???A message of empowerment echoed from the high ceilings of Harriman Hall on South Campus to the sidewalks of Main Street as a crowd of around 400 students and community members gathered to make a statement against sexual violence Thursday night.
???Sub-Board, Inc. (SBI) Health Education's 20th annual Take Back the Night event brought together all different facets of campus life to take part in a movement for awareness and support.
???"This year it's more about empowerment and to take a stand and get up and do something," said Kayla Maryles, the SBI Health Education Coordinator who put together the event. "It's more about taking action."
???The night started with a presentation from the Men's Group, a violence prevention advocacy group on campus. Hundreds of students sat crossed-legged on the hardwood floor, looking up as the group's members called on men in the audience to reject stereotypes and respect the women in their lives.
???"It's basically a call to all men, saying, 'We're men, but we don't instigate violence,'" said Evan Holt, a member of the group who calls himself a "male feminist," and former Spectrum editor.
???After the men in the crowd stood to read aloud a pledge to end rape, the Royal Pitches, UB's all-female a cappella group, serenaded listeners with their soulful rhythms. Heads continued to turn towards the back corner of the room though, as the ring from a triangle carried through the hall every few minutes.
???The interruption was on purpose, explained emcee Aaron Maracle, a Men's Group leader and co-founder.
???"I hope nobody has drowned it out because it's really significant," he said. "Every two minutes a man or woman is raped in the U.S."
???Additional statistics from guest speakers of Crisis Services, a Buffalo organization that provides 24-hour services to victims of violence, provided a backdrop for the motivation behind Take Back the Night.
???Brandi Sutherland, a training specialist with Crisis Services, asked the audience to take a look around and note that one in four women will be a victim of sexual assault in her lifetime.
???"Think about what that number means for your campus," Sutherland said.
???But the event didn't focus on the negative for long. The intent was to provide support to victims, who were more often referred to as "survivors." Dozens of campus groups-Greek Life, sports teams, service clubs-and other students grabbed candles and formed a glowing train outside.
???The Korean Folk Art Club set the crowd into a marching rhythm with their drum performance, and the group went blazing down Main Street shouting chants of, "One, two, three, four. We won't take it anymore. Five six, seven, eight. Stop the violence, stop the hate."
???Faces were lit up by the flashing lights of police cars that blocked off the Main Street intersections while the group rallied by cars waiting at green lights. Members of the University Police Department couldn't help but chant along, as the march traveled down to the corner of Main Street and Winspear Avenue.
???"I think it was good to go out into the community and raise community awareness and kind of disrupt people a little bit, like having to wait for the march to go [by], so people that may not have been aware were at least exposed to it," said Chris Lunsford, a graduate student in the School of Social Work and a member of Sofem, a feminist group on campus.
???One woman at the tail-end of the procession had grown hoarse from nonstop shouting through her tiny megaphone. Anna Peryea, violence prevention specialist in Student Health & Wellness Services, said this type of event has special importance on a college campus, where rates for sexual assault are higher than in the general population.
???"Anytime we can show people that the community is behind them, that we're not going to be judging them...it's one less barrier to them coming forward," Peryea said.
???UB Libraries, a sponsor of the event, had a presence in the march with two librarians carrying a supportive banner.
???"Since we're open at night and we have so many students leave our library at night, we feel we have some duty to give them the information they need," said Mary Ann Wachowiak, head of circulation at the Law Library.
???Ending back at the steps of Harriman Hall, some of the crowd dispersed while others stayed on to hear speakers at the open mic inside. One blue-haired poet recited a few of her pieces on sexual grievance and independence. Others shared stories of friends who survived sexual attacks.
???The night ended with an opportunity for the silent voices to put their thoughts on paper and throw them into a "healing fire" burning outside the building.
???The flames cracked not far from the locations of two separate rapes that occurred on South Campus earlier this semester. The mood was somber, but the message of support rang true as the group dwindled down and students walked off in groups and at the sides of the safety walk crew.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
