Dozens of members of Students Against State Violence and Students for a Democratic Society rallied Saturday afternoon, passing out fliers, speaking and chalking to raise awareness of SASV’s three major demands.
They demand the University redirect funding for the IU Police Department and Police Academy toward resources for minority students and faculty, restructure the Office of Student Ethics to be autonomous from the administration, and rework general education requirements to promote diversity and social justice education.
As the clock tower struck 2 p.m., they unrolled three banners. The first was yellow, placed directly between the Sample Gates. It read, “IU profits from rape culture.”
The banners occupying the left and right walkways read “Black Lives Matter” and “New Campus Now.”
Even with the banner backdrop, families with toddlers, alumni from decades past and groups of girls in candy-striped overalls continued to wrap their arms around each other and smile for homecoming photos.
Sophomore SDS representative Stanley Njuguna said he hopes passersby were reminded that SASV’s demands are important and don’t disappear simply because IU football happens to be playing.
“Folks are free to drink and partake in the fanfare,” he said. “But they will not be absolved from facing the issues that are affecting people every day in the community.”
Senior Jess Mann of SASV, said the group chose homecoming for the rally because many IU donors would be in town and deserve to know what’s happening on campus.
Some listened. Some did not.
“It’s sort of disheartening that we’re trying to say, ‘Here, look at this information,’ and people don’t even want to look at it,” senior Claudia Brooks said as her freshman sister, Jordan, extended a flier toward a man who ignored her. “It’s not a lot of words on here.”
Their sheets outlined how the former director of student ethics faced allegations of sexual assault last semester and how SASV believes IU should have investigated his case more thoroughly.
Neither of the Brooks sisters had heard about the case before recently becoming involved with SASV, but they had been raised with convictions in social justice issues.
“I would feel really accomplished if the University just acknowledged what we wanted and listened to the dialogue,” Jordan said.
“Yeah, I’d like to get people in general to see there’s a problem,” Claudia said. “I feel like, as a student of the University, wouldn’t you want to know this?”
Just a few yards away from the sisters, Associate Dean of Students Carol McCord spoke with a couple SASV members.
She said she understands the group’s concerns but worries they’re painting with too broad of a stroke. Past problems in staffing, she said, do not mean the current administration is not trained and invested in student well-being.
In addition, she feared the yellow banner could frighten victims of sexual assault and discourage them from seeking help from the University, which offers avenues of support outside of the Office of Student Ethics.
She said those in need can reach out to Sexual Assault Crisis Services, a division of Counseling and Psychological Services, and Confidential Victim Advocates, a segment of the Student Advocates Office.
According to McCord, assessing methods of raising awareness of sexual assault is essential to affecting change.
“We all need to work at this,” McCord said. “The way you do this can make a difference in the life of a real person right now.”
