In October, my group attended a rally at Columbia University. It was lead by the group on the Columbia campus that fights for victims of sexual assault, More than 150 Columbia students, faculty, and community members gathered on University steps holding mattresses, pillows, and signs to rally against the University’s handling of sexual assault on campus. So many students had bonded together to carry the weight together. We arrived just before the rally begun. It was very well organized, not just a stream of chaos. The speakers went one by one, discussing their various experiences. Some spoke poems, some were calm, and some were cheering with the crowd every few lines, yelling. Public Advocate Letitia James gave a moving speech on how she wouldn’t back down until these men were brought to justice.
My Social Justice group was sitting up in the front on the mattresses set up by the students. We took tons of pictures and recorded the slogans that we were using. We chanted, “Rape culture is contagious, come on PrezBo be courageous.” PrezBo referring is referring to the president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger.
We learned so much from this experience. In the past we had only done interviews and listening to other people talk about the topic. In this fieldwork we really got into the topic. I thought this was by far the best fieldwork experience we have had yet.
After we had left the groups took a matress with demands they made written on it and left it on Bollinger’s doorstep. They read:
PrezBo, since you didn’t get a good look at the demands we conveniently posted to your door and wrote on the mattresses we placed at your doorstep, we will remind you of them:
1. Prioritize the voices of survivors and activists in the development and implementation of Gender-Based Misconduct Policy.
2. Require comprehensive and program-appropriate prevention education for all students at least once per semester that will include but not be limited to in-person workshops.
3. Remove deans from decision making roles in the disciplinary process.
4. Treat cases of sexual and domestic violence with appropriately severe sanctions.
5. Guarantee that students who need to withdraw or take a temporary leave of absence because of their experiences of sexual or domestic violence have their financial aid packages protected and are fully reimbursed for any lost tuition.
6. Institute a mandatory and comprehensive review of the Gender-Based Misconduct Policy every two years which directly involves the concerns of students and survivors on campus, beginning this year.
7. Create an online evaluation form for every student who makes a formal report, and every complainant and respondent in a gender-based misconduct case to fill out after the completion of their case with the Office of Gender-Based Misconduct, the results of which must be sent to PACSA.
8. Ensure that all formal reports of violence or gender-based misconduct made against the same respondent are admissible evidence, including in concurrent cases or cases with a non-responsible finding.
9. Implement a formal accommodations system, including a written explanation regarding the approval or denial of any request.
10. The investigation and adjudication process of the sexual assault report made by Emma Sulkowicz against Jean-Paul Nungesser was grossly mishandled. An alleged serial perpetrator remains on our campus and presents an ongoing threat to the community. Given these facts, we demand you re-open this case and evaluate it under the newly revised policy.
Overall, this was an amazing experience that I wish I could experience again.
