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Sidewalk chalk raises awareness to issues

Photo by Jeremy Leong, staff photographer

Rush is a junior magazines  major and can be reached at kylie.rush@drake.edu

O’Donnell is a senior secondary education major and can be reached at caitlin.odonnell@drake.edu

I’m sure if you’ve been on Drake University’s campus for even a short amount of time, you’ve seen chalked messages on the sidewalks. Some students think it’s informative, some annoying, but no matter what, you have to admit that it’s effective. How could you see bright green chalk on the sidewalk and not at least glance and see what it has to say?

Last week was Sexual Assault Awareness Week, and as part of the program, Student Activists for Gender Equality chalked statistics around campus. Interestingly enough, I’ve heard more complaints about the chalkings themselves than about sexual assault.

In my time at Drake, I’ve gotten more and more involved and passionate about preventing sexual assault and informing people about the dangers of sexual assault on campus. I’m sorry if rape statistics chalked on the ground make you feel uncomfortable. I understand that feeling like this represents Drake (and you) in a poor light makes you mad.

You know what makes me mad? Sexual assault.

It makes me mad that my friends, family, people I love are assaulted in the most personal, violating and heartbreaking way. It makes me mad that I feel powerless to stop it. It makes me mad that you think these statistics about rape aren’t relevant to you and the people in your life. If you think that the statistics of rape chalked on the ground are startling, unpleasant or inappropriate, take a number. I assure you, they feel worse when you realize how much they apply to people you love.

It’s true that, to quote the chalkings, “One in four college women will be sexually assaulted” and “every two minutes, a sexual assault happens in the U.S.” So why are we pretending it’s not? We’re worried about what potential students may think of these statistics, but why are we less worried about preventing it from actually happening? The fact that people think we should sweep it under the rug to get prospective students to come here is completely ridiculous. Drake does not exist simply for potential students and if that’s all we care about, we don’t deserve to be a university.

Last Monday morning, we saw a facilities worker intentionally wash off some of the statistics. That afternoon I saw Facebook statuses pop up making light of the hell rape survivors go through. In a routine TD staff story budget, here’s part of an editorial prompt: “With tours being held around campus this time of year, (the sexual assault statistics are)  insanely inappropriate . . . and does not leave a good impression. We want people to come to Drake, not remember us as the school with the scary statistics on the sidewalk. I’m not saying the facts aren’t true but maybe save those statistics for a Facebook page and not underneath touring families’ feet.”

I’ve heard plenty of comments about how this whole thing makes Drake look bad. Actually, I agree. When we have staff members, students and even the Drake Problems Twitter account making light of a horrible crime, we do, in fact, it looks like an awful place to go to college. The retweet from DrakeProblem says “All this sexual assault stuff on campus reminds me of how the packers got raped last night by the refs #DrakeProblems RT @jagow75.” Get it? It’s funny because rape is funny. Thank you for demonstrating why Sexual Assault Awareness Week is needed on campus.

The reason we make our voices so loud is because otherwise, rape survivors will drown in the silence. You don’t like having a constant reminder about sexual assault as you walk around campus? Neither do we. We’ll stop chalking when rape stops happening.

And for what it’s worth, as a prospective student, I would be happy to see that the campus is teaching their students about sexual assault and how common it really is. I would have wanted to go to a school where the community supports each other and stands up against injustice. In the past two days, I have learned that a large chunk of the people at Drake care for neither of the above.

Instead of complaining about chalk, maybe we should fix that first.

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5 Comments

  1. just wondering October 1, 2012

    I agree that it’d be ideal to change the way society views the issue, but since that is a wide-spread, long-term goal, wouldn’t it be easier just to qualify this type of sidewalk chalk with more “In the United States…” or “across the globe” or some sort of further detail so that we are more clear about the facts? That way no one can misconstrue them as criticizing soley Drake. I don’t think people were really complaining about facts, but that it made Drake seem worse than it is. Facts are facts. No one can dispute that. But we should just be clear in our facts so that people don’t assume it is just a Drake issue. This goes on everywhere.

    1. wow. October 11, 2012

      If people think this is only a Drake issue they live under a rock. And burying our heads in the sand in order to save Drake’s “reputation” is exactly the pervasive problem of silencing the issue. I think schools that address the issue are more respectable than those that pretend it isn’t happening on their campus. Because it is.

  2. Katelyn Foster October 2, 2012

    I think this is great awareness because I am taking a rape education and self defense course in my college! First off, the statistics are scary but to be honest, it isn’t going to be the sole reason anyone person is deterred from your college. Maybe it’s the food or dorm rooms but not sidewalk chalk. It’s amazing how people can turn their head on this subject. For the people upset at these posts, these are the facts. This is a life changing event which rips a female of her privacy. Some women would rather die than live in fear for the rest of their life. In fact, most sexual assaults go unreported because they are so embarrassed. Not only is this extremely embarrassing, women don’t report it because they know their offender! How awful to go on a date and him take you in the middle of nowhere, where no one is around to save you, and he sexually assaults you or rapes you. Being sexually assaulted is one of the only crimes in America where it is the females fault. For example, if you are robbed, no one is going to tell you that you didn’t fight it so you wanted it to happen, you shouldn’t have been out walking, or don’t dress like you are rich and you won’t get robbed. But if you are sexually assaulted, people say you shouldn’t have been there, you shouldn’t have been wearing those clothes. Some men even use threats such as, who is going to believe you? Im popular and you’re not, I’m well respected and you’re not. Can you believe this even happens in the most prestigious places? Two weeks ago, our best doctor in town was accused of rape six times. Not one of these women came foreword, a friend/doctored of one of the raped came foreword and let the cat out of the bag. And trust me, she was questioned and people were in disbelief. But when the tapes in his private office were watched and his work computer was confiscated, the hospital was in horror. How did he get away with six rapes? He threatened them with their job. How saddening. In fact, most offenders do not offend once but many times. Look at Sandusky. Multiple times. To sexually assault someone once, is not likely to end there. To the people who find this offensive, you turn your head, but would you do the same thing if your sister, mother, or even one of your friends came forward and admitted she was sexually assaulted/raped? I mean, women have a fear of this. How many of the females out there would get scared if they were walking out on a road, and a car pulls up behind you and even if they were to only ask for directions, you are still apprehensive. I am in full support of the group who posted these facts. This awareness is helpful to the females at the school. This happens to one out of four women in college. Looking at the odds, they are not in your favor girls. Guys, please be sensitive to these statistics, they apply to all the women you care about and understand that while you may have nothing to fear about, girls do. Girls, please take heed of the statistics and look out for yourself.

  3. Katelyn Foster October 2, 2012

    I think this is great awareness because I am taking a rape education and self defense course in my college! First off, the statistics are scary but to be honest, it isn’t going to be the sole reason anyone person is deterred from your college. Maybe it’s the food or dorm rooms but not sidewalk chalk. It’s amazing how people can turn their head on this subject. For the people upset at these posts, these are the facts. This is a life changing event which rips a female of her privacy. Some women would rather die than live in fear for the rest of their life. In fact, most sexual assaults go unreported because they are so embarrassed. Not only is this extremely embarrassing, women don’t report it because they know their offender! How awful to go on a date and him take you in the middle of nowhere, where no one is around to save you, and he sexually assaults you or rapes you. Being sexually assaulted is one of the only crimes in America where it is the females fault. For example, if you are robbed, no one is going to tell you that you didn’t fight it so you wanted it to happen, you shouldn’t have been out walking, or don’t dress like you are rich and you won’t get robbed. But if you are sexually assaulted, people say you shouldn’t have been there, you shouldn’t have been wearing those clothes. Some men even use threats such as, who is going to believe you? Im popular and you’re not, I’m well respected and you’re not. Can you believe this even happens in the most prestigious places? Two weeks ago, our best doctor in town was accused of rape six times. Not one of these women came foreword, a friend/doctored of one of the raped came foreword and let the cat out of the bag. And trust me, she was questioned and people were in disbelief. But when the tapes in his private office were watched and his work computer was confiscated, the hospital was in horror. How did he get away with six rapes? He threatened them with their job. How saddening. In fact, most offenders do not offend once but many times. Look at Sandusky. Multiple times. To sexually assault someone once, is not likely to end there. To the people who find this offensive, you turn your head, but would you do the same thing if your sister, mother, or even one of your friends came forward and admitted she was sexually assaulted/raped? I mean, women have a fear of this. How many of the females out there would get scared if they were walking out on a road, and a car pulls up behind you and even if they were to only ask for directions, you are still apprehensive. I am in full support of the group who posted these facts. This awareness is helpful to the females at the school. This happens to one out of four women in college. Looking at the odds, they are not in your favor girls. Guys, please be sensitive to these statistics, they apply to all the women you care about and understand that while you may have nothing to fear about, girls do. Girls, please take heed of the statistics and look out for yourself.

  4. wow. October 11, 2012

    to “just wondering”, if people think this is only a Drake issue they live under a rock. and burying our heads in the sand in order to save Drake’s “reputation” is exactly the pervasive problem of silencing the issue. I think schools that address the issue are more respectable than those that pretend it isn’t happening on their campus. Because it is.

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