Our thoughts on #metoo and what it means to us.
“I did not know how to start this. I mean, how do I tell the world something that I only admitted to myself a year and a half ago. How do I tell everyone my story when I debated for hours whether I should even make “Me Too” my status. I can’t write about that specific night or what happened for many reasons…
1.) I am afraid that he will see it and confront me about it.
2.) I don’t want people to tell me that it isn’t a big deal or that I am over exaggerating
3.) All of my friends know him way to well and…
4.) Because I have come way too damn far to ever let myself relapse into the shadow of a person I used to be.
But, all of those reasons are things that I shouldn’t’t be afraid of. They are things that I have been made afraid of because of the rape culture that currently exists in the United States.
What I can say about that night is that afterwards, I went numb. He was my confidant and after what he did, I did not think I would ever find a man I respected another day in my life. (I did, but besides the point) You see, people don’t understand how much sexual assault affects someone. It has been almost four years since my assault and I am still in therapy. I still have trouble talking about it. It is still something I struggle with everyday.
There are so many aspects of my life that were affected by my assault and yet I still was told that I was overreacting so I shut it out for months until one day I found myself crying and I didn’t know why and suddenly it all fell in front of me like pieces of a burning building. So, I put myself back together, one boot at a time and I created who I am today. It’s why I am happy to say that I am a feminist. It’s why I am happy to say that I am going to law school to fight for men and women in my position and it’s why I am happy to say that I have come as far as I have.
So, what I want you all to understand is that he took the mountains I had created away from me. He set fire to my self respect. He broke me into a thousand tiny pieces. And I want you to know, I am not alone. I am one in a sea of people. And…
I am still here. I am still breathing” –Anna Notchick, Campus Correspondent
“One of the biggest problems we as a society have is we focus on sexual harassment in the more aggressive senses. We look at it as a constant, day to day thing in a professional setting. But it’s not, and it happens so, so much more than just that. Sexual harassment is made okay in a day to day, casual setting by allowing young boys to make sexist comments because it’s just “boys being boys”. It’s allowing them to grab girl’s asses and laughing it off as “hormones affecting their decisions”. It’s the laughing it off that teaches the boys that it is an okay behavior and the girls that this is how they are going to be treated so they better get used to it and stay silent.
I was twelve when my ass was grabbed by a kid while he was walking by me on the crowded blacktop. When I told my friends, they told me there was nothing I could do about it because when it happened to them, the aids that were watching us told them that they were overreacting, and he probably just squeezed by them too closely. The blacktop is crowded, after all. I was fourteen when I had it grabbed again in a wave pool. When I told my friend who was with me, she said it was almost expected when you enter the wave pool. When I was fifteen I had a teacher in his mid-fifties that would make snarky comments to girls wearing yoga pants, but yet enjoyed the view as we were walking down the hallway. Every girl noticed it but couldn’t say anything because he was so intimidating you could barely make eye contact, so how were you going to confront him about it, or tell another teacher so that they have a meeting and put you in the same room with him? We as adolescent women changed our behavior so that the men wouldn’t be tempted to harass us.
My friend was catcalled the other day. She was told how much she’d like him. She ignored him, and suddenly, she was an ugly bitch who probably would have sucked in bed anyway and she’d be lonely forever.
Me too, because sexual harassment is referred to as a hidden secret, but it’s an open fact to turned heads. It is in the news today, but tomorrow will be swept under a rug because kneeling football players are more important matters than the wellbeing of women.” – Theresa Longstreet, Contributing Writer
“Sexual assault has become such a big issue in our society today. Often, assaults are left unreported because victims feel that nobody will believe them, or they feel that their voice will not matter. Although I haven’t personally been affected by sexual assault, I know many people that have been. Sexual assault and harassment has changed many of my close friends’ and family members lives in so many ways. Listening to their stories have made me realize how hard it is for them to live their life to the fullest. I’ve seen them be afraid to kiss someone or take it to the next step with someone because of what has happened with them. I see them feel uncomfortable when somebody gets too close and I’ve seen them change the way that they live. It breaks my heart because I cannot do anything about it or cannot do anything to change their situation. However, I have seen friends who have been affected by sexual assault survive. I’ve seen them thrive because of what happened to them. I’ve seen them try and make a difference because of what one person did to them. I’ve seen them become stronger.
I believe that assault is a problem in the U.S. and around the world today because people do not talk about it the way that they should. There isn’t a universal definition of rape, which is an issue. Most of the time, victims do not immediately pursue legal action against their attackers, or they may never. The other problem is that even if assailants are found guilty, most of the time they get lenient sentences, such as Brock Turner. He sexually assaulted an unconscious woman on Stanford University’s campus and was sentenced to six months in jail, followed by three years of probation, and he had to register as a sex offender. However, he only served three months.
Many victims don’t immediately or may never pursue legal action against their attackers. Prosecutors often don’t take on cases of survivors who come forward. The lack of witnesses make it hard to get a conviction. Assailants might still get lenient sentences if they are found guilty. From seeing all the posts with “Me Too”, I hope that people become more aware of the issues of sexual assault and realize the scope of the issue at hand. I also hope that victims know that they are not alone and there are others like them too that are fighting the same battle. I hope it is uplifting for survivors to see other survivors and I hope it gives people the courage to speak up.” – Christiane Lowcher, Events Director
“Sexual assault and harassment is shockingly common for people our age. Once it happens to someone, they suddenly feel violated and objectified. In extreme cases, I know girls who said they don’t even feel safe in their own bodies after being sexually assault or harassed. It has strongly affected me as a college student, as a woman, and as someone who has been victimized by sexual assault.
I believe sexual assault and harassment is such an epidemic in today’s society because so many of us are affected by it. Nowadays, when we hear or sexual harassment, it doesn’t seem to shock us because of how common it is. Also, as a girl who has been sexually assaulted, I am saddened by the number of people stand with me as victims, however, am proud of the many people speaking up about it and drawing attention to the problem.
I hope that everyone who sees the “Me Too” posts and hashtags will realize how common it is and how it’s affected so many of your peers and people our age. I also hope it shows people who are afraid to speak up that they are not fighting this alone.” – Madi Harm, Contributing Writer