The University of Illinois Springfield rallied against sexual violence at the 10th annual Take Back the Night event, held on April 28.
Protesters gathered at the colonnade at 8:30 p.m. to march around campus, followed by a rally at the Lincoln Residence Great Hall.
The event, organized by the UIS Women’s Center and the Department of Residence Life, featured testimonies read by students, faculty and staff.
Campus sexual assault is pervasive. According to a 2015 report by the Association of American Universities, 23.1 percent of female undergraduate students and 5.4 percent of male undergraduate students experience rape or sexual assault through violence, physical force or incapacitation.
“The best part of Take Back the Night is that it brings everyone together,” said Lynn Otterson, Director of the UIS Women's Center. “Even if it’s not a lot of us, the event helps us understand that we have the same connections and that we have that sense of togetherness to go through these issues.”
This story appeared in The Illinois Times on May 4, 2017.
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