By Rachael DurantEDITORIAL EDITOR
On Monday, April 13, a bright and sunny spring morning, Hofstra students walked across campus to begin the week of classes after spring break. After crossing the unispan, a line of T-shirts could be seen along the sides of the walkway leading out from the library and onto the academic side of campus. A display in front of Hammer Lab explained that the T-shirts are a part of the Clothesline Project, a measure geared toward raising awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault.
The Tshirts color represents the kind of abuse endured by a victim, and the messages on the shirts aim to help educate about the real impact of these kinds of abuse.
The display took my breath away. I have participated in the Clothesline Project before. In 2006, a classmate of mine and his mother were murdered in a domestic violence incident. Caique Souza was only 11 years old.
This event forever stamped the importance of domestic violence prevention and intervention into my mind. We participated in the Clothesline Project to bring to light an issue that is so often kept in the dark.
Putting these T-shirts in such a public place helps to bring these uncomfortable issues to the forefront. Sparking a discussion about these sensitive issues is incredibly important.
We need to have a dialogue to better understand how we can ensure these horrible things do not happen in our community, and if they do, how we can support the victims.
Some could argue that putting the T-shirts out there could be painful for survivors. When coming across the unispan, there is a trigger warning. Others might not understand the need for this discussion to take place. Unfortunately, sexual assault and domestic violence are very real issues for students on college campuses, and in the world at large.
According to literature from the Its On Us campaign, one in five college women and one in sixteen college men are sexually assaulted. One in three women and one in four men will experience violence from a partner in their lifetime, according to statistics on the No More website, a campaign that looks to end domestic violence and sexual assault. These scary statistics outline how common this issue is.
There are swells of activism surrounding certain issues. Domestic violence and sexual assault have been at the forefront lately due to a couple of hot news items. For example, the NFL has been mired in scandals involving players being accused of abusing their partners. Universities and colleges are being actively investigated by the government for Title XI violations, specifically for the way in which sexual assaults are reported, or not reported.
These headlines help drive these issues to the front of our minds and top of our social media feeds. Its important to not let this become another fad. We have a responsibility to continue this discussion.
We need to talk about these issues. We need to find solutions. It is important to have T-shirts hanging to remind us that domestic violence and sexual assault are real and pervasive issues.
The Clothesline Project being displayed in such a public place is a step in the right direction.
The views and opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section are those of the authors of the articles. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.