University News
Take Back the Night Oct. 11
October 5, 2007
MACOMB, IL – As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Western Illinois University Women's Center and the Western Illinois Regional Council-Community Action Agency (WIRC-CAA) Victim Services, along with numerous campus and community offices and organizations, will hold the 18th Annual Take Back the Night (TBTN) march and rally Thursday, Oct. 11.
This year's theme is "Reaching Out of the Darkness and into the Light." According to Rebecca Groves, Women's Center graduate assistant and TBTN planning committee chair, the event is held each year to increase awareness of, and seek to end, domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence, as well as to remember and honor victims and survivors.
TBTN begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Sherman Hall circle drive with resource table displays by campus and community offices and organizations that provide violence prevention efforts and support services to victims and survivors; T-shirt and glow stick sales; and a book-signing by WIU student Erin McNamee, author of "Stolen Innocence: A Memoir" (under the pen name Erin Merryn), the inspiring story of her personal struggle to overcome the pain and devastation of childhood sexual abuse by an older cousin. Copies of the book are available for $12.95.
The rally will begin at 7 p.m. on the steps of Sherman Hall with a reading of the proclamation by WIU President Al Goldfarb, Macomb Mayor Mick Wisslead and TBTN planning committee members. Featured speaker Regina Davis-Sowers, WIU sociology and anthropology assistant professor, will then speak about her experience as a survivor of domestic violence from a previous marriage, after which there will be a survivor speak out, followed by a musical performance by WIU student Liz Thielemann.
The march will begin after the rally around 7:30 p.m. The march route, which will be lined with luminaries, is: south through Sherman Lawn, down Adams Street to Clay Street, right on Clay Street to Calhoun Street, left on Calhoun Street to North McArthur Street to Carroll Street. Marchers will then walk east on Carroll Street to Lafayette Street and south on Lafayette Street to the square, stopping at the Chandler Park gazebo.
Anyone who would like to participate in the march but is unable to walk the route should contact the Women's Center prior to the march to make arrangements to ride in a van that will be provided.
The rally will continue at the Chandler Park Gazebo at 8 p.m. with speakers that will include Macomb community member and retired OB/GYN Riz Flickinger, who is a survivor of domestic violence from a previous marriage, and local community member Scott Modlin, who will be addressing the topic of overcoming survivor's shame and the importance of speaking out. There will also be a musical performance by local band Wild Moon, additional remarks and evaluations.
University Counseling Center and WIRC-Victim Services staff and volunteers will be available at the march and rally to talk with participants if needed.
Marchers may purchase light sticks for $1 to carry in honor of victims and survivors of rape, incest, domestic violence, sexual abuse and other forms of sexual violence. Take Back the Night T-shirts are $8 (short-sleeved) and $10 (long-sleeved). In addition to being available at the rally, these items will be sold in the University Union Concourse from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, Tuesday, Oct. 9 and Wednesday, Oct. 10 and at the Women's Center (Seal Hall 320).
For more information, contact the Women's Center at 309/298-2242 or WIRC-Victim Services at 309/837-6622.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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