By Stephanie Musso

Kelly Walker didn’t know how she got pregnant. But slowly everything began to add up: the nightmares, the stress and the fuzzy half-memories of a past weekend. It was clear she had been raped. But this sort of thing doesn’t happen to normal people, does it?

Absolutely. In fact, it happens right here on campus.

Rebecca Tieder and Kelly Walker were the keynote speakers at “Take Back the Night,” a program aiming to bring awareness of sexual assault and rape. The Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority hosted the event last Wednes-day night for the fourth year in a row. The candlelight vigil and program were held in the Krentzman Quadrangle with the Dodge Hall steps serving as a makeshift stage.

Delta Phi Epsilon surrounded the quad with handmade signs and purple ribbons. “No means no!” read one sign while another gave statistics: “There is a rape on a college campus every 21 hours,” “1.3 women are raped a minute” and “39 percent of women are raped more than once.”

“Rape is a reoccurring issue,” said Lindsay Crone, president of Delta Phi Epsilon. “It not only touches the lives of those affected, but everyone aro-und them. We are reclaiming the right for women to work in a violence-free environment.”

Walker was raped as a college student in Florida and said she hopes her story will help prevent further sexual assault. Walker and her best friend, Tieder, have em-barked on a nationwide tour, speaking at college campuses across the United States. Their program, “Let’s Talk about ‘IT,'” aims to help college students feel comfortable talking about sex in an interactive and pressure-free setting. This is especially important, they said, because the United States has the highest recorded rape rate in the world.

“We want you to be able to make informed decisions,” Tieder said, which is one of the main goals of their program, “and to have the education to know what to do.

“Each of you have the power to make a difference, starting with this campus,” Tieder said. “You can make a difference on your campus.”

The hour-long program was half storytelling and half how-to. Walker relived her rape story in vivid detail and brutal honesty to nearly 250 strangers. After a long night of drinking, she was raped by a man she had been dating. Though she did not remember the rape, she realized what had happened after discovering her pregnancy.

“The hardest part was telling my mother, not that I was pregnant, but that her little girl was raped,” Walker said.

Alcohol was a factor in Walker’s rape as it is in many rape cases on college campuses.

“Alcohol is never an excuse. I tell this story because I want to know why this happened and why it’s happening on this campus,” she said.

Walker and Tieder gave information on how to avoid dangerous situations and what to do if you or someone you know is sexually assaulted.

“We thought rape only happened to girls who make stupid decisions,” Tieder said. “You have to trust your instincts and be true to yourself. Watch your drinks, drugged drinks are becoming common. It’s the students, you have the most power to make a difference on your campus,” Tieder said. “No one deserves to be sexually assaulted. If you don’t say no, who will?”

Michael Romano, the Stu-dent Government Association (SGA) president, continued the night with a male pledge of peace. The males in attendance each received a Mother’s Day card, which contained a pledge, which he read out loud:

“We pledge never to commit, condone, or remain silent about men’s violence toward women. We will respect, listen to, seek equality and share power with the women in our lives,” he said.

The night was appreciated by both male and female attendees, and was educational for all.

“(Raising awareness is) definitely something that needs to be done and needs to get out there because you think it can never happen to you,” said Chris LaPiere, a middler finance major.

Other students said Delta Phi Epsilon was an appropriate group to host the event.

“I thought it was great because people know about rape but we still just need to get it out there more and make people more aware,” said Erica Punko, a freshman pharmacy major. “I think it’s appropriate that a sorority put it on. It’s a huge issue with girls.”

Laura Weiss, the new coordinator of sexual assault services at Northeastern, also spoke to the students about raising awareness at “Take Back the Night.”

“I thought (the presentation) was good, Rebecca and Kelly were great, they were a tough act to follow,” Weiss said. “Their message was great and statistics were good. I think it’s a problem on all college campuses and it is a problem here.”

There are many things that can be done to help reduce the risk of being sexually assaulted, Weiss said. The number one thing to remember is to trust your instincts and be aware of surroundings.

“There are always ways to be safer; if you go with a group make sure you leave with that group and watch your drinks. Don’t accept open drinks from people,” Weiss said. “Hold your drink (with your hand) on the top. The more aware of the signals around you (the safer you will be).”

If someone has been sexually assaulted, Weiss advises the victim to seek some kind of help at their own pace. A victim should never be forced to talk or to do anything they’re uncomfortable with doing, she said.

“I recommend that they do whatever they need to do, either talking to a counselor, friends or tell a parent,” Weiss said. “Most (cases) go unreported, 95 percent go unreported, but (the victim) will tell friends, boyfriends, someone they trust.”

There are many local and national places to turn to if sexual assault or rape occurs. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) has counseling for victims and a toll free number (1-800-8371). The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) has a national sexual assault hotline which is free and operated 24 hours a day (1-800-656-HOPE).