The first Take Back the Night event comes Monday, April 14, 7 p.m. outside the University Center.

There will be a rally, march, and candle-light vigil to be held for all students and faculty. Take Back the Night is held on college campuses all over the United States in April, which is sexual assault month.

“This is a rally to raise awareness about sexual assault and abuse, and to put an end to it.” said Christine Ways, freshman accounting major, SABER steering committee member and student coordinator for the event.

The rally will begin on the UC plaza followed by a march around campus. Everyone will meet back in the UC for a candle-light vigil where students will share thoughts and poems. Dr. Levy, campus counselor will be speaking on sexual abuse.

“Although the march emphasizes that violence against women occurs at all times, we are particularly concerned about violence at night. Everyone is invited to come out and make this a tradition on campus,” said Dr. Donna Cooper Graves, Asst. Prof. of History and coordinator of the event.

Take Back the Night began 25 years ago in the U.S. The first Take Back the Night event was held in Germany in 1973 as a response to a series of sexual assaults, rapes, and murders. The focus is on all the varieties of ways that violence is perpetrated against women.

Rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and harassment are words women and college students in general are unfortunately too familiar with. According to the Bureau of Justice nearly half of the violent crimes against women are not reported to the police. Nearly 5 percent of U.S. college women experience a rape or attempted rape in one year. Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault; avoiding “dangerous” places will not necessarily protect someone from being sexually assaulted, because sexual assaults can happen anywhere, even in the home or workplace.

According to the Badgley Commissions 1 in 2 females and 1 in 3 males will be sexually assaulted at some time in their lives and 80 percent of these assaults will occur before the age of 18.Any students interested in helping with TBTN event for next year or what more information contact Dr. Donna Cooper Graves at 587-7469.

www.goodtouchbadtouch.com/abuse_facts.html