Despite the rain, Northeastern’s Sexual Assault Response Coaltion, or SARC, showed up and showed out April 15 for its second-annual “Take Back the Night,” an event aimed at bringing survivors of sexual assault and allies together to show solidarity, create a sense of community and advocate for safety and support.
Take Back the Night, started in San Francisco in the 1970s, is one of the oldest movements to stand against sexual violence and empower survivors, explained Kelly Walsh, a fourth-year health science major and vice president of SARC. The event was always something SARC wanted to bring to campus to support survivors in the healing process and highlight the problem of sexual violence.
“Take Back the Night really is taking back the night,” Walsh said. “That idea that it’s not safe to walk alone at night, especially if you are in a marginalized community or identity. Its main purpose is to just bring survivors and allies together and to show solidarity for survivors.”
The event, originally supposed to be hosted outdoors on Centennial Common, was moved into Shillman Hall because of the weather. It featured table displays from organizations such as the Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern, University Health and Counseling Services, the NU Sexual Health Advocacy Resource and Education Organization, among other Northeastern student organizations.
There were also numerous Boston-area groups in attendance, such as the Boston Area Rape Crime Center and Betsy’s Friends — a group similar to SARC at Simmons University — and It’s on Us from Boston University.
Tables were covered with a variety of flyers and handouts, from educational diagrams about reproductive health to resources for survivors of sexual assault and harassment. SARC also had activities such as friendship bracelet making and a sensory room in Ryder Hall in case attendees needed to decompress or take a break.
Traditionally, SARC guides attendees through a candlelight vigil and marches on campus, shouting, “We have the power. We have the right. We are here to take back the night.” Although this portion could not happen outside, SARC persisted and chanted inside.
“It was really powerful to just be in a room of people that were chanting,” Walsh said. “I think my favorite chant we did was ‘I said show me what community looks like’ and then everyone else in the room said ‘This is what a community looks like.’ It doesn’t matter if there’s a thousand people or a hundred people or five people. Community is a feeling and it’s an action and it’s something that you can do and you can create.”
Beyond the event, SARC continues to advocate for and support survivors and provide educational resources for allies and all members of the community. A key pillar of its mission is creating a safe and supportive environment for all.
“I think SARC and Take Back the Night are really special because it’s not just for survivors, but it’s for allies. It’s for the general campus population, young people in general,” said Aela Bailey, a second-year political science and business administration combined major and secretary of SARC. “Our community outreach team is so important just to go out there and push this knowledge, push these values and these ambitions to survivors and to everybody surrounding them because when it comes down to it, violence affects everybody.”
Education on sexual assault is a major goal of SARC, which was evident during the event.
“This event specifically and just at SARC as a whole, we really emphasize the importance of education, continuous education and peer-based education, because when you’re learning from your peers, that is something that really can impact the way you are getting this knowledge and how it’s going to stick with you going forward,” Walsh said.
Regardless of location, Take Back the Night brought together survivors and allies to hear each other’s experiences, support one another and continue to make campus an inclusive and safe space for all.
“[Knowing] that we’re all willing to come together to create such a safe and inviting space is really important to me,” said Vish Tiwari, a fourth-year politics, philosophy, and economics major and vice president of events and member outreach for SARC. “Especially in times like this, we want to be here for people. We’re not going anywhere, and I think that’s a lot of what Take Back the Night means to me.”
