Author Archives: Sarah M

Welcome to Sexual Assault ACTIVISM Month 2012

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And so begins another SAAM! Last year, you may remember, SAFER decided to start recognizing April as Sexual Assault ACTIVISM Month, to highlight the awesome action being taken by students on campuses across the country, and to encourage more to get involved and make change. A personal highlight was the great images made by Gangsta Feminists, and hearing the inspiring reasons why so many people were pledging to take action.

This year, we’re focusing our Sexual Assault ACTIVISM Month closer to our home with FlipIt! Students Organizing Against Violence. We’ve been telling you about this one-day student summit for a while now, but if we can’t stop talking about it, it’s just because we’re really excited. On April 14th we–with NOW-NYC and A Long Walk Home–have planned a really special day that melds arts activism and policy activism to strengthen the organizing capacity of student activists across the city. We are focusing particularly on bringing together NYC students of color, LGBTQQI students, students with disabilities, and low-income students to help build a stronger and more representative student anti-violence movement here in the city. As of right now, we are still accepting applications, so apply! And tell your friends. Did I mention that the whole day is free, and includes an amazing multimedia performance from A Long Walk Home? Would breakfast and lunch sweeten the deal? Cause we’ve got that too!

But for those of you not in NYC, we hope you engage with SAFER this SAAM by participating in the Campus Accountability Project if you haven’t already; registering for our Activist Resource Center and checking out our latest piece, “Campus Policy: Down to the Details“; or get the jump on next year by thinking about kicking off 2012-2013 with a SAFER training.

But of course there’s more to activism than just what we do. If you’re doing something great on campus this Sexual Assault ACTIVISM Month, tell us about it. SAAM should be not only about taking action, but building knowledge. What’s working on your campus and what isn’t? Leave us a comment, or contact us. We’d love you to blog about it for us, if you can pull yourself away from your awesome postering/protesting/and speaking out (and and school work and having a non-activist life!) for a few minutes.

Most importantly though; have fun. SAAM can be daunting—for us too. Event planning, organizing, sorting through intense issues…this stuff can be hard, and it takes perseverance and sometimes a lot of courage. Remember to celebrate the small (and large!) victories and take some time to take care of you.

We think it’s gonna be a good April.

Disgusting UVM Fraternity Questionnaire Sparks Outrage

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Today finds me crawling out of blog hibernation to point ya’ll to the latest installment of “College Boys Just Want to Have Fun…By Demeaning Women and Making Jokes About Rape.” Today’s episode takes place at the University of Vermont, where a puzzling and revolting survey was recently distributed to the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon. We were sent a copy of the questionnaire, which mostly consists of benign questions like name, birthday, major, amount of time with SigEp and favorite SigEp memories, hobbies, future goals, etc. It’s actually kind of nerdy and cute, until you get to the final three “personal questions.”

1. Where in public would I want to have sex?

2. Who’s my favorite artist?

3. If I could rape someone, who would it be?

We come across a lot of gross stuff at SAFER, but the contrast here makes this particularly jarring and offensive. It’s not the usual litany of purposefully offensive garbage; it’s a seemingly legit, “normal” survey with this one horrifying nuggets thrown in at the end. The normalization of the question—the nonchalance—is so…disturbing.

As often happens with these kind of “frat shenanigans,” the survey made it into the hands of other folks on campus, who were understandably upset and are taking action. This petition was started last night by “Feminists from UVM” and is already up to 375 signatures. This is what they have to say:

This egregious expression of rape culture is only the most recent example of systemic sexism at UVM. The past year alone has witnessed rape, multiple sexual assaults, and anti-abortion chalking in public spaces. While the university administration has laid off long-time Women’s and Gender Studies faculty and supported sexist institutions like Sigma Phi Epsilon, it has refused to take concerted action to combat sexism and rape culture. We demand that instead of diverting resources into vast salaries for its administrators, UVM should launch an aggressive campaign against sexism and rape culture, and it should expand institutions such as Women’s and Gender Studies and the Women’s Center at UVM. Furthermore, UVM must immediately disband Sigma Phi Epsilon. An institution that discusses who it wants to rape has no place at UVM or in the Burlington community.

Sign the UVM petition and look for updates over at FedUp Vermont, a local grassroots feminist organization. The story hasn’t hit the news yet (campus or otherwise) so there is no word on whether the school will take any action or if the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon have anything to say for themselves, but we’ll let you know if they do. Something tells me this was supposed to “funny.” Ha. Ha. Ha.

Oct 27-29 Each One Teach One World Internet Forum: Register!

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Have you heard of EOTO World? Founded by one of SAFER’s former Board members (and former Students for a Greater CUNY leader!) Elischia, EOTO World facilitates dialogue across a wide range of human rights activists. This month they are hosting an online global forum for human rights activists on the state of human rights education and violence. Topics of focus will include violence against women in the Carri bean and electoral violence in Nigeria. And unlike most conferences we post here, this one you can attend from the comfort of your own computer.

The official invite, with instructions for how to register (by 10/24), can be found here, and can be translated to a number of other languages.

 

 

Three Upcoming Conferences To Get On Your Calendar

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The fall is a killer. Everyone we know is super busy right now, but if you have the time and easy transport to New York, Florida, or Michigan, consider these awesome conference opportunities:

This weekend is the Anita Hill: 20Years Later Conference at Hunter College. Online registration ends tomorrow at noon (and is free for students!) so if you haven’t registered yet, get on it! A bunch of us SAFER folks will be there,so we’ll try to report-back for those who can’t make it.

Next up is the first ever School and College Organization for Prevention Educators (SCOPE) conference in Orlando, Florida. October 21 to 23. Conference attendees need to be SCOPE members, but student membership is fairly cheap as these things go and there is a discounted conference rate for students. The sessions looks super interesting though and we’re sad we can’t be there.

November 4-6, the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) will be holding their Cooperative Education and Training Institute in Ann Arbor Michigan. Our very own Erin Burrows will be speaking on the first day in a session about confronting campus-based sexual violence, alongside folks from Philly Stands Up! Again, the conference seems to be for NASCO members, but membership isn’t limited to folks who are part of co-ops and seems to operate on a sliding scale.

If there is ever an event you think should be up here, please contact us!

Hold Up: Bystander Intervention on The Real World?

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I’m home sick today, and as I have spent many sick days I am spending this one in front of the TV, catching up with my old friends: really annoying but somehow compelling people on reality shows. Apparently the Real World is still a thing, and a new season just started! Just as I flipped the channel to MTV this scene from the season premiere was on:

Dude roommate 1: I found out that Nate, like, forcibly kissed Priscilla last night. She was like, “oh you know, I let him kiss me for a few minutes buy ya know, I didn’t want want to, he grabbed my face.” That’s so out of line. It just like, really doesn’t sit well with me.

Lady roommate: That makes sense…I mean, you’re a guy and you’re protective.

Enter Dude roommate 2, apparently Nate

Dude roommate 2: WHAT’S UP?

Dude roommate 1 confessional interview: I’m thinking, am I going to confront him right now? I mean it’s so early on.

Dude roommate 1: So what happened between you and Priscilla last night?

Dude roommate 2: We made out

Dude roommate 1: Did you like, grab her face?

Dude roommate 2: Like passionately, or like angry?

Dude roommate 1: Aggressively

Dude roommate 2: I mean, I don’t think so, I’m not like…I’m not aggressive

Dude roommate 2 inner monologue: There’s no way, rhyme or reason that I would take advantage of a girl, I mean, that makes me sick to even think about.

Dude roommate 1: OK

Lady Roommate: It’s hard for people to know like, where their line is vs. where yours is

Dude roommate 1: Yeah, especially cause like, we don’t even know each other. I didn’t mean to like…

Dude roommate 2: No, it’s cool, I understand, I mean I’d be just as worried as you

I didn’t see the scene where Nate and Priscilla kiss, so I don’t know what that actually looked like, but I’m so down with this conversation. I’m so psyched that Dude 1 actually brought up that that kind of behavior would have been appropriate, Dude 2 agreed that it would have been fucked up and was OK with being called out, and together these two Dudes and a Lady acknowledged that it’s hard but important to negotiate boundaries when folks don’t know each other that well.

Of course, most of this is totally negated in the next scene where Dude 2 and a third Dude talk shit to each other about how Dude 1 totally overreacted AND ohmygod Dude 1 is maybe bisexual and if he brings home a dude that’s gonna be SO GROSS. Not to mention that as this episode continues Dude 1 seems to be to be a jealous and controlling creep. BUT. For about 15 seconds I was really jazzed. These conversations do happen, and they don’t have to be all that scary.

Today: Student Walkout in Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street

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By now ya’ll know what’s going on at Occupy Wall Street. Today marks the 19th day of the protest, and here in NYC, 15 unions and well over 20 (and still counting) local community organizations and political action groups will join the movement from a march from Foley Square back down to Zuccotti Park. That march kicks off at 4:30. CUNY students have been planning a school system-wide walkout to join the march, with different schools devising different meeting spots, caravans, speak outs, and small marches down to the big march. You can research what your school has going on if you’re interested, but so far I’ve found specific details for the CUNY Grad Center and Hunter College.

For those of you not in NYC and looking to get involved, check out the Occupy Colleges facebook page and their twitter account. There is a nation-wide student walkout planned for noon today, with 75 schools participating so far.

The UC System’s Coordinated Community Response

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Huge round of applause for the University of California. In 2007, the UC system, which includes 10 universities, received a million dollar grant from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against women to “help all ten UC campuses build a coordinated community response and develop comprehensive educational programs that address sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking.” The UC Schools used the grant in part to put together “EmpowerU,” where students can find general information about sexual violence AND information specific to each UC school.  This fantastic website includes:

  • Links to each campus’s sexual violence-specific websites which include crisis information
  • An inclusive overview of the dynamics of sexual violence that actively busts myths and links to the UC’s Clery Stats
  • An overview of UC’s stance on prevention programming which focuses on primary prevention and explicitly calls out risk reduction as inadequate on its own
  • Links to each school’s sexual assault policy

Research being done at these issues at UC schools, as well as a number of publications being used on campus, including the curricula for training law enforcement on sexual violence issues and templates for judicial affairs and student conduct training. (This training was done on each campus as part of the grant as well.) Talk about transparency!

In addition, the UC schools used the grant to form Coordinated Community Response teams on each campus made up of a variety of community members who that “work together to develop prevention education, update policies and procedures, and improve the services for survivors.” Prevention education will be mandatory for all incoming students, by the way. And a steering committee with representatives from each UC Campus will also ensure that this work continues now that the grant period is over.

The UC system includes over 190,000 students who now have a one-stop shop for information about sexual violence. (And access to some great online resources…thanks for including us, ya’ll!) I would love to see other statewide systems adopt a similar model. How about it, folks? SUNY? We’re waiting…

Quick Hit: Attend Feminist Boot Camp Over Winter Break

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Just wanted to pass along this opportunity for college students who have some time off this January and can be in NYC for Soapbox Inc.’s Feminist Bootcamp. While this is by no means an inexpensive opportunity (it’ll run you a hefty $700-$1000), it looks like it is a pretty great week of learning and exposure to amazing feminist organizations.It may be possible to get some financial support from your school. Check with the Women’s Center or Women’s Studies Department to see if there is funding available for independent student work.

The camp runs from January 4 through January 11, but registration is open now and the deposit is due by October 14 so check it out now.

Save the Date 10/15: Anita Hill 20 Years Later

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SAFER is proud and excited to be a co-sponsor of Hunter College’s day-long conference, Anita Hill 20 Years Later: Sex, Power, and Speaking the Truth. The conference takes place at Hunter on Saturday, October 15 and registration is now open. It’s free for students, and at $20 it’s a pretty good deal for everyone else considering the awesome set of speakers, including Gloria Steinem and Kimberlé Crenshaw. Anita Hill herself will be giving the keynote address, and at night there will be a performance by Eve Ensler.

I was only six when Anita Hill testified in front of Congress about experiencing sexually harassment from her former supervisor and now-Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. But I feel the ramifications on her choice to speak up on a regular basis, from the focus on workplace harassment in my human resources class, to the organizations and community groups I come across who work to make sexual harassment an key issue in public discourse, to my personal experience as a “woman in the workplace.” I’m excited to have the opportunity to reflect on the last 20 years with such an inspiring group of folks. Check it out this October!

More about the conference below:

Sex, Power and Speaking Truth: Anita Hill 20 Years Later will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at Hunter College in New York City. The conference will bring together three generations to witness, respond and analyze present day realities in law, politics, the confluence of race, class and gender, the persistent questioning of women’s credibility, issues of black masculinity and current cases of sexual harassment. The conference will also include highlights from First Run Feature’s film about Anita Hill’s testimony, ‘Sex and Justice.’

Anita Hill will be the honoree and keynote speaker, and will be joined by prominent scholars, attorneys, journalists and activists speaking on panels throughout the day. The conference will also feature “Speaking Truth to Power,” a performance curated by Eve Ensler. The performance will include original works written by Edwidge Danticat, Asali Devan, Eve Ensler, Lisa Kron, Lynn Nottage, Mary Oliver, Kevin Powell and Hope Anita Smith.