Emma Sulkowicz, a visual arts senior at the University of Columbia, has been carrying a mattress around her campus in a demonstration to protest her school’s lack of action toward her sexual assault.
During her sophomore year, Sulkowicz claims that she was sexually assaulted by a male who is accused to have done the same to two other girls also taking part in the protest. It was only after discovering there were others that Sulkowicz decided to come forward, because she realized that the accused male would continue to attack other women.
Emma Sulkowicz carrying her mattress around Columbia University.
Sulkowicz had been carrying the “heavy load” since she started classes weeks ago on campus grounds. She claimed she would continue to carry the twin sized dorm mattress until justice was served.
“I will be carrying this dorm room mattress everywhere I go for as long as I attend the same school as my rapist,” Sulkowicz said on video to The Columbia Spectator. “A mattress is the perfect size for me to just be able to carry it enough that I can continue with my day, but also heavy enough that I have to continually struggle with it.”
An approximation of about a dozen mattresses were arranged on Columbia’s campus grounds, according to The Huffington Post. A few of them which had red tape on them read, “Stand With Survivors” and “Carry That Weight.”
Sulkowicz was able to gain positive attention not only from fellow CU students on campus, but discussion on social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter was also trending in support of her demonstration. Tweets included “Some days give you hope: Students help Columbia rape survivor carry mattress in solidarity” and “Anti-rape protest at Columbia University in New York. Sad that it’s necessary.”
Sulkowicz stated that the initial intention of the protest was to be a statement about the way the university has handled the situation, as well as a work of art, which will serve as her senior thesis project called “Carrying that Weight.”
Although Sulkowicz gained a lot of positive attention, she also received backlash. During an interview with TODAY, she explained “The most painful thing for me has been dealing with people who doubt me and think, ‘Oh she’s doing this art piece, she must be lying’ or ‘This never happened to her. She’s a slut. She’s a liar.’ All the people somehow are using the attention I’ve gotten to discredit me.”
With increasing stories of victims coming out with their stories, it is a major concern that issues like sexual assault are becoming a common factor within colleges across the country. Although victims are gaining enough courage to speak up, the matter should not be affecting such a huge population. In a nationally representative survey of adults, 37.4 percent of female rape victims were first raped between ages 18-24. In a study of undergraduate women, 19 percent were found to have experienced attempted or completed sexual assault since entering college according to the CDC.
University of Tampa’s MBA student, Eunice Mungai, expressed that she is extremely against the malicious act. “I believe that there should be more awareness on rape for college students and even high school students,” Mungai said. “Different sororities, fraternities, clubs and student organisations should raise awareness among their groups and peers.”
The Obama administration has appointed a White House task force to enforce guidelines, educate students and treat both the accuser and the accused, according to The New York Times.
President Obama and Vice President Biden launched a new sexual assault prevention campaign, “It’s On Us,” to help in the fight against sexual abuse within America. The campaign has gained the support of about 200 schools who have pledged to help keep not only women but also men from sexual assault and to avoid the bystander effect but to be problem solvers in such a situation.
Irene Sidede can be reached at irene.sidede@spartans.ut.edu