Students, faculty ‘Take Back the Night’

Everyone who attended Thursday night’s Take Back the Night march and rally at Auburn University had been affected by violence in some way.

Many shared personal stories about dealing with violence as a youth or young adult. Others talked about what it was like after a friend or family member became a victim.

Some names were mentioned. The most recent to the Auburn family was Lauren Burk, the 18-year-old freshman from Marietta, Ga., who was killed March 4.

Her violent death occurred more than a month ago, but Dr. Donna Sollie, assistant provost for women’s initiatives, said the campus continues to mourn. Thursday’s events were dedicated in Burk’s memory, as was Monday’s Women’s Leadership Conference.

“That event affected everybody, whether or not they knew her,” said graduate student Amney Harper.

Harper shared her personal story last year, so this year, she encouraged others to share.

“Violence against women becomes a part of us,” she said.

Art Professor Dr. Chichi Lovett said she supports the Clothesline Project and Take Back the Night simply because of her gender. And because of the women in her life, including her daughter.

“Nothing justifies it (violence against women), nothing at all,” she said.

Lovett said she was “delighted” to see as many male students participating this year as female students.

“This is a way of being a caring man —- being side by side with women,” she said.

A number of t-shirts from this week’s Clothesline Project remained on the Cater Hall lawn, waving in the wind. By marching with signs and chanting, participants spoke for themselves and others. Many of the t-shirts spoke for those who couldn’t, those who felt they had no voice to speak out against violence.

Two white t-shirts, which symbolize victims of murder, carried messages for Burk. They read: “We have this anchor for the memory of our sister” and “We live in a beautiful world.” An anchor is the symbol for Delta Gamma sorority, of which Burk was a member at AU. Beautiful world is a reference from Burk’s favorite song by the band Coldplay.

Graduate student Willette Miller admitted she attended last year’s march and rally just for extra credit.

She marched along College Street with everyone else, but her life changed dramatically when it came to the “speak out” portion of the evening. That’s when she felt compelled to share something she had kept silent for years.

“It gave me a voice and the courage to deal with the feelings I had buried for so long,” she said.

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