Food and Musicals

An article came out about 2 weeks after spring break saying that 15% of women at UT were victims of sexual assault, the article came out a week after my best friend was raped. This article came out 2 months after one of the girls I was supposed to guide was sexually assaulted. By her friend. This article came out 4 months I found out the first person I met at UT was raped. By someone I was friends with. I know rape victims. I know rapists. Of the three, only one was reported and helped form the 15% statistic. Where would that statistic be if every person reported who wronged them? What is it that prevents a victim from coming up to yell out how they were hurt? Why is the stigma beyond sexual assault such that it prevents a victim from feeling that they have a voice to say that something happened? Why has this culture that has been created in colleges that dismisses rape, a violation of human dignity, as something that should be punished or even discussed? Nothing has ever impacted me the same way as finding out my friends were raped. I tease myself as being prideful of being emotionally dead and never showing what I feel outside, but I would find myself literally sobbing as I walked to class. I'd find myself so angry I'd need to kick a wall or throw something across my room. I know depression, but this wasn't that. But I'm being selfish, it destroyed the victims more, it's not my story to tell how they coped, but the best people you know shouldn't have to deal with this. They say no means no to all guys and every guy says that they totally respect women, and this is not my rant against men, but that's not an idea that's taught well... I am a proud member of Greek life and I love every moment of it, but the hook up culture in it has reduced the meaning of a sexual relationship to a notch in someone's list of hook ups. And to those who do it consensually, have fun and be safe, there's just those who forget the consent part and feel pressured to engage in the hook up culture. Frat culture celebrates sex regardless of consent, yes there's plenty gentlemen who make the majority who do have consensual relationships, but the need that frat members have to hook up leads them to believe that they are entitled somehow to take charge of a hook up even if it goes against what both parties want. The desire to get that "nice job bro" the next morning trumps their ability to admit a strike out that night.