The University of Wyoming is honoring survivors and is going to help raise awareness of sexual violence in the community. The 2013 "Take Back the Night" event will be commencing on April 18th on the University of Wyoming campus. The big event includes a big rally, march and dance festivities.

The event is co-sponsored by the UW STOP Violence program and the Albany County SAFE Project, along with student groups: Men's Action Network and SPEAK Out!

This year's rally will begin at 7 p.m. inside the Simpson Plaza on campus and features "Slam Nuba", a slam poetry collective based group out of Denver, Colorado. There will then be a march at 8 p.m. which will be starting in the Simpson Plaza and head downtown to 2nd st., and back up Garfield and along 13th st. to the Wyoming Union. Following the march at 9 p.m. the independent acoustic music group-"The Magic Beans" will headline the Moonlight Dance in the Union Gardens in partnering with Studio Wyo.

All the festivities in the event is free and open to the public to attend. The Rendezvous Room in Washakie Hall on campus is the main location for the 7 p.m. rally.

The event is a major protest against violence in their communities and to support the survivors and raise awareness of sexual violence. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey conducted by the CDC, nationally 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men are survivors of rape. Most of the attacks occur at the hands of an acquaintance or intimate partner. In Wyoming, 44% of women and 29% of men reported being survivors of sexual violence other than rape.

For more information on this event you can contact STOP Violence Program Coordinator Megan Selheim at (307) 766-3296.

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