More than 100 women marched from the K-State campus to City Park Thursday night to reclaim what is rightfully theirs: a safe night on the town.

Trying to draw as much attention as possible, the female students, faculty and Manhattan residents chanted phrases like "Women unite; take back the night," "We're women, we're here, we're fabulous," and "No more patriarchy, no more rape!"

"It makes me sad that we have to scream these things," said Ellen Welti, freshman in open option. "But I'm happy that these women have come to try and make them true."

Ana Abente, freshman in English; Shireen Roshanravan, assistant professor of women's studies; and Marquis Clark, graduate student in political science, gave speeches during the opening ceremonies held in the K-State quad - the area behind Hale Library and Waters Hall.

Despite the wind and 45-degree weather, Abente said she wasn't too cold to read aloud a poem about acceptance and racism.

"We were so pumped up we didn't feel the cold - there was so much adrenaline," said Abente, who is also a member of Ordinary Women, the campus feminist club that sponsors TBTN every year.

Clark spoke about a male's perspective of the night. Under the principles of TBTN, men are allowed to cheer on the women, but can not actually march with them. Several men were in attendance before and after the march.

"His speech was amazing and empowering," said Erica Starns, junior in family studies and human services. "It's wonderful that there are men who want the same thing for women that women do."

Roshanravan is the faculty adviser for Ordinary Women and said that, despite the rain, she was pleased with the turnout.

"Any time you get people together to talk about hope for the future it's an amazing experience, whether you have 10 or 10,000 people in attendance," Roshanravan said.

Musicians Jessie Freyermuth and Fashionably Late also played in the City Mark Pavilion, which shielded the bands and crowd from heavy drizzle. Kate Boysen, president of Ordinary Women, said the pavilion created a more comfortable environment for attendees.

"It's a more intimate atmosphere where people can browse at the Clothesline Project and still listen to music," said Boysen, senior in Spanish and sociology.

The Clothesline Project was a presentation of T-shirts that women drew statements on about how they, or other women, were affected by sexual assault. The shirts symbolized female personal expression that is absent from clotheslines' traditional settings.

Margaret Pendelton, sophomore in public relations, attended last year's TBTN, and said the message was still as powerful.

"I love seeing the inspiration on everyone's faces. I hope everyone can leave feeling just as empowered as they do now, and use that to be a voice for those without one," Pendelton said.

Mary Todd, director of the K-State Women's Center, explained the importance of the event in Manhattan.

"If OW didn't do 'Take Back the Night,' there would be a hole in the heart of the campus," Todd said. "When women can sleep with their windows open on a breezy Saturday night, they will be in a safe place. I'm still looking for that safe place."