After two years, Take Back the Night returned to campus in person after being held in a modified virtual version due to the pandemic. Organized by the CSUN Women’s Research and Resource Center, the event aimed to offer students a safe place to share personal stories of domestic and sexual violence.

The annual event is part of an international movement by Take Back the Night Foundation, dedicated to spotlighting sexual violence. According to their website, 1 in 3 women globally, and 1 in 6 men, experience sexual or intimate partner violence.

According to Shira Brown, WRRC director and lecturer in the department of gender and women’s studies, the most popular part of the event is the candlelight vigil where participants are invited to share their personal experiences with sexual violence.

The event is organized around a fair, a candlelight vigil and a march.

The resource fair was scheduled to be at the Plaza del Sol, but was moved inside the Grand Salon in the University Student Union due to rainy weather.

Campus organizations like the F-Word, a club that offers members a place to engage in discussions about feminism and women’s issues, passed out information about their services and resources.

“We like to highlight organizations on campus that support students who have a relationship with sexual assault and gender-based violence,” Brown said. “Then we also choose a few off-campus sites that do the work as well. For instance, we want people to know that you can safely go to the Dream Center and they will support what you may need done.”

During the candlelight vigil, a moment of silence was taken to honor victims of domestic and sexual violence. Participants shared personal stories of surviving sexual assault before marching to the WRRC.

“The full lighting of the candle is more to symbolize not letting your spark burn out,” Juniper Cottrell, WRRC student director said. “It symbolizes how one stays burning through difficult experiences.”