The Women’s Center and other campus entities held a candlelight vigil on the Tower Lawn for this year’s Take Back the Night event on Oct. 8.
The event was originally scheduled to take place on Sept. 17, directly following Tai Simpson’s keynote address, but was rescheduled due to poor air quality conditions on campus from regional wildfires.
The vigil was open to all. Attendees stood socially distant across the lawn, facing each other. Each spot was indicated by an electric tealight to be held by the attendee, and individuals were encouraged to remain silent throughout the event to respect the survivors and honor the vigil.
“This is a great way to shine the light on a lot of victims from sexual assault and domestic violence as well,” Briseida Soto-Rodriguez, a volunteer at the Women’s Center and elementary education major, said.
Jackie Sedano, the program coordinator of the Women’s Center, and Alyda Jaegerman from Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse guided the event, informing the participants on statistics relating to interpersonal violence, as well as the history and message of Take Back the Night.
“One in four women and one in seven men worldwide will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetimes,” Sedano said. “With this comes the fact that less than 50% of these crimes will be reported by survivors. This vigil is to bring light to a topic that is often shoved in the dark…every story matters no matter the circumstance, and we are all behind you.”
Take Back the Night events in the past have included a rally and marching procession to Katy Benoit’s memorial bench at the Hello Walk to honor her memory during Campus Safety Awareness Month, as well as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. However, due to COVID-19 safety protocols, a socially distant vigil was chosen with participants encouraged to visit the bench on their own time.
“I think the vigil is completely appropriate considering everything that’s going on,” Lauren Carlsen, ASUI president and environmental science major, said. “The march is incredible, but it’s not quite conducive for social distancing. I totally understand why they did this, and I think this is just as impactful.”
A ‘Speak Out’ meeting was hosted by Jaegerman in the Trout Room of the LLCs after the vigil. The meeting provided a safe, confidential space for both survivors and allies to share personal stories and experiences relating to domestic violence and sexual assault. All who attended the vigil were welcomed to the meeting except for mandatory reporters to respect confidentiality.
“My hope is that the support you feel and see tonight shows no bounds,” Jaegerman said. “In this moment and beyond you are not alone. We see you. We believe you.”
Katarina Hockema can be reached at [email protected].