Columbia student carrying mattress until school expels her rapist

[garbon]

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/columbia-mattress-student-draws-attention-anti-rape-movement-article-1.1948842

The mattress is spreading to the masses.

Following in the footsteps of Columbia University senior Emma Sulkowicz, students from universities around the country are picking up mattresses to take a stand against sexual assault on college campuses.

Sulkowicz has vowed to drag her dorm room mattress around campus until the school expels her alleged rapist. The act is part of a performance art piece she is calling "Carry That Weight/Mattress Performance."

Her story, along with the image of Sulkowicz holding the standard, blue, extra-long twin mattress, has gone viral since classes started up again at Columbia.

She has also helped shine a brighter light on the national anti-sexual assault movement.

A powerful photo of Sulkowicz was featured on the cover of New York magazine's Sept. 22 issue. The headline reads "A Very Different Kind of Sexual Revolution on Campus."


The article, "Meet the College Women Who Are Starting a Revolution Against Campus Sexual Assault," details Sulkowicz' story and those of others who are trying to make a difference, both at Columbia and in other places.

"(By) pointing a finger not only at assailants but also the American university ... these survivors have built the most effective, organized anti-rape movement since the late '70s," Vanessa Grigoriadis writes in the article.

Sulkowicz' performance piece in particular appears to have struck a chord with other college students.

The "Carrying the Weight Together" Facebook group includes photos of people holding up mattresses and showing solidarity.

These "collective carry" events have taken place at multiple schools, including Centenary College in Louisiana, Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and Arizona State University. More are planned for the future, including one at Columbia's "Take Back the Night" event on Wednesday.

Thousands of college women are sexually assaulted every year — the "one in five" statistic is often cited — and many do not report the incidents.

Those who do come forward with their claims don't always know if administrators or other officials will even go through the proper protocol.

In fact, the Department of Education is currently investigating dozens of colleges and universities for the way they handled sexual assault cases and complaints.

The White House has also gotten involved. President Obama recently launched the "It's On Us" campaign, which encourages individuals to do their part to prevent rape.

"It is on all of us to reject the quiet tolerance of sexual assault and to refuse to accept what's unacceptable," he said.

[Admiral Yi]

The mattress removes any doubt in my mind that she was raped.

[garbon]

The mattress removes any doubt in my mind that she was raped.

Terrible but I couldn't help laugh.

[Martinus]

The mattress removes any doubt in my mind that she was raped.

Terrible but I couldn't help laugh.

Elaborate.

[garbon]

The mattress removes any doubt in my mind that she was raped.

Terrible but I couldn't help laugh.

Elaborate.

In what manner?

[Eddie Teach]

Was it a chortle, a guffaw, a snicker, a giggle?

[Grey Fox]

Alledged rapist are barred from having an education?

[Jacob]

The mattress removes any doubt in my mind that she was raped.

And the important thing in this case, of course, is whether you believe she was raped.

[Admiral Yi]

And the important thing in this case, of course, is whether you believe she was raped.

Oh no.  Clearly the most important thing in this case is that a New Yorker writer thinks it is a totally badass thing to do.

[Legbiter]

The act is part of a performance art piece she is calling "Carry That Weight/Mattress Performance."

Smart girl, her visual arts teacher can't help but give her top marks or else be considered a rape apologist. 

[garbon]

The mattress removes any doubt in my mind that she was raped.

And the important thing in this case, of course, is whether you believe she was raped.

I suppose it is easier to just trivialize the issue. Makes it easier to ignore. Of course, oddly enough that is what her performance art piece is about / has garnered more attention.

[derspiess]

There does seem to be increasing pressure for universities to "do more" to combat and punish alleged rape.  I'm not sure what more can be done though unless they want to strip away due process rights for anyone accused of rape.

[garbon]

There does seem to be increasing pressure for universities to "do more" to combat and punish alleged rape.  I'm not sure what more can be done though unless they want to strip away due process rights for anyone accused of rape.

I don't know - I mean I read that noted article in New York magazine and it had tales of university staff saying a lot of things that indicated they weren't putting much of a priority on it.

"She says one of the three judges even asked whether Paul used lubricant, commenting, 'I don't know how it's possible to have anal sex without lubrication first.'"

"Rape is like football. If you look back on the game, and you're the quarterback..is there anything you would have done differently?"

Besides, considering the mentioned figure that 1 in 5 female students will be sexually assaulted while at university, seems like something should probably be done.

[Legbiter]

Besides, considering the mentioned figure that 1 in 5 female students will be sexually assaulted while at university, seems like something should probably be done.

Well if that Congolese war zone rape figure was even remotely plausible then a military intervention by UN peacekeepers with strong logistics and air support is what would be needed on campuses. What parent in their right mind would send a daughter to university if this was the case and not an example of mass hysteria?

[Malthus]

There does seem to be increasing pressure for universities to "do more" to combat and punish alleged rape.  I'm not sure what more can be done though unless they want to strip away due process rights for anyone accused of rape.

I don't know - I mean I read that noted article in New York magazine and it had tales of university staff saying a lot of things that indicated they weren't putting much of a priority on it.

"She says one of the three judges even asked whether Paul used lubricant, commenting, 'I don't know how it's possible to have anal sex without lubrication first.'"

"Rape is like football. If you look back on the game, and you're the quarterback..is there anything you would have done differently?"

Besides, considering the mentioned figure that 1 in 5 female students will be sexually assaulted while at university, seems like something should probably be done.

Yes, but should it be done by university staff - who have expertise in teaching students and academic discipline, but not necessarily in criminal law - or the police and courts?

I'm not sure I understand the rationale for why the universities ought to become de facto courts for criminal complaints involving students. I understand that the "ask" in this particular protest is for expelling a student based on an allegation of rape that has not yet been proven, essentially because of public pressure built up by her protest. Why is this a good idea?