Take Back the Night, an international event that raises awareness about violence against women, will be observed here at ETSU in the spring.
A rally and march will take place on Monday, March 25, 2002, at 7 p.m. in the Culp Center Auditorium.
The individuals who participate will march throughout ETSU’s campus. Following the march there will be a reception in the Cave.
“The Clothesline Project is a visual testimony of survivors of sexual assault and is an opportunity for the people in our community to write something meaningful on the shirts and hang it up on the clothesline,” said Kim Bushore-Maki, coordinator of outreach programs in the Counseling Center.
The week before the rally and march, the Clothesline Project, will be in the Atrium from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
The display will feature a display of shirts with messages designed by women survivors of violence.
“We realize that students may want to participate, but there may be different level of participation. So we try to create different opportunities for people,” Bushore-Maki said.
The Brighten the Night campaign will allow ETSU residence hall students to show their support for the rally as well as their opposition to violence against women, by placing a light or flashlight in their windows on the night of the march.
“Students who aren’t able to attend the rally can participate on this level,” she said.
The history of the program began in the 1970s in Europe where women at the Inter-national Tribunal on Crime Against Women walked together in protest, holding candles. Since then the marches and rallies have increase and they can now be located all over the world, Bushore-Maki said.
“The purpose of Take Back the Night is the raising of awareness and it will not change until everyone takes responsibility for that change occurring,” Bushore-Maki said.
Bushore-Maki explained that one of the key parts of Take Back the Night is not just raising awareness that violence against women exists, but it is also saying that the only way it is going to change is that perpetrator’s behaviors must change and we all are responsible for that happening even though individuals may not be perpetrators themselves.
“The philosophy behind Take Back the Night is that we contribute to perpetrators behavior by supporting the culture that says things like ‘women are less than men’ or ‘we objectify women’ even though it is not raping them whenever you objectify something you dehumanize them,” Bushore-Maki said.
The Counseling Center houses Campus Advocates Against Sexual Violence, CAASV, which is responsible for Take Back the Night.
“CAASV is funded through the student allocation committee, so student fees are paying for this program. The program has been in existence since 1996,” Bushore-Maki said. “It is a federal mandate that any institution that receives federal dollars must have a sexual violence prevention program to still receive federal funding.”
Individuals who are interested in becoming part of the planning committee for Take Back the Night can come to the next meeting on Monday, Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. in Warf-Pickel Room 311.
Anyone who is interested and cannot attend the meeting should call or e-mail Bushore-Maki in the Counseling Center at 439-4841 or e-mail bushorem-@etsu.edu.

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