Clarke Hosts Take Back the Night Event April 25

The annual Tri-College Take Back the Night event will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in the Alumnae Lecture Hall in Catherine Byrne Hall on the campus of Clarke University. The event seeks to provide a safe place for survivors of sexual assault to share their stories and provide others with assurance they aren’t alone. It is a free event and open to the public.

Take Back the Night will feature speakers from Loras College, University of Dubuque, Clarke University, and the Riverview Center. Sexual-violence survivors and allies will have the opportunity to share their experiences. This event is sponsored by Clarke’s Student Life group in cooperation with the Social Work Club.

Official Take Back the Night t-shirts will be sold online to raise awareness for the cause. The t-shirts must be pre-ordered online and can be picked up at the event. T-shirts will not be sold at the event. Purchase a t-shirt.

“The Dubuque Tri-College Take Back the Night provides survivors of sexual assault and violence with a safe place to voice their own stories and receive support from others who may have experienced something similar,” said Liz Schuler, Clarke Instructor of Social Work. “It is important within the three college communities and the overall Dubuque community to show survivors, meaning men, women, and children, that they are not alone and that there are avenues of support available to them.”

According to their website, takebackthenight.org, Take Back the Night is a volunteer-based charitable organization that seeks to create safe communities and respectful relationships through awareness events and initiatives throughout the world. Its mission is to end sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse, and other forms of sexual violence. Take Back the Night events have been documented in over 36 countries worldwide with more than 800 campuses and communities holding such events. According to the organization’s website, over 30 million people have been reached with their message, support, and commitment to ending sexual violence.

For more information, please contact Liz Schuler at liz.schuler@clarke.edu.