Collegiate Times

A march of hope, a march of honor, a march of recognition for those who have survived and most of all, a march to take strides for the elimination of violence against women.

Tonight, Womanspace is holding its 17th annual Take Back the Night march and rally. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Women?s Drumming Circle will be playing drums and pre-rally music in front of War Memorial Chapel. The actual rally and march starts at 7 p.m.

Take Back the Night began in Germany in 1973 in response to a series of attacks and murders against women. Five years later, the first Take Back the Night Rally took place in the United States and shortly after that, Virginia Tech adopted a Take Back the Night tradition of its own.

?We really hope for people to realize how prevalent abuse, especially sexual abuse against women, is. Not just on our campus, but in the community and the nation. It?s a really big problem, and I think we need to all come together and work on it,? said Kaley Lentini, sophomore communication major and Womanspace member. At Virginia Tech, Take Back the Night is a rally and candlelit march intended to bring the campus and community members together to protest violence against women and girls and to promote awareness of the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that perpetrate the violence women are trying to overcome.

?Basically, we just want to empower the community. We want to empower each other to show that we have the commitment to stop violence against women because as college students we are really at risk for sexual assault, and we are the most vulnerable age group for sexual assault,? said Chelsea Benincasa, junior communication major and president of Womanspace.

?So we just want to educate people and give them a strong sense of unity so that if they have been attacked in the past they know where to get help, and they know how to help their friends, their sisters and their mothers or whoever,? she said.

Benincasa said this year?s Take Back the Night event is particularly special because a mix of local performers and speakers will be attending. Meg Clifford, a downtown Blacksburg favorite, will be performing, and Benincasa and her little sister will be singing a duet as well.

?One of our personal experiences is a song that was written for somebody that has died as a result of an attack. That?s really exciting because music is so much more empowering sometimes than a speech, so it?s just great to be able to have those performers there,? Benincasa said.

The singers, speakers and other performers will have the stage until 7:30 p.m. After that, Benincasa will read the list of marching organizations in attendance, and then the march will begin, traveling through campus and into downtown Blacksburg and back to the Drillfield.

Marchers will be chanting as they work their way through campus and downtown in order to create a spirit of unity and community involvement.

?I think that when we all have one really loud voice, we make more of an impact than having scattered individual voices. So we?re chanting so that people on the streets and people in the houses can come out and join us and join the united effort against violence against women,? Benincasa said.

Women, men and children of all ages are encouraged to participate in the march and rally. Members of involved organizations are invited to march together as groups or individuals.

?It?s just something that?s really important to do. Once you go to a rally of this sort or are involved in a march like this, it impacts you in a way that nothing else will and you will always want to be involved,? Benincasa said.