Colorful shirts bearing “No Means NO” slogans lined the walkway from the fountain in front of the Glenn G. Bartle Library to the New University Union this week, marking domestic violence awareness day.
“Take Back the Night,” an annual event led by the Woman’s Student Union, took place on Wednesday. The shirts, clipped onto the clothes line placed up along the walkway, were not given out, but hung close together in a wall of neon colors.
“If you keep [the shirts] in one spot, you’re showing there is a large number of support out there for victims,” said Brad Gordon, a graduate student in the Student Affairs Program.
Over 10 organizations, three sororities and four Student Association chartered groups including REACH, Voices Against Violence and the SOS Shelter worked side by side at the event. Wednesday’s purpose was to promote awareness about domestic, sexual and emotional abuse against women and men.
“The tradition of the WSU started as ‘Taking Back the Streets’ when it wasn’t safe for women to walk alone at night,” said Ellen Cohen, a senior finance major, WSU member and coordinator of Take Back the Night 2009. “We are trying to push donations to the [SOS] Shelter: clothes, toiletries and cell phones which can be brought to University Union, room B07.”
Cohen said the event’s goal was to prevent future violence and provide help to those affected by abuse today.
According to the American Institute on Domestic Violence, 5.3 million women are abused each year in the United States, including a high percentage by their intimate partners.
Deb Lewis, community relations coordinator for the SOS Shelter, explained how sometimes victims come to the shelter with just the clothes on their back. Donated cell phones are programmed to dial 911 since abusers often times break the order of protection placed against them. Damaged cell phones are given to a scrap metal company in exchange for donations to the shelter.
The day’s events, which included a self defense class and an evening march across campus, were highlighted by Binghamton’s first Survivor Speakout at 7 p.m. in Science I, room 149.
“I didn’t know what [domestic] abuse was,” said Bianca DiMitri, a guest speaker. “I never thought it applied to me because I was young and in college.”
DiMitri, along with two others, shared heart-wrenching stories and the sobering statistics of victims returning to their abusers an average of seven times before breaking the cycle of violence. Larry Taylor showcased a man’s perspective on experiencing abuse at the hands of a boyfriend.
The coordinators also invited the audience to speak out about their personal experiences.
“I am empowered,” Lewis, who is also a survivor of domestic abuse, said. “Our mission is for victims to start a new and healthy life. If you have questions, a shelter staff member is always available.”
According to Lewis, the shelter’s hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (607) 754-4340. More information regarding help can be found on their Web site, Sosshelter.org.
A singer rounded off the event. At 8:30 p.m., Take Back the Night guests and audience members began their march through campus to spread awareness and unify victims across age, gender and class lines.