{"id":1952,"date":"2015-11-01T07:07:51","date_gmt":"2015-11-01T15:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wou.edu\/westernjournal\/?p=1952"},"modified":"2015-11-01T07:07:51","modified_gmt":"2015-11-01T15:07:51","slug":"take-back-the-night-domestic-violence-affects-all-of-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/take-back-the-night-domestic-violence-affects-all-of-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Take Back the Night: domestic violence affects all of us"},"content":{"rendered":"
By: Alvin Wilson \r\nStaff Writer<\/pre>\n
Tuesday, Oct. 27, Abby\u2019s House presented this year\u2019s Take Back the Night event.<\/p>\n
The event is held every October in honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.<\/p>\n
It is a one-and-a-half hour event that takes place during the evening hours in order to raise awareness about domestic violence.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur student advocates have been working very hard to raise awareness about domestic violence, especially in the last few days,\u201d said Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, Abby\u2019s House director, during an opening statement. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to address ways to support survivors of violence in general.\u201d<\/p>\n
Take Back the Night events started in 1975 to help empower women who had historically been told to stay indoors during outbreaks of violence.<\/p>\n
After Stritto\u2019s opening statement, Abby\u2019s House student coordinators gave some history behind Take Back the Night.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake Back the Night has its origins in the fears and anxiety that women have historically faced while walking home alone at night,\u201d Hannah Towle, Abby\u2019s House Sexual Violence Resource Coordinator, said.<\/p>\n
Abby\u2019s House external program development coordinator, Jessica Fontaine, said, \u201cOver the last 30 years, Take Back the Night has focused on eliminating all forms of violence. Thousands of colleges and universities, women\u2019s centers and rape crisis centers have sponsored events across our country \u2014 and the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the opening statements, there was a moment of reflection. The room went silent as a gong was sounded every nine seconds to symbolize how often a woman is beaten in the United States.<\/p>\n
During the reflection period, attendees could read encouraging words that were written on paper hearts across the room. The hashtag #selfiesforsurvivors was printed below a personal message on each heart.<\/p>\n
After the moment of reflection, the keynote speaker, Jackie Sandmeyer, was introduced.
\nSandmeyer is a training specialist for the Oregon Attorney General\u2019s Sexual Assault Task Force.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you all to keep something in mind,\u201d Sandmeyer said. \u201cTonight we\u2019re not just here to take back historically unsafe spaces, such as the night. I want you all to know that we\u2019re also here to empower those around us who have experienced violence.\u201d
\nSandmeyer\u2019s speech focused on educating the audience about domestic violence stereotypes, and empowering the audience to make a difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to experience violence to get loud,\u201d she said. \u201cTonight is about breaking the silence that a lot of survivors in our own community bear the weight of every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
During her speech, Sandmeyer provided statistics about domestic violence.<\/p>\n
One in five women are victims of domestic violence, she said, and men aren\u2019t far behind with one in seven being the victim of domestic violence.<\/p>\n
Disabled, gender non-conforming, and minority peoples have an even higher risk of experiencing domestic violence.<\/p>\n
These statistics, Sandmeyer said, are the reason to continue having events like Take Back the Night.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about making that which we overlook every single day, and which we stay silent about constantly, echo through our streets,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s why we do chants during our march. The idea is that we want to pass strangers and friends alike and know that we\u2019re safe. Just for this one night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sandmeyer has traveled across the country trying to find ways to stop violence in all forms.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019ve learned anything,\u201d she said, \u201cit\u2019s that the product of violence is fear, and the product of fear has been silence. When we come together to stand with those who wish to speak, and when we protect the silence to be broken by those who own it, fear becomes a lot less relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the speech, attendees marched down the campus streets holding candles and signs with such phrases as: \u201cour life, our night, our right,\u201d \u201cmy dress does not mean yes,\u201d and, \u201cconsent is sexy!\u201d<\/p>\n
Sandmeyer left the attendees with some closing words.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight, I\u2019ll say that we\u2019re all more than the statistics people apply to us. We\u2019re a lot more than the one in five. And tonight, I want to challenge us all to remember that, for this one night, we\u2019re more than victims as well. Because tonight, each and every one of us are survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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