Loyola and Tulane will join forces with Xavier and Dillard to host the 20th annual Take Back the Night later this month.

This event is held to promote awareness of sexual violence in the New Orleans community. Attendees will gather in the Horseshoe outside Marquette Hall, where speakers will share their experiences. From the Horseshoe, there will be a candlelit march to Tulane’s campus.

In past years, the march ended at Myra Clare Rogers Memorial Chapel on Tulane’s campus, but this year, due to the growing number of attendees, the march will end at Freeman Auditorium. After the march, there will be an open microphone for people to share their experiences. The event will take place Oct. 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Beth Cook, Spanish sophomore and planning committee member, encourages people to come to show support.

“People should attend Take Back the Night so that they can show that they support finding solutions to the problem of gender-based violence,” she said. “Just by showing up, brining some friends and joining in on the march to Tulane, you have the opportunity to show those who are hiding and afraid of getting help that they are not alone.”

Students from the four universities, with support from Brooks Zitzmann, staff counselor, and Karen Reichard, director of the Women’s Resource Center, plan the event.

Cook said she is pleased that Xavier and Dillard have joined in with the planning process. This will be the first year the two universities collaborate with Loyola and Tulane.

“This year we’re working hard to get more of the community involved,” Cook said. “Xavier and Dillard are bringing different parts of the community into the mix.”

Isis Huizar, planning committee member and psychology senior, agrees with Cook.

“I think that it is great that Loyola and Tulane have partnered up for so many years to put this great event together; and now that other universities have also joined, I am sure that we will see an increase in community participation,” Huizar said.

Reichard said last year they had about 550 people in attendance.

“I think the number 750 was thrown out there at the last meeting; that would be our ultimate goal.”

Huizar has attended the event for the past three years, and expects this year to be more meaningful.

“Every year I am amazed by the stories that are shared, but what I think is the most powerful thing is seeing the courage those individuals are showing by sharing their personal life with us,” she said.

Hannah Iannazzo can be reached at [email protected]