NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The Albertus Magnus College Falcon 5K continues, with the next event scheduled around the Take Back the Night Foundation. Take Back the Night is a worldwide effort dedicated to stopping sexual violence, assault, and harassment against women. Launched in the 1970s, Take Back the Night started as a series of incidents in which violence against women caught the attention of national media outlets and began a national topic of conversation about sexual assault, harassment, and stalking. Over the years, the movement has grown into a full-scale foundation dedicated to promoting awareness against sexual violence and stalking, allocating resources for survivors, and education about the dangers of these actions.
Below are some facts surrounding sexual violence, stalking, and harassment:
• 1 in 6 women will experience some form of stalking in their lifetime.
• According to the National Centers for Victims of Crime, over 1 million women and over 370,000 men are stalked annually in the United States alone.
• 2/3rds of female victims were stalked by an intimate partner, either current or former.
• Repeatedly receiving phone calls, texts, or other electronic forms of communication are the most common forms of stalking.
• On college campuses, 3 in 10 women reported being emotionally or psychologically injured due to stalking.
• 4 out of 5 victims on college campuses who were stalked or assaulted knew their attackers.
For a more comprehensive list of stalking, dating violence, and sexual harassment facts, please visit: https://www.stalkingawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/SPARC_StalkngFactSheet_2018_FINAL.pdf
In support of this foundation and its mission, Albertus Magnus College will host a Take Back the Night run on campus on Sunday, April 18th. The Falcon 5K Committee mapped out a course around campus, totaling the 3.1 miles of a 5K. The route starts in the parking lot of the athletic center and includes two complete laps around the perimeter of the campus before diverging and cutting across campus up the hill towards Celentano Field. Participants will then run three full laps around the track before cutting across the library parking lot, running once around the tennis courts, and finishing in front of Rosary Hall, where there will be post-race refreshments waiting. There will also be water stations set up periodically around the course for participants to use as they wish.
In addition to hosting a 5K event to publicize Take Back the Night, Albertus Magnus College is also launching a fundraiser. Participants can donate gently used clothing, non-perishable food items, cash donations, or other essential supplies to The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services in New Haven. Athletics will have a box by the main desk in the athletic center's lobby to collect the items. The cut-off date for donations is May 15th, 2021.
