Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Power Of A Voice, Anonymous

SURGE

**Trigger warning: sexual assault

I was a freshman in college and I became a ‘juvenile victim’. I became an article online and the talk of a bored group of people thinking of how crazy life is. I became comments on Facebook and I became comments in a courtroom. In all that I became, I was nameless, faceless, voiceless. That was what got to me most. I was voiceless in the process as much as I was when he stood over me, and all I could ask was, when did my voice stop mattering? [excerpt]

You Know One Of Us, Emma Love

SURGE

**Trigger warning: sexual assault

I am afraid of my bed.

I am also afraid of heather blue shirts. Men’s voices make me jump. I am constantly scanning crowds, always looking for the closest exit. I sit with my back to the wall. I no longer eat at Servo for lunch or dinner, or walk down a specific pathway as a shortcut home. Instead, I take the long way through the middle of campus to get back to my room. If I see someone with the same haircut or wearing similar clothes, I start to tremble. Unexpected touches from male friends, …

Are We Done Waiting?, Katie F. Mercer

SURGE

**Trigger warning: sexual assault

In the past month students in surrounding colleges have been protesting and challenging administrative policies regarding sexual assault, yet many of us at Gettysburg are unaware of these events. Members of our shared community have stood up to injustice they have faced on campus. On January 30, 2020 an article was published in The Dickinsonan newspaper titled “I’m Done Waiting for Dickinson to Take Sexual Assault Seriously,” in which senior Rose McAvoy recounts not only the horrifying tale of her violent sexual assault, but also the college’s incompetency and failure to take appropriate action. [excerpt …

My "Me Too" Coming Out, Jennifer C. Balter

SURGE

The words “Me too” litter my Facebook page,

no trigger warning, no apology.

Mothers, including my own,

friends, neighbors, aunts, teachers.

“Me too.” [excerpt]

In The Wake Of A Report, Rebecca L. Holden

SURGE

**TW: Sexual Assault

Earlier in the semester, many students and professors gathered in the Junction from 10 am until well into the evening to watch as Christine Blasey Ford and now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were each questioned at length. In all that has happened in the past two years, the looming feeling that spread through campus on this day was the closest rival to that which invaded campus on the morning of November 9th, 2016. [excerpt]

Knowing Their Audience: The Dynamics Of Multiple Strategic Collective Action Frames By W.O.A.R. (Women Organized Against Rape), Laurel S. Downie

Student Publications

Using the sociological theory of collective action frames and scholarship on the anti-sexual violence movement, the analysis discusses multiple frames (rights frames, counter frames, and injustice frames) used by Women Organized Against Rape (W.O.A.R). It shows that in correspondence with public officials, W.O.A.R used rights frames to advocate for reform. Meanwhile, in responses to media outlets and in their own publication, WOARpath, W.O.A.R used counter frames to deconstruct rape culture. The final two sections of the paper place this analysis in conversation with prominent critiques of the anti-sexual violence movement: its lack of intersectionality and emphasis on victimization and vulnerability. …

Happy Graduation., Joy Zanghi

SURGE

High school graduation is often considered the first step into a life of new beginnings, independence, and quasi-adulthood. It is a time of celebration, a time to recognize that all of those years of hard work have paid off. Of course, there are graduation presents from family members to reward all of that work and congratulate the graduate for beginning of the rest of their lives. My graduation present, though, is something I hope I never find a use for. [excerpt]

I Was Assaulted, Anonymous

SURGE

TRIGGER WARNING: Contains content about sexual assault

My first assault happened when I was 18. It was the summer after high school and I was at my boyfriend’s graduation party. None of us had much experience drinking and that night my boyfriend, at the time, drank more than he should have. We hadn’t been dating very long; we were still getting to know each other. When the party started to die down we decided to sneak into the basement for some alone time. At first I was unsure what to make of that night. Even though it hurt and I …

Fearless Friday: Julie Davin, Julie E. Davin

SURGE

In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring all of the amazing work that Julie Davin ’17 does for our community.

Julie, originally from Newtown, Connecticut, is currently a senior at Gettysburg College majoring in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and minoring in English and Philosophy. Over the course of her college career, Julie has been involved with the Gettysburg Anti-Capitalist Collective (GACC), Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA), Outerspace (formerly Friend or Foe), SURGE, Gettysburg Cares, and the annual Vagina Monologues. This long list of activities does not faze Julie; she cares deeply about each and every cause …

A Targeted Existence, Melissa J. Lauro

SURGE

Over the summer, I visited a friend from Gettysburg who was having a party. The party was fun for the first half, and I was having a good time, so I decided to stay the night instead of walk in the dark to the bus. This is what parents and educators and older sisters and women everywhere had taught me: stay with people you know; clutch your keys in your hand; don’t walk alone. I was staying with my friend from school; I was safe. [excerpt]

Object To Your Affection, Melissa J. Lauro

SURGE

Recently a guy in one of my classes defended objectification of women on the grounds that if he cares for a girl, he will treat her like he treats his most treasured objects; he used his coat as an example. He said that he loved his coat, he wouldn’t let it touch the ground, and he took great care of it; he would do the same for any girl he cared about, for “his girl.” [excerpt]