Clad in T-shirts that said “shatter the silence” and “end the violence,” and carrying handmade poster board signs, between 100 and 200 students and activists marched on Thursday from Traditions Plaza, across campus and back, as part of the annual event Take Back the Night.
The event, which was organized by Stronger Together Against Relationship and Sexual Violence, and has been put on annually since 2015.
Students gathered at Traditions Plaza, where the shirts were passed out and resources from the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center were available. The group then marched across Conley Avenue towards Jesse Hall, before crossing Lowry Mall, circling passed the Student Center and returning to Traditions.
The group chanted slogans while they marched, including “Blame the system, not the victim,” and “Mizzou unite! Take Back the Night.” Upon their return to Traditions, each of the marchers was given a candle for a vigil and time for testimony. During this time, survivors of sexual violence were given the chance to share their stories.
Media was asked not to cover the testimonial part of the event so survivors could have a more private space to share.
Senior Hannah Brandenburg, who was attending the event for the first time, described the survivors stories as “eye opening.”
The name of the demonstration, “Take Back the Night,” is meant as a literal reclamation of campus, with the aim of making it a safer place for everyone.
“We want to create a space for survivors to feel heard as well as reclaim our campus — taking back the night, taking back our campus,” President of STARS Mavis Coffman said. Coffman joined the organization during her freshman year.
Coffman attended STARS’ fall event, Rock Against Rape, with her freshman year roommate, junior Sophia Faiella, who is now the vice president and event planner for STARS. Coffman attended a STARS meeting after the event, and then brought Faiella to the next one. Both have become active in the organization since that time.
“There are a lot of people who know about our events, are educated about anti-violence, and for those people and survivors and victims we want to be able to provide this space, which is explicitly anti violent. It opens up a space for people to yell, to share their stories,” Faiella said. “And also we want this event to raise awareness for those people who maybe aren’t familiar with this. The whole event is saying this is our space, we deserve to feel safe here and we’re going to make you listen to us and what we have to say.”
STARS meets Thursdays at 5 p.m. in the RSVP Center.
_Edited by Caitlyn Rosen | crosen@themaneater.com_
