RADFORD – It is a familiar sight across the nation: participants gather to remember the victims of violence against women and hear survivors speak openly about their experiences. It is an event that has become an important part of our culture, a time for participants to confront a myriad of social ills, from sexual abuse to rape. It is Take Back the Night.

It is an event that many may consider exclusive to women. But when Amber Parson and Ellen Park, RU students and co-planners of RU Take Back the Night, attended an InterFraternity Council meeting to discuss the event and encourage participation, one fraternity, Theta Chi, responded immediately and volunteered to help Take Back the Night at RU by handing out white ribbons. The ribbons represent men involved in working to end violence against women.

Kevin Ong, vice president of Theta Chi, said the fraternity volunteered because such involvement is a part of their credo and is representative of what each member strives to embody. “We are often known as the ‘Gentleman’s Fraternity’ and exercise our actions as thus. We are firmly against any violation, be it physical or mental to any woman. It is important to participate and know about this event because this is the kind of thing that happens and can happen to anyone. Being open-minded and cultured helps us develop as adults and responsible people. It will help educate people to a subject that they might not be familiar with.”

Ong added that 28 brothers and six new members volunteered for the event.

“It’s extremely important to have a fraternity participate in these events because it shows that men support this project,” Parson said. “These members are making a promise that they will not support violence against women. Their support and participation shows what kind of men are in this fraternity.”

According to Lee Carter, coordinator of the Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education, it is the first time in four years that a fraternity has been actively involved in Take Back the Night.

“I would like to see more fraternities speak out about this issue,” she said. “It is important for men to be involved in all sexual assault education because if we only talk to women about protecting themselves against sexual assault, we will never get very far.”

Carter said many in the sexual assault field now believe that the most effective way to help end violence against women is to talk to men who might know someone they suspect of sexual assault but are afraid to speak out.

The Clothesline Project was also held in conjunction with Take Back the Night. The project is a national endeavor to help raise awareness of violence against women where survivors of violence and their friends and families are invited to create t-shirts commemorating their experiences. The shirts are hung side-by-side to bear witness to the violence committed against women, children and men on a daily basis.

Other RU organizations involved in The Clothesline Project and Take Back the Night included Delta Sigma Pi, the Spanish Club, AREUHYPE, Chi Upsilon Sigma, Phi Sigma Kappa and Alpha Phi Omega. To learn more about Take Back the Night and similar events at RU, contact Lee Carter in the Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education at (540) 831- 5709 or esmith2@radford.edu