Guests flocked to Wilden on the evening of April 15 to attend Free the Captives’ first-ever “Into the Night” event. The club, which was started by current president and senior Josh Holm, raises awareness for the millions of female and child victims of human sex trafficking worldwide.
“We strive to make a difference [by] educating middle and high school students [on sex trafficking], as well as being a voice for the voiceless and spreading awareness around campus,” Julia Wygant said, a freshman global studies major and member of Free the Captives’ leadership team.
The purpose of the event was to shine a spotlight on modern day slavery and human trafficking.
“There are approximately 27 million slaves in the world today, more than ever before in history,” explained Vanessa Baldoz, a freshman nursing major and member of Free the Captives’ leadership team. “Approximately one in three detected victims of slavery is a child. The average age of children being trafficked in the United States is 11-14, and some victims are as young as 5 to 6 years old. About 98 percent of victims of sexual exploitation are women and girls. Boys are victims as well.”
Guests began the night by going on a tour, which took place in four classrooms on the first floor of Wilden. The tour focused on the freedoms that most people possess and probably take for granted every day.
The first room of the tour included three students wearing black; each one performed a spoken word piece in order to demonstrate the power of words.
In the second room of the tour, a performer danced to the song “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. This performance had a more lighthearted feel compared to the first room, where the performance was very deep and dark.
The third room of the tour discussed social media in the face of tragedy. It was an interactive activity where a volunteer answered questions from the tour group.
The fourth and final room of the tour was meant for reflection. The room held a long poster board where people could write down thoughts or prayers.
There was also a station for writing cards to Pomona survivors of sex trafficking.
Freshman global studies major and Free the Captives’ leadership team member Bethany Van Drie said, “I’m really hoping that through the art and through the speakers, the attendees were able to get a more well-rounded idea of what the issue is, as well as feel inspired to take action.”
After the tour, there was a video, an introduction from Free the Captives president Josh Holm and performances from Mikey Gutierrez (Mikey G), Variety for One (VFO), and the Scobey Sisters. There was also a Q&A and panel session and two raffles. Three speakers addressed attendees: Kyla Smith, project manager at the Dream Center in Los Angeles; Sandra Morgan, Ph.D., director of Orange County Human Trafficking and keynote speaker; and Shawna Chessum, APU alumna and director of Every ONE Free ministries in Pomona.
Smith oversees the human trafficking department and has worked hard to fight prostitution and human trafficking in the L.A. area.
Smith has worked closely with local law enforcement and government agencies over the past years.
Morgan is also the board member of Live2Free, a student-run club at Vanguard University. Morgan has been recognized worldwide for her expertise in the fight against human trafficking and violence against women.
Chessum often partners with Free the Captives to create a teaching curriculum within school districts.
“[My favorite part of the event was] the interactive walk-through experience at the beginning,” senior business management major Jessica Jenkins said. “I [also] loved hearing the spoken word, which gave me an insight into the thoughts and emotions of someone who is or has been trafficked. I also really liked being able to write an encouraging note to a survivor.”
Although Into the Night was the last Free the Captives event of the year, the club plans to have a table at the Gallery on April 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Christ Church of the Valley.
“Awareness is the first step to making a difference, [along with] taking what you learned and applying it to your everyday knowledge,” communication studies major and Free the Captives vice president Raven Macaraeg said. “Modern-day slavery is really happening around us, and sometimes we just need to be reminded.”
For students who want to get involved with Free the Captives or apply for the club’s leadership team, email rmacaraeg13@apu.edu or sbedore14@apu.edu for more information.