Students lit candles at a memorial service for survivors of rape and sexual assault held at the survivor garden outside the University Health Center last night.

Due to renewed student interest, the Take Back the Night event, which focuses attention on sexual assaults on college campuses, made a comeback at the university yesterday after a two-year hiatus.

The return of the event — which, organizers said, was suspended due to low student interest — comes amid what seems like a renewed focus at the university to stop sexual assault. A University Senate committee is investigating the issue, and student journalists recently won a two-year battle to force the administration to release the names of students convicted of sexual assault by the University Judiciary.

More than 40 people gathered in the Stamp Student Union to discuss the prevalence of sexual assault on the campus — a 2000 study showed one in five women nationally would be raped or assaulted during their time in college — and then listen to survivor stories and find out how they can help. Only about 15 students attended in 2007, when the event was last held.

The University Health Center sponsored Take Back the Night as the last major event of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Four speakers addressed a variety of issues, including men’s role in preventing sexual violence, and shared their personal experiences.

Attendees then marched around McKeldin Mall, to Fraternity Row and back to Stamp.

Before the discussion, a re-dedication ceremony for the victim survivor garden took place outside the University Health Center. The garden also made a comeback after a break last year thanks to a resurgence in student interest, Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program Coordinator Allison Bennett said.

“We got feedback that there wasn’t a lot of interest and there was low attendance,” she said. “However, this year there was a lot of student effort to get the program back, especially by groups like Terps for Choice.”

Terps for Choice, a student group that promotes abortion rights, co-sponsored the event.

“A lot of people don’t think [sexual assault] is an issue or an issue that affects them,” said junior psychology major Aliya Mann, Terps for Choice president.

Organizers said they were excited to see renewed interest in both events, but said they hope student engagement continues.

“I’m happy people came out, but I want more people to be aware that sexual assault happens here and it is more widespread and violent than people believe it is,” Bennett said.

Recent cases of rape at this campus and others — including the rape and abduction of a female university student last year and the case of a University of Massachusetts Amherst student who was given a deferred suspension after confessing to raping a friend last fall — have helped to peak interest in the issue, student attendees said.

“I’m here to help raise awareness and to get people talking about the issue,” said senior art and English major Deborah Kadish. “I got interested after seeing the UMass rape case and how people dismiss the issue of rape on campus and see the victims as cheaters, skanks and whores and not real victims.”

desmarattes@umdbk.com