OHIO community invited to Take Back the Night events on April 4

All members of the OHIO community are invited to participate in Take Back the Night, an annual event to take back the night from sexual and domestic violence. This year’s event is scheduled to take place on Ohio University’s Athens campus on Thursday, April 4.

People of all gender identities are encouraged to participate in listening to survivor speakers and marching to symbolically take back the night. 

“This event is an important one for our community. It helps show survivors of sexual assault, interpersonal dating violence, stalking, and domestic violence our support. It encourages our community to come together and walk in solidarity,” said Dr. Chris Fowler, director of Ohio University’s Women’s Center. “This event shows how strong our collaborations are across campus and our community.” 

The Take Back the Night activities will begin in the Baker University Center Ballroom, with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the program beginning at 7 p.m. In addition to the speakers and presentations, there will be resource tables for organizations including My Sister’s Place, Survivor Advocacy Program, Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program, and Counseling and Psychological Services. 

Following the speakers and presenters, the crowd will walk into town from the Baker University Center and will end their walk by returning to Scripps Amphitheater. The walk follows sidewalks that are accessible for mobility aides, but there will also be a street legal golf cart. To reserve a spot in the golf cart, please email womenscenter@ohio.edu. 

‘To Bear Witness’ exhibit in Trisolini Gallery

In addition to the Take Back the Night activities, the reception for OHIO student Mary Kate McElroy’s graduate thesis exhibition, “To Bear Witness,” will be held from 6-8 p.m. in Baker University Center on April 4.

“The goal of my exhibition, ‘To Bear Witness,’ is to give survivors a platform to tell their stories in their own words, on their own terms,” McElroy said. “My exhibition is a collection of paintings and stories of the survivors. Painting has long since been used as a way to portray people of great importance. I believe survivors can reclaim their agency through sharing their stories. The public that views the exhibition helps bear the weight of these stories, affirming the survivors’ experiences by serving as a witness to a crime that had no witness. I aim to show these women as the strong individuals they would be, regardless.”

McElroy explains their paintings and each survivor’s accompanying story will be on view in Trisolini Gallery on the fourth floor of the Baker University Center from April 2-6. The gallery hours are from 12-4 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and from 12-8 p.m. on Thursdays. There will be a survivor speak out at the gallery on Tuesday, April 2.

Hosted by the OHIO Women’s Center and Student Senate, Take Back the Night has had a presence in Athens and the University since 1979. For more information, please see the Take Back the Night website.