According to a fact sheet posted on the Centers for Disease Control web site, about one in five women was sexually assaulted during her college years.
At East Tennessee State University, however, students and staff are fighting statistics like these through the second annual Take Back the Night events in March.
Take Back the Night promotes awareness of violence against women. The events surrounding it include the Clothesline Project, a 5K road race and a rally and empowerment march.
“I can go out and talk [about violence against women] with women in residence halls and sororities all day long,” said Kim Bushore-Maki, a counselor at the ETSU Counseling Center and the event’s coordinator. “But getting people actively involved creates ownership of the problem.”
Bushore-Maki helped start the program to raise money and awareness for the local arm of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner’s program. SANE is a specially-trained nurse who provides comprehensive care to people who have been sexually assaulted and collects forensic evidence for use in court.
“I supported this program because, unfortunately, our students need to avail themselves of those services,” said Bushore-Maki.
So far, the events have been successful, she said.
“Last year, we raised $3,000 for the SANE project and had 117 runners in our 5K Road Race,” she said. “We only had 20 pre-registered runners then, and this year we already have 80 pre-registered runners.”
However, Bushore-Maki said, also impressive were the unquantifiable results like bringing about hope and awareness of the programs available to survivors of sexual assault.
“You just can’t buy that sort of thing,” she said.
Take Back the Night events began earlier this week with the Clothesline Project, where rape survivors and their supporters could paint a message about violence against women on a cardboard cutout of a T-shirt. The cutouts will be displayed during the race.
Events continue with the Take Back the Night 5K Road Race at 8:30 Saturday morning. Pre-registration begins at 7:30 a.m. on the pedestrian walkway in front of the D.P. Culp Center. Those interested in participating can register up to the day of the race. Cost is $15 per person. The race will take place rain or shine.
The Annual Rally and Empowerment March takes place Monday, March 28 at 7 p.m. in the Martha Street Culp Auditorium. This year’s theme is “Ending Violence Against Women, One Man at a Time.”
The event will include a video filmed on campus, a speech by a rape survivor and a women’s drumming circle. Any woman interested in participating in the drum circle should attend a mandatory practice session in The Cave in the Culp Center on March 21 at 7 p.m.
For more information on either of these events or to pre-register for the 5K, please call Kim Bushore-Maki or Laura Jones at the ETSU Counseling Center at 439-4841

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