AU men and women emphasized their refusal to be silent on issues involving violence and assault during Take Back the Night Tuesday.
The evening started with a rally at 8 p.m. at Glover Gate. Participants then spent the night at Kay Spiritual Life Center telling personal stories and testimonials.
"[The rally] is a symbolic thing," said Carmen Rios, Director of Body Image, a focus area of Women's Initiative, and a freshman in the School of Communication and the College of Arts and Sciences. "It signals that you're not going to be vulnerable on campus."
Melva Jones, AU's former Office of Multicultural Affairs program coordinator, returned to AU to facilitate the annual event that she initiated on campus seven years ago.
"I knew through my interactions with students that the AU community had a voice and needed a forum to express it," she said. "And after my departure, a freshman student, Jessica Hollander, continued the program until she graduated."
Since then, different people have taken responsibility for continuing the Take Back the Night tradition. Kyrie Bannar, the program's coordinator and a junior in the School of Public Affairs, got involved with the program two years ago.
"There [were] a lot of nerves leading up to it making sure every detail is right, but once you get there, it's not about the event, it's about the people," she said. "I thought [Tuesday] night was fantastic."
One in seven women in the United States become sexual assault victims, Jones said.
Members of the community shared personal stories until 1:30 a.m., according to Bannar. The event's goal was for every voice to be heard.
"It's a really safe place for people to talk about their experiences," she said.
Take Back the Night accomplished its mission of getting the message out about assault and violence, according to Jones.
"The event went the way it was supposed to because voices were heard, a community was restored and healing began," she said.
Jones said she will always come back for Take Back the Night.
"I will never miss this event unless I am immobile or asked not to return," she said. "AU has my heart with them always."
Tuesday's event was also preceded by several events to generate interest, according to Bannar.
"One is the Clothesline Project - writing a message or statistic on a shirt to hang in MGC," she said.
Women's Initiative sponsored the event.
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