SOS observes Sexual Awareness Month with events

Throughout April and the beginning of May, Services Offering Safety (SOS) will be hosting several events to raise awareness about sexual assault and child abuse. Events include Take Back the Night and the Light of Hope 5k Run/Walk. SOS has been participating in Take Back the Night for several years.

“The history of Take Back the Night began a long time ago,” said Sandra Kramer, development director at SOS. “It was in the ‘70s when Gloria Steinem and her group were very active in women’s rights.

That movement started in the ‘60s but became very prominent and came to the forefront in the ‘70s. The first march was actually called Reclaim the Night and it was held in Belgium by women attending the International Tribunal Against Crimes Against Women in 1976.”

Take Back the Night will be held at 7 p.m. April 23 in Union Square. In case of inclement weather, it will be held in the Kanza Room of the Memorial Union.

During Take Back the Night, there will be an open-mic for both survivors and supporters of survivors. There will also be a candle-light vigil and two guest speakers, Pam Kvas and Betty Senn. All students and community members are encouraged to attend the event.

Approximately 50 people attended Take Back the Night last year. SOS members hope that more people will participate in the event this year.

“Whether or not someone identifies themselves as a victim, they know a victim, or they will know a victim,” said Lori Moore, head of community relations at SOS. “When we talk about sexual violence, we don’t just mean rape. We mean child abuse, incest, as well as sexual assault. All of those combined into sexual violence is really what we’re raising awareness of.”

According to Kramer, ESU students are an important part of SOS outreach.

“The students on this campus are instrumental to this community because they do volunteer and do so many wonderful things,” Kramer said. “SOS could not function as well as we do without our ESU volunteers… they really do keep the organization running.”

Several student organizations participate in fundraisers for SOS, including the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity.

“We engaged the students by having them pledge to stop domestic violence by placing a hand on our helping hands wall and making a donation to SOS,” said Jonathan Krueger, sophomore political science major and president of AKL.

Members of AKL have participated in These Hands Don’t Hurt for the last three semesters and plan on continuing to participate in the event in the future

“It is important because if we have young men of character taking a stand against something like domestic violence; it sends a very positive message to the community,” Krueger said.

According to Krueger, AKL members participated in These Hands Don’t Hurt as a way to raise awareness about domestic violence to students.

SOS members hope that more men become active in the cause against sexual violence.

“This is not a gender issue, it’s a human issue,” Moore said. “The more males that we can get involved in the cause, the better because then it becomes a society issue. It’s not a women’s issue.”

The Light of Hope 5k Run/Walk will begin at 9 a.m. on May 3 at the Hammond Park Shelter House. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and there is an entry fee of $20 in advance for participants over the age of 14. The entry fee price increases the day of the race by $5. The fee covers the cost of a T-shirt, awards for the top finishers of the race and refreshments for participants.

“It’s a way to raise awareness about sexual and domestic violence,” Moore said. “It’s also a fundraiser to help support our program.”