The voices of men will not be heard at this year's Take Back the Night March May 13 - women will march alone.

Instead of men marching, they have the opportunity to participate in programs devoted to men confronting other men about sexual violence, said Lisa Stines, Student Senate's senator for women's affairs.

Last night, four men and more than 30 women shared opinions about letting men march. After last year's compromise of men joining women halfway, only one woman spoke out against this year's decision.

Before the march, keynote speaker Michael Kaufman will address participants. Kaufman is the founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, which is a men's activist group working to end violence.

Stines questioned what benefits men would receive from the march, while they could be talking with other men about the issue.

Sophomore Vanessa Hoffman participated in the march last year and said she feels women should have this time for themselves.

"Men intimidate women by just being there," she said. "Last year they were in the front of the lines overpowering the women."

She also said that even though men are given the opportunity, not many participate.

Take Back the Night started at OU in 1979. Its purpose was to protest the oppression and fear of violence women face daily, said Jan Griesinger, director of United Campus Ministry.

"Women need to be independent and most importantly, men must confront other men," she said.

Griesinger said that since the march began, male involvement has varied.

The march begins with silence in remembrance of victims and then the participants march around campus in darker, secluded areas that are more susceptible to violent attacks. The marchers also stop and chant at the residence halls, inviting more women to join them, Hoffman said.

Although the majority of women did much of the talking, sophomore Jim Hintz said letting men march wasn't a man's decision to make.

But when he marched last year, he thought it was an empowering experience for everyone involved.