This Thursday it’s time for students and the community to take back the night.
The ASUO Women’s Center and Sexual Assault Support Services of Lane County presents the 37th annual Take Back the Night event. The event occurs on the last Thursday of every April and is a yearly international protest to raise awareness about the realities of sexual violence.
Starting at 6 p.m., a rally will be held in the EMU Amphitheater, which will last for an hour. People will march through downtown Eugene. Beginning at 8:30 p.m. in the Atrium Building, survivors of sexual violence will speak out about their personal experiences.
According to the Women’s Center blog, Take Back the Night is a survivor-centered event during which survivors of sexual assault and their allies can share personal stories of how sexual violence has impacted their lives.
Michele De La Cruz, sexual violence prevention and education coordinator said, “Things are pretty hectic around here,” as organizers are finalizing everything leading up to the event.
The Take Back the Night 2015 Facebook page outlines how the event will be, “as inclusive as possible.” The theme for the rally is “Intersectionality and Sexual Violence.”
De La Cruz said the Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team will be returning with an original piece. Jackie Sandmeyer, a training specialist at the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force, will be the guest speaker at the rally.
The Wesley Center has supported the event for more than seven years. Warren Light director of the Wesley Center, said this happens to be the busiest week for the center because they centralize violence prevention.
“This is not just something we do, it’s central to who we are,” he said.
There will be American Sign Language and Spanish interpreters and trained S.A.S.S. staff for anyone who gets triggered or needs extra support at the event. SafeRide will also provide van rides from the amphitheater to the Atrium Building, as well as rides back to campus.
The trek from the amphitheater to downtown is one and a half miles long, so there will be designated stopping points along the way for anyone struggling to catch up with the marching pace.
During the survivor speak out, no one else will be in the Atrium building, and “men’s” and “women’s” bathrooms will be changed into gender inclusive restrooms.
Kerry Frazee, the director of sexual violence prevention and education at the University of Oregon, anticipates that this will be a highly attended event and is the last one scheduled for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, besides the debriefing session on May 1.
“We don’t live in a survivor friendly world. We isolate survivors and we don’t hear from them about their experiences enough,” Light said. “This is an opportunity for us to look at things at the way they really are.”
Take Back the Night is a free event and a safe space for anyone wishing to attend.
“But for anyone who has been doing this work for very long, this is not a unique year, except because more people are listening now, maybe more people will get it,” Light said.

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The event poster for Take Back the Night, a yearly rally and march held to raise awareness about sexual violence. (ASUO Women’s Center/Sexual Assault Support Services)