Shantinique Webster, Program Specialist for Student Life at WGTC, left, and Misty Lang, Manager of Student Engagement for WGTC, right, check in students at West Georgia Technical College’s “Take Back the Night” event on Monday.
West Georgia Technical College’s (WGTC) Douglasville campus on Monday, hosted “Take Back the Night,” an event that brings awareness to sexual violence and abuse.
“Take Back the Night” is a nationally founded organization with the mission of ending sexual, relationship, and domestic violence in all forms. The Take Back the Night Foundation encourages organizations from all over the world to put on their own ‘Take Back the Night’ events as a way to help spread awareness and bring a voice to those who may be a survivor of sexual violence.
“This event is really important for us to make sure our community gets the resources that they need,” said Melinda Hofius, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for WGTC. “If or when someone is in an emergency situation, they need to know who to reach out to. We do not want anyone that is going through this to feel alone.”
The event on Monday provided an opportunity for everyone in attendance to connect with local resources and learn how to make a difference in their communities by showing support for survivors. Activities throughout the evening included an educational walk, community resource booths, a rock climbing wall, giveaways, and food from The Hud food truck. The educational walk promoted safety and community through something people do every day.
“We are working to make sure women feel comfortable and safe walking alone at night because one in four women get sexually assaulted in their lifetime,” Hofius said. “Along the walk we had survivor bags that staff, faculty and students were able to decorate. The bags served as lanterns to light the path, as well as a beacon of support for survivors. We also had a video after the walk that talked about the importance of sexual assault prevention, and it also included shared stories from survivors.”
This year, West Georgia Technical College partnered with the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce as a part of the chamber’s Public Safety Week. Through community engagement, the chamber made an impact by spreading awareness and helping showcase “Take Back the Night’s” message by bringing a voice to survivors of sexual violence. That impact that “Take Back the Night” creates goes well beyond the single evening because of WGTC’s service area that reaches several communities.
“I feel like because we have so many communities that we impact, hosting an event like “Take Back the Night” makes a huge difference because we are able to reach so many people,” Hofius said.
