A crowd of about 150 people gathered on the terrace of the Memorial Union Wednesday for the 15th annual Take Back the Night Rally. Participants banded together during the event to speak out against sexual and domestic abuse.

After listening to four speakers, each person at the rally lit a candle and marched through campus, Campustown and the greek community, chanting “stop the violence, no more silence.”

Julie Harders, coordinator of the Story County Sexual Assault Response Team, talked about SART, its services and how it works with a “survivor-centered approach” by letting the victim decide everything that will happen.

“SART’s mission is to help victims become survivors,” she said. “I ask that you please put me out of a job. I look forward to that day, and I do believe that day will come.”

Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson said small groups of both women and men make a difference in the fight against sexual and domestic violence.

“I’m pleased to see so many men that are here tonight,” she said.

Bryce Butler, president of the 33 Percent Club, which is dedicated to fighting sexual assault through education, campuswide philanthropies and advocacy, talked about a friend who was raped last November. The incident prompted him to help start the club.

“It made me feel helpless and hopeless – and nothing had happened to me,” he said. “No one had violated me. . Sexual assault does not discriminate and is not the problem of any one group.”

Butler closed his speech by encouraging everyone to get involved in the fight by signing petitions, going to marches and rallies and listening to survivors.

Penny Rosenthal, program coordinator for the dean of students office and interim director of the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, said sexual and domestic abuse changed her life and eventually made her stronger.

“Tonight I stand before you as a survivor,” she said. “Three events changed the direction of my life forever.”

Rosenthal spoke of the action she took to get out of these situations and how she became a survivor. Although she has attended many Take Back the Night rallies in the past, she said this was her first time speaking at one.

“Today, I have hope because of young men like Bryce Butler stepping forward to say, `You can’t do this anymore,'” she said. “Action, when you’re terrified, can save your life.