Take Back The Night (TBTN) is an annual rally, march and speak-out event. Campus members and the surrounding community unite to raise awareness of sexual and relationship violence. The rally features several speakers and performances and is followed by a march through campus and its surrounding areas. The speak-out that follows is a way for individuals to share in a safe and supportive space how interpersonal violence has affected their lives. TBTN is part of a global initiative to end sexual and relationship violence and an event where all people join together to speak out against sexual and domestic violence.
Save the Date: Wednesday March 29, 2023, 7 p.m.
Take Back The Night Pledge
By adding your name to the pledge, you agree to the statement below and to personally work towards ending interpersonal violence.
As members of the Syracuse University community, we will stand together against any form of interpersonal violence on this campus. Every member of our community is entitled to live and work in a respectful and safe environment, and we are committed to working toward creating such an environment. It is on all of us to support those impacted by sexual and relationship violence and demonstrate our commitment to acting as a prosocial bystander to intervene.
- We pledge to treat all people with respect and to never intentionally perpetuate violence in any form, including emotional, physical and sexual violence or verbal harassment.
- We pledge to act as a prosocial bystander by recognizing and safely intervening in situations where interpersonal violence may occur, to impact the situation in a positive way.
- We pledge to create an environment in which interpersonal violence is not tolerated and to make Syracuse University a safer place.
2023 Take Back The Night Pledge Signatures
| Name | Organization, Department or Group Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Sarah Wolff | School of Education, Mid-State Regional Partnership Center |
| Ben Gansenberg | Interfraternity Council |
| Sharon Alestalo | Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) |
| Kate Shannon | College of Law |
| Mike Haynie | Office of Strategic Initiatives & Innovation |
| Jessica Roberts | Community Standards |
| Heather Thompson | Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition |
| Keira Samantha Josephine Andrews | Student Experience |
| Mary Helen McNeal | College of Law |
| Melanie Salas | Student Association and Our Time Has Come |
| Aldrick Cade | Our Time Has Come and Student Association |
| Olivia Henderson | Syracuse University |
| Tanya Williamson | Barnes Center at The Arch |
| Paula C. Johnson | College of Law |
| Jenny Breen | College of Law |
| Arlene Kanter | Syracuse University College of Law |
| Shubha Ghosh | College of Law; ASPI; SIPLI |
| Kevin Maillard | College of Law |
| Lauryn Gouldin | College of Law |
| Kate Tressler | iSchool Advising |
| John Papazoglou | Chancellor's Office |
| Georgia Kogut | Syracuse University |
| Brian Konkol | Hendricks Chapel |
| Kent Syverud | Chancellor's Office |
| Julius Rauch | Syracuse Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) |
| Pete Sala | Business, Finance and Administrative Services (BFAS) |
| Mary Opperman | Office of the Board of Trustees |
| Andrew Gordon | Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer |
| Steve Bennett | Academic Affairs |
| Brett Padgett | Business, Finance and Administrative Services |
| Lindsay Supernault | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Care |
| Candace Campbell Jackson | Chancellor's Office |
| John Wildhack | Athletics |
| Kira McCrary | Student Outreach and Support |
| Denise C. Dyce | Human Resources |
| Joshua Segui-Rodriguez | Intercultural Collective, Student Experience |
| Karen Morrissey | Human Resources |
| Jennifer McLaughlin | Human Resources |
| Pam Socker | Human Resources |
| Jodi Mangano | Syracuse University, Human Resources |
| Kathleen Benjamin | JMA Dome |
| Robert Ryan | Social Work |
| Tracy M Balduzzi | The Graduate School |
| Emily Nasal | Student Engagement |
| Scott Warren | Syracuse University Libraries |
| Danielle During | Barnes Center at The Arch |
| Rebeca Puente | Maxwell-MAIR |
| Suzanne McGillicuddy | Fisher Center NYC and Student Experience |
| Sheila Johnson-Willis | EOIRS |
| Honora Marceau | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Care |
| Mindy Wilson | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Care |
| Latasha Monique Sanders | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Care |
| LeeAnne Lane | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Care |
| Sarah Simon-Patches | Syracuse University College of Law |
| Craig A. Stone | Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services |
| Mary Grace A. Almandrez | Office of Diversity and Inclusion |
| Edward Kiewra | Office of Institutional Research |
| Jana Seal | The Daily Orange |
| Jillian Scheer | Syracuse University |
| Josh Rich | Community Standards |
| Allen Groves | Student Experience Division |
| Bernie Jacobson | Student Title IX Case Management |
| Sheriah Dixon | Dean of Students |
| Julie Hall | OIR-Academic Affairs |
| Benjamin T. Vasquez ‘18 | SUAA Board of Directors/Chancellor's Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence |
| Kirsten C. Elleby | Athletics |
| Seth Ovadia | Institutional Research |
| Kevin Stensberg | Student Title IX Case Management |
| Francis Crociata | Student Title IX Case Management |
| Brian Lederman | Maxwell School |
| Kyle Dailey | Student Experience |
| Jolisa D. Smith | Student Engagement |
| Shyanne D. White | Student Engagement |
| Rob Hradsky | Student Experience |
| Michael Duignan | Student Engagement |
| Brittany Zaehringer | Student Experience |
| Emily Graham | Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion & Population Health |
| Amanda DuBose | Syracuse University Libraries |
| Dan Cutler | Living Learning Communities |
| Jennifer Davison | Advancement and External Affairs, Prospect Management |
| Ali Bakhtiari | First Year Seminar |
| William Myhill | Office of Diversity & Inclusion |
| Kathleen Haley | Internal Communications, Division of Communications |
| Laurie Fernandez | Nu Rho Poetic Society |
| Taylor Gale | Student Living |
| Missy Mathis-Hanlon | Parent and Family Services |
| Daniela Puente | Barnes Center at The Arch, DEIA Office |
| Kathleen Coughlin | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Care |
| Carol Faulkner | Dean's Office, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs |
| Janet Coria | Sociology Department |
| Giuliana Painter | Living Learning Communities |
| Jimmy Luckman | First Year Seminar |
| Ethan Montgomery | Interfraternity Council |
| Rachel Salmon | Mental Health Counseling |
| Rose Breen | Community Standards |
| Sythong Run | Peer Educator, Barenes Center Health Promotion |
| Jessica Newsom | Living Learning Communities |
| Rosalyn Impink | PAIA |
| Jessica Cuadra | Barnes Center at The Arch, Recreation |
| Breana Nieves Vergara | Multicultural Affairs |
| Reighan Alston | Barnes Center at The Arch, Recreation |
| Pam Peter | Student Title IX Case Management |
| Kelly Diaz Rojas | Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. |
| Samantha Perkins | Student Experience Communications |
| Vicente "Vinnie" Cuevas | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Promotion |
| Aiden Ciaffaglione | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Promotion |
| Leslie Skeffington | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Promotion |
| Meredith R. Patterson | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Promotion |
| Rachel Evans | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Promotion |
| Shannon A. Hefti | Barnes Center at The Arch, Health Promotion |
| Nick Stines | New Student Programs |
| Butch Hallmark | New Student Programs |
| Shannon Andre | Student Experience Communications |
| Courtney Albiker | Student Experience Division |
| Carrie Grogan Abbott | New Student Programs |
| Katie Brody | Student Title IX Case Management |
| Virginia Evans | Barnes Center at The Arch, Counseling |
| Kofi A.D. Addai | Community Standards - Stop Bias |
| Gabrielle R. M. Lake | Student Experience Communications |
History of Take Back the Night
Take Back the Night is an annual event, observed throughout the United States as well as internationally, that brings community members together to speak out about sexual violence, relationship violence, and other forms of interpersonal violence. Take Back the Night provides an opportunity for community members to proclaim that each individual has the right to live free from violence and for the voices of those who have been affected by violence to be heard.
The origins of Take Back the Night are uncertain. It may have started in London, England in 1877, when women protested the fear and violence they experienced in streets at night. Others believe that the first rally occurred in 1976 in Belgium when women attending the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women lit candles and took to the streets to denounce the continuation of violence against women. Regardless of the origin of Take Back the Night, what is clear is the importance of these events. Thousands of Take Back the Night marches and rallies have taken place worldwide, including on college campuses, and this tradition continues.
Traditionally held the last Wednesday in March at Syracuse University, Take Back the Night is a collaboration of campus and community members, coming together to take a stand against all violence, to raise awareness about attitudes that perpetuate violence, and to discuss ways we can work together to make the night safe for all members of the community. Take Back the Night at Syracuse University is a series of events designed to bring all members of our community together to encourage dialogue about sexual, relationship and other forms of interpersonal violence. The events culminate in a rally, march and speak-out at Hendricks Chapel. The rally and march provide a forum for members of our community to come together to take a stand publicly and proclaim that the violence must end. The speak-out that follows is a smaller, private gathering where individuals have the opportunity to talk in a safe space about how violence has impacted their lives and to talk with one another about what each of us can do to work to end the violence.
Take Back the Night Shirts
Each year the Take Back the Night Planning Committee sells an annual Take Back the Night shirt to raise money for the Sexual and Relationship Violence Survivor Support Fund. Shirts will be available for purchase in the Campus Store and Barnes Center at The Arch Pharmacy starting mid-March and leading up to the event. Shirts will be $10 each and proceeds from shirt sales will benefit resources for victims and survivors of sexual and relationship violence.
Take Back The Night Planning Committee
The Take Back the Night Planning Committee comprises students that have been nominated by staff, faculty and peers to help plan this annual event. The group meets starting in December the semester before the event and volunteers 8-15 hours a month to help plan and promote the event. This event could not be a success without the hard work of the Take Back the Night Planning Committee team.
Nominate a student (or yourself) for the 2023 Take Back The Night event by filling out this form. Nominations will be reviewed on a rolling basis.