Annual Events and Education for Students

Join the Syracuse University community in learning more and raising awareness for dating and relationship violence. We hope that you will use #SUGoesPurple on your social media posts.

Join the Syracuse University community in learning more and raising awareness for sexual violence. We hope that you will use #SUGoesTeal on your social media posts.

Take Back The Night (TBTN) is an annual event that raises awareness of sexual violence in all forms, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, trafficking, stalking, gender harassment, and relationship violence. . It is an honorary evening where we give those impacted by sexual assault a chance to foster allyship and advocate against interpersonal violence and rape culture that occurs both in society as well as on college campuses. The event is designed to support survivors wherever they may be in their healing journey and provide our community with an opportunity to show solidarity and allyship. 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:  TBA in 2025

Take Back The Night Planning Committee Link

The Take Back the Night Planning Committee is comprised of staff and students that are committed to developing and implementing an event centered on survivor support and focused on ending sexual violence.

2025 Take Back The Night Pledge Link

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.

History of Take Back the Night Link

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 the 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 in early April 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.

The Clothesline Project is a visual display of shirts created by individuals impacted by sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking, or other forms of interpersonal violence—allowing them to share their experiences with others in our campus community. The Clothesline Project has been a tradition at Syracuse University for more than 10 years, and the shirts pictured in the online gallery below have been collected throughout this time.

Please note, the shirts depicted can be triggering for individuals. We would like to remind people to take care of themselves. If you would like to speak with a confidential resource, the Sexual and Relationship Violence Response team can be contacted 24/7 at 315.443.8000.

Interested in contributing a shirt to the project?  Completed shirts may be dropped off at the Barnes Center at The Arch Health Promotion front desk. Shirts, fabric markers, and paint are available for University community members to pick up, while supplies last. Please return unused supplies when submitting the completed shirt.

Can’t make a shirt in-person?  Complete the Clothesline Project form, letting us know what you want it to say/show, and the Take Back The Night Planning Committee will make a shirt on your behalf.

Want to be involved some other way? 

• Learn more. Consider attending programs or workshops to further educate yourself on sexual and relationship violence.
• Show your support. Post about how you strive to take back the night on your social media accounts using “#IWillTBTN by…” Share your posts with us by tagging @BeWellSU. Or use the hashtags for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, #SUGoesTeal, in April or for Dating Violence Awareness Month in October, #SUGoesPurple.
• Donate. Purchase a Take Back The Night shirt from the campus store or pharmacy when made available and while supplies last. You can also donate directly to the Syracuse University Sexual and Relationship Violence Survivor Support Fund.