Miami University’s campus is beautifully full of trees, brick buildings and college students looking to further their education. But, more often than it should, those same students get sexually assaulted on that same campus.
Each reported assault is made known through an alert that informs students where the assault happened and has minimal details. These alerts come from South Quad, Western Campus, Slant Walk and everywhere in between. The emails report students getting taken advantage of by people they did or did not know. Sometimes it’s in a dorm, sometimes it’s not.
There doesn’t seem to be a pattern, except that it continues to happen.
But that’s not how our culture has to go on.
When looking at undergraduate students on campuses across the country, 26.4% of women and 6.4% of men experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation, according to RAINN. Miami doesn’t have to be part of this.
As students, we can band together to push for programs that enforce safety on and off campus in various ways, stepping up as bystanders and holding assaulters accountable even if they are your friends.
Similarly, Greek life having increased amounts of sexual assault does not have to continue if members, committees or leadership create and enforce change.
Our story on sexual assault on and off Miami’s campus shows that we could not only help prevent assaults but also support survivors. Joining organizations like Sexual Assault Survivor Support or being an ally to your friends could be life-changing for them and the future of Miami’s culture.
At The Student, we will do our share by continuing to report on sexual assault on campus and how Miami responds to it. If you or someone you know wants to share a story or just talk to us, we are always available through email or in our newsroom at 3018 Armstrong Student Center.
The Miami Student’s editorial board is made up of Editor-in-Chief Kasey Turman, Managing Editor Olivia Patel and Opinion Editor Sam Norton, and reflects their beliefs. The contents of this staff editorial do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the entire editorial staff.
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