I’m sure you’ve all received the emails from Carleton’s department of university safety concerning the recent sexual assaults on campus. The fact that these emails hit my inbox just a week apart really shocked and surprised me — not only because of the nature of the incidents, but also the fact that women are finally coming out of the woodwork.
It’s no secret that most sexual assaults go unreported so I’m happy to see that women are stepping forward.
Since first coming to Carleton, I’ve heard never-ending demands for a sexual assault support centre, not only from students but also from professors. You’d think hearing more about the issues would get the ball rolling, but alas, we sit here waiting.
A story that has always struck me is of a 23-year-old Carleton student who was savagely beaten and sexually assaulted in August 2007. She was working in a research lab in Steacie Building at around midnight when she was attacked. She was not only left with severe physical injuries, but psychological damage that will probably haunt her for a lifetime.
The victim sued the university for negligence following the incident. In her statement of claim, she said Carleton didn’t take enough safety precautions. Of course, the school fired right back claiming she was the negligent one: she didn’t register with the safety department as a student working late, and she didn’t lock the door to the lab in which she was working, according to the university’s statement of defence at the time.
But how many times have you or I stayed up late in the library, finishing that paper or studying for that midterm? Do I not have the right to feel safe at school, the place where I spend most of my time? The two parties eventually came to a settlement, but placing blame on the victim is the last thing the university should be doing. Instead, we should be doing something to help these victims.
In a referendum during the Carleton University Students’ Association elections of 2008, over 80 per cent of students voted in favour of having a sexual assault support centre. Since then, there have been numerous sexual assaults on campus — some we hear about, and some we don’t — and a plethora of complaints. What more do we have to do to get something we should have a right to? How many more women have to go through this horrible ordeal for Carleton to get a clue?
With the return of Ravens football came a rise of complaints about the lack of a sexual assault support centre. Shouldn’t we also be tackling important issues that affect the student population? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy sports and have nothing against football. I also know funding was provided by alumni and not the school. But whether we like it or not, the upkeep of a football team is going to catch up with us. If we can afford that, I think we can afford a sexual assault centre. Actually, I know we can afford it, and I, along with many others, would be willing to pay a levy to get it.
Sure, we have health and counselling services, but if other universities like the University of Alberta and McGill University have sexual assault centres, why doesn’t Carleton have a space for that as well?
You might think that sexual assault is inevitable, that it’s just something that happens, no matter what. But it can be prevented.
There are so many people on campus who care about the well-being of students. We have the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre, the Womyn’s Centre, and Men for Equality and Non-Violence, just to name a few. And they all want to make a difference on campus.
We need to work on prevention, and we need to get men involved in stopping sexual assault. The posters in the bathrooms obviously aren’t enough. We can’t simply point a finger at all guys and call them rapists. Instead, why can’t we tell them to be a good friend by walking Rachel home after her night class?
Clearly, we have a problem here at Carleton, and we need to address it. The emails and the posters simply aren’t enough. If we voted in favour once, we’ll vote in favour again.
So give the students what we want, what we need, and quite frankly, what we deserve.
