Today’s Guest Column
Last Tuesday, I was getting off of the Metrobus outside of Stamp Student Union when I decided, on a whim, to walk down to Hornbake Plaza to view the Clothesline Project.
This event is held every semester by the student group CARE to Stop Violence, which seeks to raise awareness and fight relationship abuse, sexual assault and stalking by educating students and providing free, anonymous counseling to victims of these crimes. The Clothesline Project is an initiative that allows anybody to anonymously make a T-shirt about their personal experiences with sexual assault. This can include victims, friends of victims or anybody concerned about the problem of sexual assault on the campus.
While walking up to the display, however, I saw another, very different, group of T-shirts.
At first, I thought they were related to the project in some way. But upon closer inspection, they proved to be members of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity selling shirts for their annual “Splash Bash” event. Now before I continue, let me just say that I have a great deal of respect for that fraternity. I know several of the members personally and am happy to have them as my friends.
With that said, I was still a bit puzzled as to why they were stationed so close to the project. Indeed, these men were standing directly next to a sign warning any victims of sexual assault that many of the shirts contain detailed information about perpetrators, such as specific sports teams and fraternities, that may act as “triggers” for unpleasant memories of their own assaults.
Despite this, the Alpha Epsilon Pi members were proudly displaying their letters and advertising their event loudly, with a stereo playing music next to them. When talking to one of the Clothesline Project coordinators, I was further shocked to find that these men had originally been set up inside of Hornbake Plaza — in the middle of the triggering shirt-adorned area, playing music and hawking their own shirts to passersby.
As a member of a fraternity that has a shirt hung up at the project this year, I would never even dream of wearing my letters anywhere near Hornbake that day. Considering that so many sexual assaults are carried out by fraternity members, I find it very insensitive to victims to be boldly advertising a Greek event directly next to an event meant to help those victims deal with the terrible acts committed against them.
In no way do I believe this was done intentionally, but rather I think that it stems from a larger ignorance in Greek life and on the campus in general about how widespread and devastating sexual assault really is. Rape is something that is incredibly taboo in our society today, and people are too often afraid to discuss it openly and honestly. This leads to an atmosphere in which women (and men) feel ashamed or afraid to come forward after an attack. A woman who was raped at a fraternity party (even if it was a completely different chapter), may be intimidated by a group of fraternity members standing outside of an event where she has a shirt hung about her own assault.
Though this university has made great strides recently in sexual assault prevention (such as the recent University Senate mandate requiring education for incoming freshmen), much more needs to be done. To the members of Alpha Epsilon Pi, I would advise a little more awareness for your surroundings in the future. And for all those attending Splash Bash: Have fun, be safe and get consent.
John Quinn is a sophomore international business major. He can be reached at jaykyew1@gmail.com.
