burgess- Carland stated. “Although of course we want to encourage all women to attend, we hope that men will come to support as well. Men need to get involved in ending violence against women. Without men working by our side, it will never end. We also acknowledge that many men have also been victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. They are welcome and encouraged to come and speak out in the circle and get help and resources as well. The Women’s Center, and Take Back the Night, is here for all CSUSM students.”

Photo courtesy of www.indybay.org