American University students attended a rally on the quad to show support for survivors of sexual assault and demand change from administration on Nov. 11. The rally marks the second anniversary of a campus-wide walkout at which hundreds of students protested the University’s response to sexual violence and demanded change to the Title IX policy.
This year’s protest, hosted by the AU’s chapters of NO MORE and It’s On Us, included speakers from the campus community and artwork highlighting 20 years of advocacy for survivors at the University. NO MORE and It’s On Us are student organizations committed to ending sexual violence and creating a community for survivors.
Julia Comino, co-director of programming for It’s On Us and education and outreach coordinator for NO MORE, spent the weekend before the rally creating a timeline of the history of the survivor movement on campus. Old articles from The Eagle and photos of protests from the past 20 years hung on posters and collages, completing a cohesive roadmap of survivor advocacy at AU.
“It's kind of crazy to think about that a year after I was born, there were students who were doing the exact same work that I've been doing while I've been on campus, and that so many of you have been doing while you were on campus,” Comino said to the crowd of attendees.
Poster boards displayed messages for survivors, such as ‘you are loved’ and ‘you are so strong,’ and an art installation that was constructed during a Denim Day event in April. Organizers distributed red bandanas and contraceptives to attendees.
William Wade, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, said he attended the rally to show solidarity with survivors of sexual abuse. As a survivor himself, Wade said he thinks the University is not good at offering support to those affected by sexual abuse.
“[I] always like to come out and support other victims as much as I can,” Wade said. “Because this school isn't super good at doing that sometimes, especially like in my experience.”
Wade said it was important that the University works not just to support male survivors but also to believe them.
“I worked with [the Office of Equity and Title IX] and was essentially told that my story was fake,” Wade said. “I know other male victims who have been told a very similar thing, or, never even were contacted back by them. Male victims are real and are on this campus.”
Ava McGee, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she attended the protest in solidarity and echoed Wade’s criticisms about the Title IX office. McGee said she thinks the University needs to work on “being better” at supporting survivors.
As the rally and art exhibition pointed out, the survivor movement on AU’s campus did not begin this year. Lillian Frame was a senior when she helped organize the first student walkout in protest of the administration’s response to sexual assault on campus. Two years later she returned to address demonstrators, telling them they carry 50 years of history on their shoulders.
“[This history] is a privilege, and it is a weight,” Frame said to the crowd. “And trust me, those of us who have been fighting through those 50 years, we're carrying you as much as you are carrying us.”
Frame said despite graduating in spring 2023 and moving on from the University, a piece of her heart remains with survivors and student advocates on campus. At the rally, Frame encouraged attendees to support and love one another above all else.
“From that ugliness, from the inevitable pain and the inevitable heartbreak that we will all experience, I ask that you find each other, that you find the winds where you can get them, as few and far between as they may seem sometimes, and that you take care of one another,” Frame said.
During a speech to attendees, Comino directed the audience to NO MORE’s Instagram page to access a link in their profile and send a pre-written message to University President Jonathan Alger. The email featured a brief history of the survivor movement on campus, listed demands from students and asked Alger to join students in advocating against sexual violence and harassment.
Demonstrators reiterated their list of 11 demands that were shared at last year’s protest. Julia Squitteri, a junior in SPA and It’s On Us co-president, highlighted the need for an amnesty policy, which would protect students from potential disciplinary action from the University related to drug or alcohol use when filing a Title IX report.
“Most universities have this, and so we’re asking for something akin to this for sexual violence survivors,” Squitteri said. “That’s one way to really also cement trust between students and the Title IX office because that’s been one of, I think, our biggest frustrations.”
Other schools in the D.C. area, like George Washington University and Georgetown University, currently have amnesty policies in place. Squitteri also emphasized the importance of continuing sexual violence prevention education for students at all levels.
“I think we just have to keep promoting either kind of those messages around what it means to be an upstander and also training people,” Squitteri said. “That's one thing I really would love to see happen more. Not just for freshman training, but throughout the four years for students.”
Wentworth Smith, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business, said he felt he was “naive” upon his arrival at the University. Smith did little research before coming to the University but said he thinks those upset with the administration should have an opportunity to voice it.
“They should be out here on the center of campus making themselves be heard,” Smith said. “I think it's a very good thing that's happening; we need more of this.”
According to Squitteri, a lack of action from administration could be detrimental to the University's relationship with its students.
“This element of trust has been really broken,” Squiterri said. “If students can’t believe that the University is there for them to support them, then we have a big problem.”
Erica Lesto, an advisor in CAS and an adjunct sociology professor, serves as a faculty advisor for It’s On Us. As she stood in front of the crowd of attendees, Lesto identified herself as a woman, educator, veteran, advisor and survivor.
“We will work together as a student community, as staff and faculty, to take care of each other and to work with our president [Alger], who is new,” Lesto said. “We must give him a chance to keep this campus safe, but we need to be vigilant.”
Lesto criticized the “Your body, my choice” movement becoming prevalent across social media platforms following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. In response, Lesto announced she would host self-defense seminars on the quad and in other spaces.
“Well, since you don’t need to ask for permission anymore, we also don’t need to ask permission for us to come together and form our own coalition to tackle your misogyny,” Lesto said.
As Comino prepares to graduate from AU this spring, she reflected on her work with survivor advocacy on campus and the legacy she’ll leave behind.
“Not every initiative is going to be complete by the time the person who led it graduates,” Comino said. “How real change happens is by creating this community of a survivor movement to continue on that work.”
Despite Comino’s expectations for the campus upon her departure, some students remain skeptical of administration even when considering the ongoing effort of students.
“I'm happy that I see that people before me have been fighting and that American University is a school with a rich history of people wanting to fight for justice and what is right,” Smith said. “I'm sad that the University has seen all this anger, all this upset in their student community, and from what I've been reading, it doesn't seem like they've done much.”
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Maya Cederlund, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Nicole Kariuki and Sydney Kornmeyer.
