Take Back the Night Kicks Off Week of Events

The Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) kicked off its annual Take Back the Night week yesterday-literally kicking.

Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Instructors from the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) showed students how to recognize and survive an attack in an introductory Women's Self Defense class, held in three locations across campus.

The class marked the first event in the annual RUS-sponsored week of activities to combat violence against women at Harvard and in the nation.

"The aim of the week is draw attention to issues of violence directed towards women and to raise support for survivors of sexual violence at Harvard and beyond," said event co-chair Alexis Karteron.

Karteron said event chairs also hope to raise women's comfort levels with talking about and reporting sexual violence.

According to RAD Instructor and HUPD Officer Theresa Smith, the majority of sexual violence at Harvard is committed by acquaintances of the victim and thus often goes unreported.

Take Back the Night's signature event, the Rally-Vigil-March, will take place on Thursday night at 8 p.m. on the steps of Memorial Church-a gesture meant to "show compassion for those amongst us who have endured sexual violence," according to an RUS release.

The candlelit march will feature poetry readings about issues of sexual violence and a procession around campus, ending at the Radcliffe Quad.

Participants will cap off the events on Saturday with the Take Back the River Run, leaving from the Weld Boat House at noon.