LETTER TO THE EDITOR: A Call to Action After Sexual Assault Awareness Week

Cornell is challenging in many ways that it should be — academically, professionally, socially — yet when a quarter of undergraduate women, 18 percent of TGQN* students and seven percent of undergraduate men are experiencing sexual assault after arriving on campus, these challenges are compounded to an unacceptable level. This week concludes the fifth annual installment of Sexual Assault Awareness Week at Cornell. Throughout this week, we, the planning board of SAAW, have strived to bring members of the Cornell community together to discuss the impact of sexual violence on our campus and beyond. These conversations were meaningful, educational and supremely important. There will always be a place for dialogue.

HUBSHER | Beasts of Burden

Yesterday marked the beginning of Cornell’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week. It is a time in which different Cornell groups come together to raise awareness about sexual assault on campus through activities, lectures and art campaigns. I’m not going to waste your time explaining why SAAW is necessary. As recently as the 1990’s, feminist groups were ridiculed, scrutinized and even punished for trying to bring light to the issue of campus sexual assault. Yes, we are so lucky that so many student organizations have worked to support SAAW, but sexual assault is still a taboo subject and I’m sure some schools are still so backwards that a week like this wouldn’t even be possible. I have to admit that events like this one, although I know how important they are, make me feel a little conflicted.