The number of people at the April 7 Sexual Health and Assault Resource Fair was amazing. I was pleased to see so many in attendance. People were actually talking to the organizations, engaging with people and learning. It was an absolutely wonderful sight to see. In speaking with the presenting organizations, however, I noticed a clear pattern. Groups that dealt with sexual assault and rape had far fewer students interacting with them. The entire duration of the fair, organizations like Rape Victim Advocates, Porchlight Counseling Services and the Northwestern Sexual Assault Hearing and Appeals System (SAHAS), had few who would continue to speak with them for the minimum amount of time needed to complete a challenge game that involved visiting and speaking with the people at each table.
Megan Chuhran of Porchlight told me people would come up to her table, and once they saw that she dealt with sexual assault, they would move on. Shari Nivasch from Evanston Victim Services said people were not interested in talking to her, though she had important information to provide to students.
This taught me something very sad about the NU community. Students do not want to hear about rape and sexual assault. However, there is also no dialogue about how to have mutual and healthy sex. National studies of sexual assault on college campuses reveal that 2.8 percent of college women experience a completed or attempted rape in an academic school year (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000). The study implied that at a school of NU's size and gender make-up (approximately 4,170 undergraduate women), 116 NU undergraduate women will experience completed or attempted penetration against their will (vaginal, oral or anal intercourse) this academic year. National statistics also report 15.5 percent of college women experience some form of sexual victimization (using physical or non-physical force) in an academic year. The vast majority of these rapes occur between people who know each other, most commonly a classmate or friend, less commonly but still notable, a boyfriend or acquaintance (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000). And of these, many college students do not know that these incidents are rapes because they do not fully understand how consent works.
2008 Woodie Awards
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