The Hunting Ground

I watched the most disturbing documentary the other day on rape culture on campuses called The Hunting Ground. I encourage everyone to watch this documentary as it reveals a lot of true and relevant information that isn’t such a foreign concept to our own learning institution.

The role of silence, shame, sex objectification are concepts that are socially-acceptable and reserved for the uneducated, uncivilized, and meek. They aren’t. They happen everywhere and even in the most prestigious institutions like Harvard, Yale, Duke, Columbia, etc.. Why are learning institutions protecting and contributing to the socialized culture of silence for abhorrent crimes? To protect the name and caliber of their institutions. To save face against morally and ethical wrongs due to the lack of proper reporting/investigation of sexual assaults. If creating a great academic empire also means creating platforms for condoned rape, I don’t think I can/or anyone should maintain a polite silence anymore. If going to college now includes the complementary experience of being sexually assaulted, I won’t be demure while others silently suffer. When students who have been sexually assaulted are told they should think ‘long and hard’ before reporting, I won’t encourage others to maintain civil diplomacy.

My language should not be mistaken for an attempt at chaotic incitation. It is a reflection on the lack of seriousness  to human suffering in a supposed ‘progressive society’. I shouldn’t have to walk in to a meeting on Penn State Campus and listen to a story about a person whose sexual assault report was ignored to know that it exists. Not only was her reporting ignored but she was stalked and sought after by a law enforcement professional who made sure they stripped her of her scholarship, career aspirations, and jobs on/off campus. When it comes to rape/sexual assault victim reporting, procedural justice doesn’t really exist. I can remember when I was a tour guide on campus that we were told to say that the biggest crime on Penn State Campus was bike seat left. Clearly, that isn’t the case – other crimes exist but the reporting wasn’t taken seriously. The advent of title ix reporting brought on a lot of forced change to campuses all around the US. I wish and hope for more change on campuses, but I fear the repressive sex culture will be too overwhelming to take on currently.