There are many times we as students feel like our voice is not heard by administrators. Student Councils, clubs, activities and endless meetings are given to us as an "outlet". These are given a platform to voice our opinions but who actually hears them? Students are told by college administrators that our demands will be reviewed but we usually just feel like our requests are thrown to the side. It takes not only intelligence (maybe: it takes more than just being an intelligent concerned student) to be heard by Spelman administrators today. In order for our voices to make an impact we must not fear being silenced or reprimanded. We must go hard or go home to have a fighting chance on this campus. On April 8th, 2016 Euphoria Davis not only proved that we can make our voices heard but also that for once as students we could win. Around 11 a.m. last Friday, I watched my twitter feed explode.
Euphoria Davis a sophomore, Psychology Major with a Pre-Law concentration became infuriated with knowledge of Spelman College's annual Denim Day Convocation being cancelled. Denim Day Convocation is an event used to bring awareness to Spelman's student body about the importance of sexual assault awareness in our community. Faculty and administration explained that the cancellation was due to “emotional tension” from a previous town hall with a similar theme last semester. That town hall was a reactionary measure to a Morehouse student and Graves Hall Resident writing the now infamous Graves letter where he accused spelmanites of causing their own rapes on Morehouse campus. The town hall was unorganized, offensive, and revictimizing and student activists responded accordingly. Now last semester a town hall's meeting took place in Sister's Chapel to address the student body's feelings and emotions towards sexual assault, Title IX and other sexual assault awareness related matters that was causing turmoil in the AUC. This town hall meeting was not only unorganized , it was problematic and Ill-prepared. the meeting turned to turmoil as students, sexual assault survivors and activists were outraged about how Morehouse and Spelman were handling sexual assault cases and attitudes on their campuses. Due to the overwhelming amount of emotional tension that was caused at this meeting that was held, Spelman's 10th President , Dr. Campbell and her administration chose not to hold this year's Denim Day convocation.
Euphoria used her Twitter as a platform to not only vent , but address the situation. Direct "@"s were used at Spelman President, Dr. Campbell and Spelman College. Her original thread can be found here:https://twitter.com/U4EUh_Davis/status/71845336459... She took the time to educate her twitter followers, address the situation at hand and knock on the big boss's door demanding to be heard and demanding a Denim Day convocation. With her accusations gaining traction, later that day at 12:39 p.m., nearly hours later a response was given from Spelman College’s twitter account.
