Mississippi State University students, faculty and staff, along with members of the surrounding community, came together to raise awareness for sexual assault and healthy relationships at the ‘Take Back the Night Glow Run’ Tuesday night. 

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness sponsored this fun run to show support for the cause.

The MSU website gave details to the public about the event prior to Tuesday night, along with a list of other event sponsors. Those sponsors include the Student Association, Housing and Residence Life and Recreational Sports departments, Office of Compliance and Integrity, Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, Student Counseling Services and Phi Mu and Pi Beta Phi sororities. 

Greek organizations were a major supporter of the event, and many sororities came out to participate in the run. 

Sara Hughes, a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, expressed Greek support for such an event. 

“All of the sororities are coming out tonight,” Hughes said. “Our sorority likes to go out and show support for different organizations all over campus.” 

The Glow Run began at 8 p.m. and was held at Chadwick Lake Walking Track at the Joe Frank Sanderson Center.

Those who registered for the fun run received free glow gear to wear while walking the track. Educational information was provided prior to the race.

Stations were set up around the Sanderson Center parking lot where those participating in the run could check in, get their face painted and grab some water. 

Participants heard live music while waiting for the event to begin. Runners also heard from two students who shared their stories of sexual assault and how they coped afterwards. 

Signs were place all around the track with information about the statistics of sexual assault, the hash tags runners could use when posting pictures of the event and the phone numbers a person can call if they have been sexually assaulted. 

Allison Crow, member of one of the sponsoring sororities, Pi Beta Phi, said even if her sorority was not sponsoring the event, she believes she still would have attended. 

“It is good to try to get in shape anyway,” Crow said, “but when you are doing it for a cause that just makes it worth it.” 

Crow said she thought hosting such an event on a college campus was important, and she was glad MSU was able to contribute. 

“Rape and sexual assault really is a problem on college campuses,” Crow said, “so I think the fact that we are having this at a college campus with people that are actually affected by it is what is really good about it.”