To raise awareness, promote prevention and foster healing of sexual assault survivors, more than 300 people from the community and WNY campuses will gather at Buffalo State College Friday night for the annual “Take Back the Night” rally from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Campbell Student Union.



Throughout the month of April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, campuses and community groups across the country are holding “Take Back the Night” events to confront social ills such as rape, sexual violence, domestic violence, violence against children, and violence against women.



Buffalo State’s rally will include a keynote speech by Stephen Thompson, a national expert on sexual assault, sexual aggression and stalking. His presentations are based on 28 years of research and hundreds of interviews with survivors and offenders.



“The primary goals of ‘Take Back the Night’ rallies are to not only give a voice to survivors of sexual assault, but to also create a comfortable environment for both men and women to discuss attitudes, beliefs and prevention techniques,” said Tammy Kresge, health promotions coordinator, Buffalo State College. “Our theme—‘Men Can Stop Rape’—is designed to get men thinking about what they can do to be part of the solution.”



Other events scheduled for Friday’s rally at Buffalo State include survivor testimonials, poetry readings, student-leader speak-outs, a candlelight vigil and the display of a campus “Take Back the Night” quilt project. In addition, students have tied teal ribbons around trees on campus to represent sexual assault awareness.



Thompson’s visit to Buffalo State is funded by a U.S. Department of Justice grant awarded in 2006 to assist the college in proactively preventing violence against women on campus.



For more information on the event, contact Tammy Kresge at (716) 878-6725 or via e-mail at kresgetl@buffalostate.edu.