“You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.” These words echoed through the SUB Atrium Tuesday afternoon, just as it rang through a California courtroom earlier this year, when a Stanford University rape victim read a letter to her assaulter, detailing how the incident continues to affect her life.
The case: two male bicyclists discovered a man atop a partially naked, unconscious woman beside a dumpster. One of the bicyclists restrained the man while the other called the police.
Stanford student Brock Turner wound up receiving six months in county jail and three years of probation after being convicted of assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated woman in addition to other charges — a sentence that would go on to infuriate many across the country.
The judge said a longer sentence would have had a “severe impact” on the nearly Olympic-level swimmers’ life, according to “The Atlantic.”
“Hear Our Voices: Speaking Up Against Sexual Violence” was an hour-long collaboration between Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-NM, the Dean of Students and a slew of UNM organizations and resource centers.
While Torrez opened and closed the presentation and Lujan Grisham made remarks, representatives from different facets of University life read the explicit letter — which went viral following the case’s conclusion — for the bulk of the presentation.
The letter detailed the horror the victim felt when she discovered she had been raped, how the incident permanently altered her life, the “invasive” questions she was asked in court, how Turner’s supporters claimed it was a “misunderstanding,” the gratitude she grants the cyclists who rescued her, the support she grants other victims, and a call for reform of our current “rape culture.”
“In the national climate, it is clear that if we are going to (create) a culture shift at universities, we’ve got to focus the attention at the University,” Lujan Grisham said. “We can and will and must do better.”
LoboRespect Program Coordinator Tina Zuniga, who attended the event, said she saw many people who did not know about the event stop for awhile and listen, rather than simply walking by.
Zuniga said she also noticed people crying at the letter’s words.
“It’s really impactful to have something as intense as that statement really be brought forth to a lot of people who may have not encountered it any other way than that public event,” she said. “It’s important to let people know that this is something that’s not tolerated.”
Zuniga said there are multiple resources at UNM for students who experience sexual harassment or assault. Even more will be implemented in the coming months and years as the University has stated goals to combat the national issue, after reaching a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice, who found UNM policy regarding sexual harassment response to be inadequate.
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Lujan Grisham’s Communications and Deputy District Director, Gilbert Gallegos, said the letter was “so powerful.”
“It really struck a nerve with the congresswoman,” he said.
Part of the letter’s message may also reach out to victims, he said.
“You don’t have to be a victim. You can be strong, especially if other people are behind you to help stand up for this kind of thing,” Gallegos said. “We can defeat it.”
Lujan Grisham is pushing for different legislative conduct in Washington D.C. concerning the issue, he said, and the best way to eventually eliminate this at college campuses is to increase awareness among students.
Koen Alberts, a junior business major, is a Trailblazers alumni ambassador who read an excerpt at the event.
Alberts said he understands that victims can feel ashamed of themselves, and hopes discussions like these will lead to it being less acceptable for offenders to receive minimal punishment.
He said this event may serve as a reminder that sexual harassment is not uncommon, but rather experienced by large numbers of college students.
“We should really change something about it on a political-legislative level, rather than just talk about it and leave it at that,” Alberts said.
One of the most common misconceptions is that sexual assault is usually perpetrated by strangers. Rather, it primarily involves individuals the victim knows, Zuniga said.
It is also a misconception that sexual assault only happens to young, college-aged women, but it “can happen to anyone and it affects everyone when it does happen,” she said.
Alberts said sexual assault often happens to women, but for men, it is very hard to speak out, “because there is this societal pressure of men being masculine and powerful.”
“I hope people see this as not just a feminist issue or women’s issue, but it’s on all of us to improve the way people feel and the way people do things,” he said. “Especially, because I’m a male, I hope people take away that it’s okay for men to talk about it too.”
The DOJ agreement states that every new UNM student is required to receive an in-person, interactive sexual assault training, which will be implemented in the spring.
“We’re starting to see a little bit of a culture shift, not only within the UNM community but within the national dialogue as well about sexual assault,” Zuniga said.
Discussion alone, debunking “rape myths” and being an active bystander are all methods that can help to raise awareness.
Gallegos said Lujan Grisham felt the agreement should encourage the University to continue to discuss sexual assault and to continue to conduct events like these.
During her speech, Lujan Grisham made it clear that she hopes UNM can be a beacon of change and a model for national reforms concerning sexual assault awareness and prevention.
Sexual assault is prevalent in the military, on college campuses, in secondary education and in the general community, she said, which shows that work needs to be done to increase preventative measures, as well as engage the community in the discussion in a different, more engaging way.
“Those are investment and policy strategies, and I’m dedicated to getting both those investments and those policy shifts in a way that makes a difference, to stamp out, once and for all, all sexual violence in this country,” she said. “I realize that’s a heavy load, but it ought to be what we’re all aiming for.”
Elizabeth Sanchez is a reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Beth_A_Sanchez.
