Take Back the Night: bringing awareness to gendered violence: 2014 TBN Archival Page

The Take Back the Night event, which occurs annually at Indiana State University to celebrate survivors of sexual and domestic violence and provide resources and awareness in their honor in a positive, engaging setting, is set for Wednesday. "It's not just a women's issue," said Katherine Fredlund, assistant professor of English.

The goals of the event have long been to educate the campus on gendered violence, such as domestic violence and sexual assault, and to honor and support its survivors, whether male or female. "We're trying to emphasize also that men can be survivors as well, and I think it also tries to not just paint men as perpetrators, but to give them power and a voice," Fredlund said. "As a feminist researcher and teacher, I hope that all my students leave my courses understanding that feminism is not anti-man. Hopefully, Take Back the Night will help continue a conversation on campus -- one that I think needs to get louder -- that deals with how we treat victims in the aftermath of their assault."

The opening event, a resource fair, will begin at 6 p.m. in Dede I and will offer information tables from campus and community organizations that interact with survivors of gendered violence, providing students with general information and -- for those who do not wish to name themselves as survivors - discreet aid.

There will also be a resources-drive for the Council on Domestic Abuse and local shelter, operating during the fair. They will be accepting toiletry donations for women at their shelters.

A rally is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. to unify the students through education and expression, defining and raising awareness for gender violence. Afterwards, participants can take the microphone for a student speaker and a poetry slam on the subject.

Katie Runge, a senior political science major from Brownstown, is one of the many students in the women's studies class who helped organize this year's Take Back the Night. Inspired by the most effective protests in history, which gained attention through being nonconventional methods, the students added a poetry slam to this year's Take Back the Night in hopes of bringing a new dimension to the event and inspiring curiosity.

"But by kind of having some of those traits that really draw people in," Runge said. "I think people will be really interested in next year or even if not, they can encourage their friends to go."

At 7 p.m., students will march the campus in solidarity to "take back the night" for women at a time of day that has been traditionally thought of as unsafe for women to walk alone.

All money generated from the event will go to CODA, and participants who donate will receive $2 off a Take Back the Night T-shirt. For survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault who have made the decision to call someone, the hotline can be reached at either 812-232-1736 or 800-566-2632.

Take Back the Night is sponsored by Women's Studies, Interdisciplinary and Foundational Studies programs at Indiana State.

Contact: Katherine Fredlund, assistant professor of English, Indiana State University, 812-237-3079 or  Katherine.Fredlund@indstate.edu

Writer: Kristen Kilker, media relations assistant, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3773 or kkilker1@sycamores.indstate.edu [reprinted]