More than 100 members of the Bowdoin community gathered in front of Smith Union on Thursday, donned in red and carrying candles, to participate in the Take Back the Night Walk. Organized by V-Day and co-sponsored by Bowdoin Men Against Sexual Violence (BMASV) and Safe Space, the third annual walk is a way to raise awareness of sexual assault on campus.
"We walk in recognition of how scary it can be to walk around Bowdoin at night, especially for survivors of sexual assault. We walk to show our support," said Millan AbiNader '10, who helped to coordinate the event.
Take Back the Night is an international walk sponsored by V-Day to support women subject to violence, which Bowdoin participates in to focus primarily on sexual violence.
Students also wore red shirts on Thursday during the day to signify that they knew someonewho had been affected by sexual violence. AbiNader said it is important for students to realize how many people are affected by sexual violence, either as a survivor, friend, or supporter.
The walk concluded at the Women's Resource Center, where Emily Skinner '08 said the goal was to "provide a safe space to debrief and continue the discussion about the walk or experiences people have had." Posters around the building asked questions challenging students' conceptions of sexual assault at Bowdoin, asking how safe people feel at night, and what they define as sexual violence.
In order to continue the discussion, V-Day is collecting anonymous stories about sex and sexual assault, "the good, bad, and the ugly," for its third-annual publication of "Speak." Skinner and AbiNader encouraged students to submit their stories to members of V-Day, whose names and mailboxes can be found on fliers around campus.