The mission to educate about and prevent “date rape” has been going on for decades. Since then, over 5,000 schools across the world have held lectures to discuss ways to prevent sexual assault and violence. Katie Koestner and Gordon Braxton have been at the forefront of this movement and are bringing it to Stetson.

Take Back the Night “I Said – You Said” will take place Wednesday, April 10. The event is sponsored by: Stetson’s Peer Advisory Council for Title IX, Stetson’s Chapter of National Organization for Women, Planned Parenthood Generation Action, and Students Against Sexual Assault presents. Cultural Credit is available for students.

From 7-8 p.m. in the Lynn Business Center Room 108, Katie Koestner will return to campus to provide the Keynote speech with Gordon Braxton. Following the speech, students are invited to join a march of solidarity from the LBC to the CUB’s South Entrance for the Speak Out event from 8-9 p.m. This rally is to provide support and encouragement among students, faculty, and staff, and to allow attendees to share their stories.

Koestner has been an advocate against sexual assault and “date rape” since 1991. As she has partnered with others, she founded Campus Outreach Services and is the executive director of the Take Back the Night Foundation. She will be bringing her expertise to Stetson to share the impact of sexual violence with students and attendees.

Gordon Braxton will be joining Koestner in giving the Keynote address. Braxton started working with Koestner after he graduated the University of Virginia. He is known for his blogs on rape culture, male violence prevention, and manhood. He was also named in the Nov. 15 issue of Ebony magazine as a “super man” because of his activism.

Together, Braxton and Koestner will address students on these issues and follow with time for the students to express their own thoughts through poems, statements and sharing experiences at the rally. This event will be bookended by Members of the Mu Beta Psi music fraternity performing. Because this speak out can be emotionally triggering, there will be a Healing and Relaxation event on April 10 at 6 p.m. in Flagler Hall 334.

Sara Smith, the Student Coordinator for The Peer Advisory Council for Title IX, encourages students to join the event to “support survivors of sexual violence” and to learn more about “the impact of sexual violence.”

See a list of other Title IX Prevention Events and Activities through April 24.

–Carley Fockler

Carley Fockler ’15, English, is a graduate student in Stetson’s M.F.A. of the Americas Creative Writing Program.