By Trent Oshawa Student Carly Midgley

On the afternoon of Thursday February 14, the front atrium of Trent University Oshawa was transformed from a quiet area of study to a hub of energy, noise and activity. At 1:30 p.m., music swelled from nearby speakers and a group of women transformed the atrium into a dance floor pulsing with energy and life, surrounded on all sides by flashing cameras and the grins of spectators.

This was the flash mob “One Billion Rising”: a pre-choreographed dance performed by Trent students and members of the Durham Rape Crisis Centre in one of the school’s main hubs. If only for a few minutes, the flash mob drew all of Trent Oshawa’s energy to this single point. Participants moved with engaging dedication, musicality and a vibrant energy that captivated observers. Even before the flash mob began, people of all descriptions crowded the atrium, buzzing with talk and watching the participants with interest. Even those few students who didn’t realize what was about to happen were drawn to the atrium by the tangible “buzz” in the air, and were pleasantly surprised when the flash mob rose to life.

“It’s great that Trent Oshawa is holding events like this,” said one such spectator. “It has this awesome community feel to it, and such a great message.”

Unlike many traditional flash mobs, One Billion Rising wasn’t instigated just so people could have fun—although it certainly accomplished that. Organized by the Durham Rape Crisis Centre and manifested by a group of Trent Oshawa students, One Billion Rising was performed as a protest against the violence plaguing the one billion women who will, in their lifetimes, be beaten or raped. It emerged initially as a response to this horrifying statistic; it was and is a rallying cry and a step along the path that, it’s hoped, will lead to the end of violence against women. One Billion Rising is an event intended to bring women together, and to express solidarity and new strength in a creative, engaging manner.

And this it certainly accomplished, for spectators and participants alike. Said one organizer of her reasons for getting involved in the flash mob, “It’s a great common cause—a way of bringing voices together and reducing the stigma that’s attached to violence against women.” One Billion Rising makes the heady topic of violence against women accessible and discussible, and therefore—it’s hoped—easier to fight, in the long run.

If the crowd that gathered to watch the flash mob Thursday afternoon is any indication, One Billion Rising is well on its way to accomplishing its goals. The short speech that followed the flash mob informed the crowd of observers as to the reasons and staggering statistic that inspired the event, opening up discussion and consideration of the event’s purpose and goals. What’s more, before, during and after the flash mob, One Billion Rising acted to weave Trent Oshawa together as a community. Participants and organizers mingled with the crowd, and students and teachers—even those not directly involved in the event—crowded the atrium, watching the event and having lively discussions with each other and its instigators. One Billion Rising manifested a common goal and strong mutual energy. It was, in other words, a living expression of the ‘community feel’ that is one of Trent University Oshawa’s greatest characteristics.