Take Back the Night

Although the semester is winding down, there are still many more events for the UNC Asheville community to attend.  One such event, coming up on Wednesday, April 20th, is Take Back the Night, which is sponsored by several campus clubs and organizations.  This event, although certainly more somber than others, is a positive way for men and women to speak out against sexual violence and to act as a support group for those who have encountered such abuse. 

The main group responsible for bringing Take Back the Night to our community is STAR, which seeks to create an environment at UNC Asheville that allows students to live free from sexual harassment and/or violence.  In their efforts to bring Take Back the Night to UNC Asheville for the second time ever, STAR has received support from the Multicultural Student Program and the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department.

Last year was the first annual Take Back the Night at UNC Asheville.  New to campus, I attended because one of my new friends was a member of STAR, and had encouraged me to support their cause.  I found the event to be much more inspiring and positive than I had anticipated, and I realized that not only the students on campus, but also many members of the greater Asheville community are very enthusiastic about raising awareness of, and education about, sexual violence that occurs across college campuses and, of course, in the real world as well.

This event will be highly interactive, positive, and empowering, to say the least.  STAR has lined up a step show to begin the night, and has organized activities such as paint your own shirt, create your own picket sign, and of course speaking out and "taking back the night."  If you have time on Wednesday night (7-9:30 pm) to support this cause, please feel free to join STAR and the UNC Asheville community as we seek to create a safer environment for our students both on and off campus.  All are welcome!  

Please consult the flyer and the links below for more information on the event. 

STAR Facebook Page
Take Back the Night Facebook Event Page
Take Back the Night Organization Website