Listen to this story here:
In celebration of Safer’s Stalking Action Month, the organization partnered with Athletes for a Safer Campus (ASC) for its Third Annual Night Relay on Jan 26.
Students gathered in teams of four to compete in a relay at Cal Poly’s Miller and Capriotti Athletics Complex, illuminated by candles stationed around the course and participants who wore multicolored glow sticks.
Every year, the relay organizers aim to gather students together to “undo the way we perceive the night as being dangerous for some groups,” according to Safer’s Instagram. The tournament is more than an athletic competition, offering an opportunity for students to reclaim the night as their own.
Cal Poly psychology alumnus Anthony Benitez designed the event three years ago, alongside his cross-country teammate Sierra Brill.
“Both of us, as runners, are very aware of the fear of violence and victim-blaming that comes with the dangers that are associated with night running,” he said. “We wanted to create an event that would challenge that notion and just build both awareness and action to join the community and break [the] stigma.”
Safer is Cal Poly’s education and advocacy resource for sexual assault, intimate partner and domestic violence, stalking, sexual exploitation and harassment, according to their website.
ASC is a branch of Safer that invites student athletes to redefine the culture centered around gender and power-based violence in athletics. The group aims to dismantle the hierarchies of power associated with sports and support allyship, their website says.
Political science freshman JJ Babore is involved in ASC and the Cal Poly women’s softball team. She explained that this event has allowed her to feel more comfortable doing something she loves.
“I know if I saw any of these people here at night, I would feel safer in general,” she stated. “The saying ‘take back the night’ is really empowering.”
Babore finished in first place for the women’s 400m race, with the Cal Poly men’s soccer team finishing first for the men’s relay.
Safer’s graduate assistant Ellie Yamashita said the relay aligned with January’s Stalking Action Month, specifically their “Honoring Our Orbits” campaign.
“‘Honoring Our Orbits’ means safety in a lot of ways. I think this event is all about community and being safe in a space together,” Yamashita said. “Instead of survivor-blaming or victim-blaming, we turn around and say ‘No, we believe you. We support you. We stand with you.'”
More information on Safer’s services and events can be found on their website and Instagram.
Safer’s Advocacy Services office is located in Cal Poly’s Health Center (Building 27), and their Prevention Education office is in Room 217 of the University Union (Building 65). They can be contacted at 805-756-2282 and safer@calpoly.edu.
