More than 500 women and men came together last night to share the stories and struggles of rape and sexual assault survivors.

Take Back the Night -- an international event dedicated to the healing process victims and survivors go through -- began with a rally on the Old Main steps and continued late into the night with a march around campus.

Marchers stopped at various points, including Pattee Library, the East Halls residence halls, and Fraternity Row, to share personal experiences.

At each stop, the group sat in a circle, holding lit candles, listened, cried and held each other's hands while men and women stood to tell their stories.

Some told of rape. Some told of sexual assault. Some told of abuses they experienced in childhood. And some told the stories of those who did not live to tell their own stories.

At the opening rally, Lauren Pilnick (junior-women studies and crime, law and justice) talked about her first time at TBTN.

"I sobbed my way through my speech and later wondered if I had made any sense," she said, adding the experience was an important one for her.

"This has been a vital part of my recovery from sexual assault," Pilnick said.

She encouraged men and women to take advantage of the safe, supportive atmosphere of TBTN to help their healing process.

"It does get better from here," Pilnick assured survivors. "Things do get better."

Many crowd members took the opportunity to do just that, moving around campus as a unified group.

About three hours after the rally began, the men who remained were invited to attend a discussion run by the group Men Stopping Rape.

A group of 15 men involved in the march met in Atherton Hall's Grandfather Clock Lounge to talk about their experiences in the march and any thoughts they had about rape.

Several of the men questioned why rape is such a common occurrence, why few cases are properly prosecuted and why there were so few men present at the rally and march.

Many said they felt for the rape survivors and the amount of courage that it took them to speak in the rally.

The women in the rally continued to march, traveling through Fraternity Row. Some marchers were nervous at that point because at last year's TBTN some fraternities yelled degrading chants to protestors.

This year no one said anything to the marchers and some fraternity houses even showed their support by putting out candles.

Womyn's Concerns co-directors Laura Rosenberger and Mikaela Marmion gave the night over to the victims and survivors early on.

"For me I think the night can be a really beautiful time," Marmion said. "That night is taken from so many people because of sexual violence."

"We really hope that you'll get a lot out of tonight," Rosenberger added.