Editor’s Note: This story includes mention of sexual violence. Resources are available here. All opinions, columns and letters reflect the views of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the IDS or its staffers.
I was walking to Wright Quadrangle when I heard the words “Cornell 7” in a conversation behind me. I nosily slowed my pace and awkwardly craned my neck to try to listen to the girl explaining the story: one Jane Doe and one “friend” turned into one victim, seven alleged rapists, and 50 bystanders. It shouldn’t have shocked me as much as it did to hear someone so openly criticizing Cornell University’s handling of the situation, or the fact that it happened in the first place, but it did anyways. I ate my dinner, reposted another article about Jane Doe, and shared non-campus resources for sexual assault victims on my story.
Media frenzy over something controversial, especially something political, is nothing new. But for some reason, though I’m only a freshman, I’ve never been so acutely aware of how the energy on campus has shifted. Women I haven’t spoken to or interacted with in ages are coming out of the online woodworks to post about Jane Doe. I’m finding allies in places I never thought I would — behind me heading to the dining hall, elevators, online — and enemies in all the places I expected. The difference between the average female college student and her average male classmate has never been more obvious — at least, to me. I find men complaining about the media frenzy around the Cornell case, or even whining about why sexual assault is such a big talking point anyways. Particularly, I saw a guy in my dorm group chat wondering why IU even bothers with Bystander Intervention programs.
One of the hardest things for a lot of men to grasp is that for women, sexual assault isn’t a possibility, it’s almost a guarantee. Every woman I know has been sexually harassed, and sexual assault is simply the next step up: a comment turns into a grab, a hug turns into an unwanted kiss, a date turns into something else entirely. To be a woman means to be objectified, disrespected, and used, in ways that a man could never fully understand. This is why the Cornell case is so powerful — what Jane Doe is speaking up about is something that every woman has been taught to prepare themselves for.
Women have joined a growing trend saying they “are Jane Doe” because they want to protect her identity, yes. But women also say they are Jane Doe because we are — we have lived through harassment, we have lived through assault, we have lived through “nice guys” and the typical utterances of "it was just a joke" and "we're cool, right?" It’s empowering to see a woman so brazenly calling out the abuse she faced because we live in a society that actively allows it.
I am Jane Doe. She is Jane Doe. Every woman is Jane Doe.
Lauren Vivo (she/they) is a freshman studying psychology and political science & philosophy with an intent on enrolling in law school.
A list of resources is available here if you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment or abuse.
