Take Back the Night aims to raise awareness

In an effort to raise awareness for sexual assault and domestic violence, Thursday night several groups will sponsor Take Back the Night, an annual walk that aims to create a forum of solidarity for those who have experienced abuse.\nTake Back the Night was created 30 years ago to help victims of sexual abuse in Europe and has since moved to college campuses in the United States, according to a press release from the event's organizers. They expect several hundred students to participate in the march to the Bloomington Courthouse.\n"Basically the whole event is to inform students of what available resources there are for violence and sexual assault," junior Linsey Booth said. Booth is a member of Raising Awareness of Interactions in Sexual Encounters.\nThe event will kick off at 6:30 p.m. in Dunn Meadow, where participants of the rally can listen to music and eat.\nAround 7:30 p.m., several students and professional speakers will speak to the crowd on topics of sexual assault to remember the six women who have died in Bloomington from domestic violence since 1998. Participants will then hold a vigil and light candles for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.\nThe march to the courthouse will begin a little before 8:30 p.m. Men and women will be separated to take two different routes on which they will remain quiet until they reach their destination.\nSenior Amy Gastelum, coordinator of the event, said the purpose of this is so people can reflect on past victims. \nShe said one of the things Take Back the Night will fo-cus on this year is that sexual assault doesn't just pertain to women.\n"Sexual assault does happen to men," Gastelum said. "It's not that it only happens to women, and we're trying to voice that this year especially. It happens with the gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender community."\nUpon reaching the courthouse, there will be a chance for participants to speak about their experiences on abuse or how they feel about the subject. The crowd will then march back to the IU campus, chanting along the way.\n"It makes it a better environment to talk about what's happening," Booth said. "It's sad sometimes to hear what people say, but it gives them some strength and power to not be quiet."\nGastelum said Take Back the Night will have different meanings for different people. She said depending on whether people are victims or if they know someone who is a victim, the effect can be different.\n"Maybe it means that you have a place where you find some solidarity and recognize that you aren't alone in this if you're a victim," Gastelum said. "Maybe for people who have had issues of sexual assault in their families or with a close friend it's a moment for you to reflect on the experiences of the third party and to gain understanding about the issue."\nThough it's an annual event, Gastelum said she thinks each year is both different and similar to past years. \n"There's always that same core emotion of solidarity," Gastelum said. "This year we are trying to reach out to more groups to try and make it a lot more inclusive because sexual assault is not restricted to a certain people"