April 20, 2016, Culture of Care and IUSA join Union Board in the following:
As student organizations directly involved with programming and promoting Little 500 weekend, student events and campus culture, we are deeply saddened to learn of the series of rapes reported this weekend. Unfortunately, these reports represent a pattern of violence extending beyond one week. We refuse to accept this as the status quo.
Our collective mission is to bring about greater unity and cooperation among all students. This can only happen if students need not fear one another in their own community. We believe it is possible to have celebration without exploitation. As arts, governance and cultural organizations, we work year-round to make that a reality. But it can only be done with the cooperation of all students. America’s Greatest College Weekend can only live up to its name when we no longer expect reports of death, rape and violence to share the front page with the races’ winners. We will continue to create programs and resources to combat sexual assault, but we need your help to work beyond awareness and bystander intervention alone. The burden will always fall on perpetrators to recognize what constitutes rape and sexual assault, and categorically end it. Additionally, we must commend the survivors for their bravery in reporting. It is the only way the community can understand the depth of the problem and work to solve it.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Campus-wide events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month can be found at https://studentaffairs.indiana.edu/dean-students/sexual-violence/its-on-us/sexualassault-awareness-month.shtml.
Understanding informational and reporting resources is critical. Specific reporting links for IU Bloomington are at http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/report/bloomington.html.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) runs the Sexual Assault Crisis Service (SACS), which operates its hotline 24 hours per day at (812) 855-8900.
Steven Johnson
Union Board
ubpres@indiana.edu
Atrayee Mukherjee & Lexie Heinemann
Culture of Care
iucultureofcare@gmail.com
Anne Tinder
IUSA
iusasbp@indiana.edu
