Fort Collins and Colorado State University Communities "Take Back the Night" April 27

On April 27, hundreds of women will march from the Colorado State University campus to Old Town Square in Fort Collins to protest sexual violence against women in the ninth annual Take Back the Night March.

The event is designed to make a powerful statement that Fort Collins community members will not tolerate fear and violence. Take Back the Night events are celebrated on college campuses and in communities throughout the United States and internationally.

For the Fort Collins march, women will gather at 7 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden west of the Lory Student Center to hear speaker Bonnie Weimer from the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault and to share thoughts and experiences at an open microphone session. At 8 p.m., participants will march through the Colorado State Oval to Laurel Street, then north on College Avenue to Old Town Square at the corner of Mountain Avenue.

Beginning at 8 p.m., a men’s rally in Old Town Square will feature speaker Mark Benn from Colorado State’s University Counseling Center and an open microphone session. The men will welcome the women as they march into Old Town Square, and will unite in a joint rally followed by a concert by Maggie Simpson. Counselors from Crossroads Safehouse will be available throughout the march, and vans will take participants back to campus after the joint rally. The march and rallies are the culmination of a week-long series of events to raise awareness about sexual violence. All events are free and open to the public but reservations are needed where indicated below. Other Take Back the Night 2000 events include:

April 24 Movie and panel discussion; 7 p.m., D.C. Bottoms in the basement of Durrell Center on campus. The movie will address issues of sexual violence against women. Discussions follow with a panel of representatives from the Student Alliance for Gender Equity.

April 25 Women’s dance workshop with Maggie Simpson; 6- 8 p.m., Room 230 Lory Student Center. Empower yourself and celebrate your body at this dance and movement workshop led by musician Maggie Simpson. Call (970) 416-0357 to reserve space in the workshop.

April 26 Women’s self-defense workshop with Sensei Carmel Mawle; 6-8 p.m., location to be announced. Mawle, president and head instructor at Front Range Traditional Karate, has worked extensively with women who have been victims of violence, and teaches two classes per week exclusively for women and girls. Call 221-9923 to reserve a space in the workshop.

April 26 "The Warrior Goddess Within: Reclaiming Our Woman-Power through Ritual" workshop for survivors of abuse or assault; 6-8 p.m., Room 203-205 Lory Student Center. Join Carmen Myrtis-Garcia for powerful rituals assisting in the release of anger, fear and negative energy resulting from abuse or sexual assault. Myrtis-Garcia is the director of Sophia’s Tree of Life, a ministry for women. Call 493-5504 to reserve a space in the workshop.