The 14th annual Take Back the Night event will take place Friday, May 3, at 5:30 p.m.
“The march will begin at Family Services Alliance (355 S Arthur Ave.) where we will pass out free Take Back the Night T-shirts and it will end at the Old Town Pavilion where we will have live music, speakers, raffle prizes and food, all for free,” said Idaho State University senior Jessica Milford.
Milford, an intern with ISU’s Anderson Gender Resource Center, has been planning the event all semester.
“Take Back the Night is a march that traditionally promoted awareness of sexual assault and domestic violence toward women but this year the event will be promoting awareness of these issues across gender identities and sexual orientations,” Milford explained.
The international event has been held worldwide since its creation in 1976, and has been an ISU event for 14 years.
Live music for this year’s event will be provided by local band Jesse James and the Golgotha Gypsy Blues Revue. Speakers will include affiliates of Family Services Alliance, a domestic violence and sexual assault resource in Pocatello, as well as survivors of sexual assault and/or domestic violence.
“On top of this we will be having free raffle prizes from places such as Sizzler and Downata Hot Springs and free food catered by Frog Hollow,” Milford added.
Milford said she’s hopeful that this year’s event will match or even surpass turnout from previous years.
“In past years we’ve had about 300 people attend, so of course it would be nice to see numbers get that high again but honestly I will be happy to get any number of people attending this event,” she said. “As long as I help make a difference in one person’s life that is what counts the most to me.”
Milford emphasized the importance of the event, saying it raises awareness of issues such as domestic violence and sexual assault.
“I believe that every single person in our community can benefit from this event whether it be by gaining new knowledge or a sense of empowerment and unity among advocates and survivors,” she said. “Take Back the Night provides an open and safe place for talking about issues in our community that may be uncomfortable to discuss for some.”
Milford said there are often misconceptions surrounding the event, especially in rural areas like Pocatello. She said many people think Take Back the Night is an event purely concerning women but tend to exclude survivors of other genders, gender identities and sexual orientations.
“Sexual assault and domestic violence unfortunately cross all gender identities, sexual orientations, races, classes and ages and this is why Take Back the Night is such an important event for Pocatello,” she explained.
“When you attend the march and you see all sorts of different people coming together to fight for one cause it’s easy to see that this is not just a female issue,” she added.
She encouraged any and all students and community members to attend, particularly if they are interested in learning more about the topics at hand or expressing support for individuals who are lived through these situations.
“I think it’s vital that our community gives support to survivors and attending this event will allow our community to connect as a united front against sexual assault and domestic violence,” said Milford.
She is currently seeking volunteers for various projects in the remaining time before the event.
Interested parties can contact her at ude.usinull@ssejflim, or come by the Anderson Center, located in Graveley Hall, and drop off contact information.
“I’m looking for some volunteers to help with set up, clean up and a few other random jobs,” she said, adding that she’s excited for the event to arrive.
“The most rewarding part of working on Take Back the Night has not happened for me yet. I’m thinking it will be the first time I get to start chanting into the megaphone and leading the march through Old Town with all of the wonderful people that attend,” she said.