Kolbe Franklin ‘08 writes in:
Come demonstrate against sexual assault today to demand change in our sexual assault policy, show your support for sexual assault survivors, and celebrate sexual agency.
Last year, 2 forcible sex offenses were reported to Public Safety. The year before, 4 were reported. Many, many more victims stay silenced; the Department of Justice estimates that less than 5% of completed and attempted rapes of college students are reported to the authorities.
We are calling for more preventative measures; a victim-oriented policy; clearer definitions and stronger language; and more transparency. (Refer to the Principles document and Policy document for specifics.)
• Wear white today
• Come to Bi-Hall at 3:00pm to make posters for the demonstration.
• We’ll leave Bi-Hall at 4:00pm, holding hands, and walk past Ross, down College Street, and arrive at Old Chapel.
• We’ll arrive at Old Chapel at 4:20pm. Here, holding hands, we’ll make a circle around Old Chapel. At each end of the building (North, South, East, and West), we’ll have people step inside the circle and speak up (see lovely illustration below). This can be a poem; a story; statistics; a personal statement; or anything else that you’d like to speak up about. Speakers will take turns. You don’t have to come with a prepared statement, but it’d be great to have everyone say something.Voice your concerns. Show that you care. Make Middlebury a safer place.
