More than 150 students marched around campus for the “Take Back the Night” rally Thursday night, hoping to urge the Northwestern campus and the Evanston community to take action against sexual assault.
This year’s event featured a barbecue, a guest speaker and performances by a cappella group Extreme Measures and the Northwestern Jazz Ensemble. Students proceeded to march around campus, wielding signs and chanting before the event culminated in an open microphone speak-out at Norris University Center.
College Feminists has sponsored the rally every year since 1986.
“We just want people to be able to walk around safely at night” said College Feminists member and Weinberg sophomore Kristen Wekony. “Hopefully by coming out and participating tonight we can send out a message.”
Participants enjoyed the barbecue in the sorority quads before heading to the freshly painted Rock for the performances and the beginning of the walk. Northwestern police helped cordon off intersections and monitored the movement of the participants.
“It would be nice to see more Evanston police on campus at night, and blue lights too,” Wekony added.
A committee co-chaired by Weinberg junior Kim Orozco planned most of the actual events in conjunction with a number of student groups and resources.
“We’ve been working on raising money the entire year,” Orozco said. “The committee has been amazing in organizing the entire event, it’s been so smooth.”
Money raised from the rally went towards this year’s charity, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, a bilingual/bicultural agency seeking to empower Latinas with the skills to improve the quality of their lives.