The obsession with the seven, their faces plastered everywhere, will kill the conversation. I hope these men rot in hell; I hope they suffer. I hope they are skeptical of the intentions of new hands that may touch them in the future – to know how she feels. But the individualistic focus, the assumption that these were unique monsters capable of rape, and particularly weak bystanders, will compartmentalize this in the public memory as an unfortunate incident, and not the result of the public health crisis that is sexual assault.
These men are a product of their environment. That is not an excuse; it is a fact. The environment and social structures that exist at Franklin & Marshall College are no different than at Cornell University. This could happen here.
Therefore, our administration should take action. Action should come through education and rethinking what structures exist on our campus that foster unequal sexual power dynamics. It will require more than critically thinking about toxic masculinity and the decisions of a few men; it requires examining sexual assault as a public health crisis and how our physical space creates these opportunities. Change should not wait for tragedy.
This framework isn’t mine, but belongs to Jennifer S. Hirsch and Shamus Khan in their book “Sexual Citizens.” They argue that there are two major focuses in our public discussion of assault. They write that the first “directs attention to predators, or toxic masculinity, as the problem.” The intense focus on the specific details of these specific men supports this claim. The second focuses on the time after the assault and “how to adjudicate those ‘he said/she said’ moments.” The rightful rage in the essay “punishment” and call for stronger legal action is warranted. But instead of focusing on adjudication, which so often fails women, our conversations could be directed toward prevention education.
The book uses three concepts to explain how sexual assault is a “consequence of how our society is organized, rather than solely a problem of individual bad actors.” These concepts are sexual projects, sexual citizenship and sexual geographies. While everyone has an individual benefit of understanding and conceptualizing their sexual projects and citizenship, here, I am most concerned with sexual geographies. The concept “encompass[es] the spatial contexts through which people move, and the peer networks that can regulate access to those spaces.” Our space influences our behavior. To understand more fully, consider the drinking culture of F&M and how it can permit sexual violence.
The Greek system leaves women disempowered. National chapter laws forbid sororities from hosting social gatherings with alcohol. Therefore, all events that sororities attend must be hosted by a male organization. Typically these are fraternities, but at F&M, they are often male sports teams. Sororities are not the only female organizations that mix with groups on the weekend. Yet still, nowhere on campus does a women’s organization control the social space with alcohol because that is not the norm. How would our social scene be different if women could host parties? How might women feel more empowered? How would gender dynamics change? We refrain from asking these questions because we are so entrenched in the status quo.
Bars arguably offer more autonomy. However, women under 21 do not have access to bars without the risk of owning a fake ID– a felony deemed not worth the risk to some. Therefore, underage students’ only option is these spaces if they want to engage in nightlife. These students often resort to binge drinking in their rooms before going out because of assumptions that they may not be able to access alcohol later, and higher levels of intoxication will impair judgment and lead to more dangerous situations. It is statistically proven that underclassmen women are more likely to be sexually assaulted during their initial time in college because they are less familiar with their environments and have less established power in their community. There is a bouncer at the bar; there is only a brother or a teammate at a party. Sexual geography matters.
Right now, attention to these issues should be a priority of our administration. In his presidential address on September 23, President Andrew Rich announced his commitment to growing fraternity life on campus. And in a recent email, he announced another $1 million for athletics, totaling at least $20 million in donations. While this money is going to both men’s and women’s sports, the college is sending a clear message that these organizations are deeply valued on campus.
Show that same commitment to the safety of all students on campus. Prioritize preventative action and education. Why wait for commitment born from a massive violent act on our campus? This violence is here. The number of reports the Title IX office receives does not adequately reflect our environment.
It can start with reading. Reading empowers everyone. This reading empowered me. Assigned for my Gender, Sexuality, and Power class last fall, I remember frantically reading the pages in disbelief. They articulated these personal observations and experiences that I wasn’t aware were academic concepts; concepts important enough to publish. Sexual assault is part of a larger conversation. It’s a conversation about the social capital around sex, what there is to gain from having sex beyond physical pleasure, who gets to have sex, whose sex we care about, how it shapes our relationships and how we understand power. Understanding power benefits everyone, not just those who are vulnerable.
My heart goes out to Jane Doe, and to every woman who recognizes parts of Jane Doe’s story as part of her own. It does not always take seven hours.
Senior Lily Andrey is the Editor-in-Chief. Her email is landrey@fandm.edu.