In an effort to raise awareness for violence against women and girls, Siena College students put on their best dancing shoes. For the third year, Siena participated in One Billion Rising, a global activist movement that has touched communities worldwide. Nearly 100 students and faculty gathered in Sarazen Student Union to dance to the movement’s anthem “Break the Chain.” “This is our third year doing the event on campus. It’s also the third year that the event has taken place globally, so Siena has been taking part in it since its very first year,” said Donald Denz, a faculty member involved in organizing the event. “The event is about performing and expressing yourself.” One billion comes from the statistic that every one in three women will experience some kind of violence toward them in their lifetime, coming to about one billion women alive today globally. The event, which takes place around Valentine’s Day each year, uses dance to bring attention to this violence. According to the movement’s website, “Dancing is defiance,” and allows people to take control of their own bodies. Olivia Emigh, member of the Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women, the Peer Education program and Anti-Violence Taskforce was just one of the students who helped organize the event at Siena. She said that, while the event has happened in years past, students are still excited to participate. “I decided to become involved with One Billion Rising because I’m part of the Peer Education program, and the theme of this event is education of violence against women and the prevention of violence against women,” Emigh said. She said the most difficult part is working to get students involved. Along with a flash mob dance to “Break the Chain,” student dance groups performed routines as well, including the S.O.L.I.D. Step Team, Latin Fever and Bhangra Fusion. Student leadership groups, like the Student Events Board and Residents Hall Association, were involved and relied on to get word out to peers. Kate Welshofer of Time Warner Cable News was also invited as the master of ceremony. “The biggest thing that we’re hoping to achieve this year is getting students, even members of the outside community, to start thinking about the issue of violence against women and girls. So often it’s one of those things that’s just overlooked, or you stop and talk about it for a second,” said Denz. “This is something where people can come together and talk about it head on.” More information on the One Billion Rising movement can be found at onebillionrising.org.