Men and women march against violence in USU’s ‘Take Back the Night’
Some students still remaining on the Utah State University campus on the evening of Feb. 26 were soaking up a quiet atmosphere.
The chants were faint at first. However, as a group of students and Cache Valley residents holding signs approached, their words became clearer and clearer.
“Claim our bodies! Claim our rights! Together we stand! Take back the night!”
“Take Back the Night” was organized this year by the USU chapter of I Am That Girl, a club that provides “a safe space to connect and have honest conversations about things that matter,” according to the chapter’s official website.
The first “Take Back the Night” was formed by women protesters in the 1970s. The name was given to reflect some women’s fear of going out alone after dark. Over 40 years later, the event has since expanded an annual event to “end sexual, relationship and domestic violence in all forms,” according to the event’s Facebook page.
The original “Take Back the Night” events shared a common theme: no men allowed. However, USU has never barred men from attending, said Jasmine Despain, president of I Am That Girl’s USU chapter.
“I think that men and women should equally be involved, and we should represent men and women as perpetrators or victims. It’s never one way,” Despain said.
Men not only came out for “Take Back the Night,” but surpassed women this year in attendee numbers.
“There were more men than women here. It was shocking,” said Jenna Hase, a coordinator for I Am That Girl and a junior in social work. “I love that men are being involved because we can’t change the world if half the population isn’t invited. I think that because more men will be involved, we will also outreach to our male victims.”
Some men came because they know victims of sexual assault. Others were seeking to learn more about prevention and advocacy. Members of fraternities also came to represent their chapters. No matter the reason for coming, their presence was appreciated by many attendees.
“I’m really happy that a lot of men showed up, too, especially with the incidents that have happened on campus recently,” said Christopher Tonan, a political science major. “I think it’s important that men just show up and show solidarity, simply being a good human being. That’s what it is. It’s as simple as that.”
The event began with a march from the Merrill-Cazier Library to the Taggart Student Center. After the march, attendees engaged in a dialogue with one another.
“I feel like the marches and the rallies are great, but I also think it’s important to create a safe space for discussion on why we have ‘Take Back the Night’ and how sexual assault or domestic assault impacts people,” Despain said.
The discussion gave participants an opportunity to reflect on why they were there, why they thought violence awareness events are important and what they hoped to gain from coming. Many attendees appreciated having this outlet, including Olivia Flores, an undeclared student at USU.
“Things like this are really important because they keep the dialogue open,” Flores said. “That’s one of the biggest ways for us to help these kind of situations is to talk about it and not just brush it under the rug.”
Despain seeks to provide participants with up-to-date statistics. According to the presentation given during the event, 34.1 percent of American Indian and Alaskan women have experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetime. These statistics resonated with Despain, who was recently crowned Miss American Indian USU and is a sexual assault survivor herself.
Even though the topic left some with heavy hearts, many attendees came away more connected and more ready to act as activists within their community.
“I feel more optimistic, being in a room of like-minded individuals who take this issue as seriously as it should be taken,” Hase said.
I Am That Girl — commonly referred to as “I Am That Person” to encourage inclusivity — meets weekly to discuss other topics. Club meetings take place on Mondays at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center. The topic for Feb. 29 is “Sex and Shame with I Am That Person.”
— whitney.howard@aggiemail.usu.edu