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Thursday, March 28, 2024
NEWS  |  CAMPUS

UF students shine light on the safety of running at night

<p><span>Eighteen runners partook in the first event of the UF chapter of Despite the Dark. The group’s goal is to encourage the conversation and activity of running safely at nigh</span></p>

Eighteen runners partook in the first event of the UF chapter of Despite the Dark. The group’s goal is to encourage the conversation and activity of running safely at nigh

UF students are taking new steps to prioritize the safety of runners after sundown.

On Thursday, the UF Despite the Dark chapter, a group dedicated to encouraging the safety of women who run at night, held its first run. The runners started at the Reitz Union outdoor amphitheater at 7:30 p.m. and ran around campus to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The group of 18 students, male and female, chanted, “We run despite the dark. We run together,” before heading off.

To accommodate for all fitness levels, there was a walking group and a running group.

Gabriella Torres, a 22-year-old UF advertising senior who founded the chapter, said she was one of the four Despite the Dark interns who started the campaign. She and the other interns were angry about not feeling safe while running at night.

“We shouldn’t feel like we can’t do something just because it’s dark outside. It’s not that we’re afraid of the dark, but we’re afraid of our surroundings,” Torres said.

Despite the Dark started in Chicago last summer as an intern project at Cramer-Krasselt, the second largest independent advertising agency in the U.S.

The campaign became a success in Chicago with about 15 to 30 people showing up to the monthly events, Torres said. The campaign was also able to gain support from local organizations and introduce self-defense classes. Chapters then spread to Sacramento and Baltimore.

Wanting to bring the same support system to UF, Torres started a chapter with her three close friends, Mia Stagliano, Genaveve Henson and Lauren Westphal.

In the Fall, the group hopes to have monthly events and partnerships with other clubs and organizations.

Gracie Johnson, a 21-year-old UF microbiology junior, said she usually runs alone at night after studying or a stressful day.

“For me, if I’m at that level of stress, I have to just release energy. So it’s nice to have a group of girls to do that with,” Johnson said.

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Eighteen runners partook in the first event of the UF chapter of Despite the Dark. The group’s goal is to encourage the conversation and activity of running safely at nigh

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