**Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault**

A few nights ago I received another email from campus safety titled “Clery Notice: Timely Warning” that’s basically code for “Another Sexual Assault or Robbery Occurred on Campus.” As I read further, trying to gleam every detail I could, it read:

“A sexual assault occurred on campus this weekend that appears similar in nature to three other assaults that have been reported to confidential, on-campus resources over the past month. We are issuing a warning at this time based on the number and similarity of cases that have been reported. In every case, the suspect — a different person in each incident — was known to the survivor and alcohol was involved.”

Wow. In the past thirty days, four people that I probably walk by every day have become survivors of incidents they certainly never planned on and definitely did not deserve. I think of how easily one of those people could have been me, my roommate, or my friends in Voorhees.

The next day news agencies began picking up the story. “Hope College issues warning after 4th on-campus sexual assault is reported” read a Fox17 news story that went viral among the Hope College community. I heard girls walking to class saying, “Well, I don’t drink so I should be fine.” Others received phone calls from concerned parents making sure their daughters weren’t walking alone late at night.

But here’s the thing, this isn’t just a Hope College problem.

Sexual assault is a problem facing colleges all over the country, but it is one of the most underreported crimes on campuses. In 2015, CNN shared a study done by Association of American Universities that reported 26 percent of women on college campuses have faced some form of unwanted sexual contact on campus and 11 percent of women have had unwanted contact that included penetration or oral sex.

This past summer, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and thirty other senators began a campaign to end the underreporting of sexual assault on campus and therefore to end sexual assault. The group of senators cites a 2014 federal review of 11,600 colleges showing that only 9 percent of colleges reported any sexual violence occurring on their campus.

Colleges choose not to report sexual assault in an attempt to “look more appealing” to prospective students, but it’s definitely happening. And here’s the thing, the only way to end sexual assault is to address the problem. If a college doesn’t report sexual assault, they are more likely to create an atmosphere that blames the survivor. “Were you actually assaulted?” “You probably just had too much to drink.” “Smart girls aren’t assaulted.” This does not work to end the systemic problem of abuse on campus, it simply perpetuates it.

Instead, colleges should create spaces where students are able to freely report sexual harassment, assault, and violence. A place where their voice is heard and their story is acknowledged.

Shortly after first hearing about the sexual assaults on campus, our President sent out a campus-wide email to ensure us that everything would be okay. In it he wrote,

"Let me assure you that survivors of sexual assault are never to blame. Nobody has a right, under any circumstances, to violate your person or make unwanted sexual contact with you. Your college will not tolerate this, and we will stand with and support you if you bring concerns to our attention."

The President of our college voiced his support for all survivors of sexual assault on Hope's campus and that is so important. Administration is showering all students with love and support now and always. The conversation at Hope is continuing to grow stronger and hopefully we can turn this awful month into a time of awareness and empowerment.

I’m not proud of the sexual assaults that happened but I am still so proud to call myself a Hope College student. I am proud that my school recognizes the issue of sexual assault on college campuses and works to change the culture on our campus through

education and dialogue. We’re a campus that strives to hear stories and validate narratives, however difficult the topic may be. I’m proud to be a student at one of the 9 percent of colleges that reports sexual assaults and I hope more colleges follow in our lead.