By Brandon Fields
Staff Writer
Commander John Plumb, congressional candidate, canceled his talk on national security policy in order to attend the Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) rally on April 26.
Plumb referenced his military training on sexual assault awareness and provided his own tips on how to prevent sexual assault.
On Tuesday night, over 70 students, community members and campus officials gathered in front of the De La Roche academic building in support of the SAAM rally.
Eighty-seven percent of stalkers are men, 86 percent of domestic violence incidents resulting in physical injury are perpetrated by men and 99 percent of rapes are committed by men, according to Robert Amico, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, who opened the rally.
Hosted by the club SBU4Equality, the rally sought to inform and open the conversation on the lack of awareness regarding sexual assault and the blaming of victims.
According to Juliette Bauer, president of SBU4Equality and sophomore double major in English and women’s studies, the club decided to take advantage of the special month promoting awareness through poster campaigns, education through pledges and solidarity through hosting the rally.
Amico stressed the need for solidarity and the role men play in contributing to and supporting a culture of violence towards women.
“It is time for us men to stand up and own this as our problem,” Amico said, encouraging men to be accountable for their actions and for the men of SBU to stand by the women of SBU, in solidarity.
Daniela Carrasco, a sophomore marketing major and contributor to the new security guidelines, said having Plumb cancel an event and come to the rally showed the importance of the topic. She also pointed out everyone’s willingness to stand in 30-degree weather, proving how much everyone cares about the issue.
As a part of the event, the club revealed a new set of security guidelines released on Wednesday. Carrasco, who presented an abbreviated version of the guidelines, focused on the bystander.
Mariam Skhirtladze (c) 2016
She spoke about trusting your intuition, calling safety and security for help and using the three D’s (direct, distract, delegate) to know protocol for situations that may be heading in an inappropriate direction.
Before the candlelight ceremony, which paid respect to sexual assault victims and concluded the event, the club read a letter to administration urging a partnership for change and open conversation on campus. The partnership between the campus community and campus officials seeks to make tangible and impactful changes that go beyond the rally.
The letter, signed by 30 students and counting, seeks to work with administration to make campus safer. The club aims to change attitudes towards sexual assault survivors, general safety aspects, how people respond to friends regarding rape culture and change the lack of knowledge about the topic of rape culture.
Bauer said she is pleased with the turnout and the 310 pledges received, but she knows it could be better. She believes the conversation about sexual violence is a multi-vocal conversation and having different perspectives could aid in fair social change on campus and abroad.
“We are on a campus of about 2,000 people,” Bauer said. “That becomes 2,000 people who can have an opinion on sexual assault and violence. That’s 2,000 voices.”
fieldsbj14@bonaventure.edu
