"One, two, three, four. We won't take it anymore. Five, six, seven, eight. Stop the violence, stop the hate. People unite, take back the night."
The rallying cry echoed through Delaware Park on Thursday as hundreds of students gathered for the third annual Take Back the Night held in downtown Buffalo.
The worldwide event is organized and carried out by groups of individuals and organizations in an attempt to raise awareness about rape and sexual assault. According to the Take Back the Night on the Sub-board I Web site, the first Take Back the Night was held in Germany in 1973 and was adopted by the United States five years later.
"It unites people in the cause to end rape and sexual assault. It is about taking back the streets and making them safe for everyone," Patty Yu, UB's Take Back the Night coordinator, stated on the site. "The night is about survival - survivors of sexual assault have the opportunity to share their experiences and tell their stories. These stories help them to heal and to help others who have also been sexually assaulted."
While UB's chapter of Take Back the Night started in 1987 at Harriman Hall, in 2000 the event made it's way off campus to downtown Buffalo in cooperation with other schools and organizations.
Cameron Roberson, director of the Anti-Rape Task Force, said the event's goal of raising awareness was reached this year - He estimates about 500 people turned out for the cause.
According to Roberson, the move to downtown Buffalo has strengthened the effect of the event.
"It is like a flare for people to come around and pay attention," he said.
Michelle Houser, a junior anthropology major and member of Sigma Xi Zeta sorority, which has been supporting the march for five years, said she recognized the importance of the event.
"It is important to us not only for our philanthropy, but (we) also have to take action," said Houser.
Taking action is one way to describe the amount of organizational energy put into bringing the march to life. According to Roberson, actions such as getting a permit, coordinating volunteers, organizing funds and finding guest speakers are some of the considerations.
Kareem Simmons, a senior communication major, was a volunteer at the event on Thursday. He said he believes rape and sexual assault are important issues that affect the community and that people should support the march as well as other ways to combat these occurrences.
"I came to support for women who have been raped or sexual abused, and also to promote for the Combined Martial Arts Club to let people know that we teach free self-defense classes every Sunday," Simmons said.
Denise Berkley, a sophomore exercise science major, said though she is fairly unfamiliar with the event, she believes anything done in support of those who have suffered through sexual assault is a worthy undertaking.
"I think women (who) are abused, are usually left with both physical and emotional scars that need to be mended by many support systems," said Berkley.
For more information about Take Back the Night and the Anti-Rape Task Force, call 829-3322 or visit www.subboard.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
