The pounding drums heard April 8 from Brazilian percussion group, Batala, signaled the start of Take Back the Night’s march to end violence against women.
Take Back the Night, AU Women’s Initiative’s annual event intended to raise awareness about sexual assault, was widely attended this year.
The event is part of an international movement to eliminate sexual violence that has been held annually in the United States for over 35 years, according to Take Back the Night’s website .
“At a school this size, it is incredible that this many students have come out to stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault,” Adriana Ganci, a junior in the School of International Service, said at the event. “I saw [the event] first my freshman year, and I just said ‘This is the coolest thing that I’ve ever seen. I have to be a part of this.’”
Maggie Kuk, who graduated from SIS in December 2011, came back to the University to attend the event for the third year in a row.
After the march, members of the AU community gathered around the Kay Spiritual Life Center to light candles and to listen to a performance by AU’s female a cappella group, Treble in Paradise.
The event concluded with testimonials in Kay from survivors of sexual assault.
“I feel like every year more and more people come, which is awesome,” Kuk said. “I think that this is one of the best events that AU does. I see this and I am proud of the University that I went to.”
Both men and women participated in the march, including Rory Slatko, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and the ANC 3D07 commissioner.
“I’m really proud of AU for the amount of guys that turned out,” he said.
“This is commonly mistaken for a cause for women by women,” Slatko said. “A culture of violence against anyone is a culture of violence against everyone.”
tdalcourt@theeagleonline.com
