A woman walks alone down a dark, deserted street. With every shadow she sees, and every sound she hears, her pounding heart flutters and skips a beat. She hurries her pace as she sees her destination become closer. She is almost there. She reaches the front door, goes inside, collects herself, and moves on forgetting, at least for tonight, the gripping fear that momentarily enveloped her life.

This scene could have occurred anywhere last night, last year, or even 100 years ago. Historically, women faced the anxiety of walking alone at night and that is why Take Back the Night began.

The annual Take Back the Night speak-out and march to protest sexual violence will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., March 4 at CSU Monterey Bay.

The evening will start at 7 p.m., when people will gather in the Student Center to hear speakers and a presentation by representatives from MyStrength, a men’s group dedicated to ending sexual violence. Ivy Baker, a CSUMB student, will talk about her efforts to start a rape awareness program on campus.

At 8 o’clock, candles will be lit and the group will march through campus to symbolically reclaim the safety of the night and raise awareness about the issue. The march will end on the quad in front of the Student Center with a moment of silence to pay respect to the victims and survivors of sexual violence.

The first Take Back the Night event in the United States took place in Philadelphia in October of 1975. Residents of Philadelphia rallied together after the murder of young microbiologist, Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed by a stranger a block from her home while walking alone.

It has been a staple of American campus feminism since then. The event works to empower women and serves as a collective voice to demand an end to the violence.

The CSUMB event has been organized by Theta Alpha Sigma sorority.