After writing last week's letter to DePauw University I received an enormous amount of feedback concerning what I had talked about. While much of it was positive, I also received comments that I feel I should address.
One criticism was that the issue of rape and sexual assault is not just a DePauw problem, but an issue that is seen at universities across the nation. No, DePauw is not a safe campus, nor are there any truly safe university campuses. DePauw is only part of a much larger, national-scale issue that is incredibly prevalent everywhere, but as a student activist at DePauw, my role is to highlight the fact that our students are experiencing sexual assault on a regular basis. While we fight sexual violence on our own campus, we also want the public to know that this is a problem that affects students everywhere, and it is something that must be talked about.
Further, there have been people who deny that sexual assault is even an issue at DePauw and that what I write about isn't true. I invite those who hold this belief to talk to one of the hundreds of DePauw students who are survivors. Students are the ones who are immediately affected by rape and sexual violence, and we are the ones who see and experience the traumatization of someone else's actions towards us. We cannot and will not let anyone delegitimize our pain or the scope of this campus issue. I would not write about any of this every week if I were not convinced that campus rape, quite literally, can ruin lives. And for those that say it's not an issue because only a few students are affected, I respond that one person affected is one person too many.
In addition, while we as students still want to see these issues addressed more by the administration, I do want to acknowledge the faculty and staff at DePauw who are dedicated to partnering with students to address these issues. In order to fight a problem as huge and deeply engrained in our society, we need all the help we can get. For this, I thank those reading this who actively care about our safety and well-being.
Finally, if my article last week offended or shocked you, I do not apologize. The sentiments I expressed are not exclusive to me; I speak for all DePauw and university students who are tired of dealing with the threat of sexual assault every single day. Whether you agree or disagree with what I write, the purpose was to spark conversation, and my hope is that it succeeded. I want everyone to realize that there are so many students who suffer from sexual violence and we cannot let it continue any longer.
We will not stop advocating and fighting.
