"Two felony charges dismissed for ex-College of Charleston fraternity brothers in sex case", the headline I read in bed exactly one month before I head back to college. Not only will I be heading back to college, but attending the College of Charleston. As a 19-year-old female with few protective skills I feel as if myself along with any of my friends could be vulnerable to this situation.

As a criminal justice major I feel let down by my own people, by our own system. I feel let down by Charleston, by South Carolina as a state. These boys were not previously innocent, and the Post and Courier reported that misdemeanor." These boys stripped this young girl of who she is, what her body is, and have left her with scars far more permeant than a burn or a scrape. She has to live with this situation for the rest of her life. They made a choice for her and for that they are rewarded dropped charges.

Colleges need to change, states need to change, people need to understand the endangerment of rape and how real it is. Assaulters of rape cases are let off the hook more often than not and the victims are left with PTSD in which they are to handle on their own. Even if a case were to be reported, often times they are shoved under the table in order to keep a school or family from looking bad. People need to stop seeing rape as "well she/he was drunk" and see it as rape; a definition which includes the words assault, penetration and intercourse. People who drink in downtown Charleston and cause fights in the bars are arrested and tried for "assault" using their hands, so why do we not charge those who "assault" using penetration or intercourse? Along with the victim of this case, I believe we need change.

Schools need to start taking rape culture into more consideration. We need to teach the effects of rape and the preventatives, since we are so willing to teach about sex and how to properly have it. If you're school is not willing to talk about the subject please push forward for a change!