In an almost hidden classroom on the seventh floor of Bobst Library, a blue and purple banner decorated with balloon arrangements stood out in the otherwise bland exterior space. Pop music echoed from the room where smells of pasta lingered, encouraging students to enter the space. Goodie bags were set up on the right side of the room, accompanied by the warm welcomes of the organizers who stood by a projected screen.
NYU’s Women in Campus Safety Committee is dedicated to providing professional development and a community space for women pursuing campus safety disciplines. On Wednesday, the organization held a panel titled “Finale: Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” that addressed the rise in sexual assault cases on campus, bringing together university staff, advocates and students to share resources and open dialogue. After an increase in sexual assault cases at NYU was noticed by the committee chairs of WiCS, members decided to host an informational session for campus faculty, staff and students alike. These conversations come at a time where sexual assault cases remain prevalent amongst college campuses, with a staggering 80% to 95% of them going unreported.
Presentations began with Nicole Stover, an admin lieutenant from the Department of Campus Safety and WiCS co-chair, welcoming the crowd to the event. Stover emphasized how this event is part of the organization’s month-long initiative to build safer, more supportive environments at NYU, with an aim of bringing resources to sexual assault victims and those who want to support them. The welcome address was followed by internet personality Kira J’s spoken word poem, “If I Never Get To Love You” which was projected on the main screen. A group of around 15 faculty members and students took their seats to listen.
The vision for all-inclusive support resonated with students who grew up in communities where these conversations rarely happen. SPS senior Sumaya Kashem said events similar to the one put on by WiCS allow many to feel a sense of support and community.
“I come from a conservative Muslim family background and we don’t talk about these conversations,” SPS senior Sumaya Kashem said. “I’m just glad that the conversation is being brought around.”
The first panelist was Lieutenant Gizelle Sanchez from Incident Review and Victim Services who detailed the importance of a “trauma-informed approach” for those who come into contact with their department. This includes addressing immediate safety concerns, contacting individuals with resources such as housing and academic accommodations and scheduling follow-up meetings.
“We stay involved as little or as much as someone really wants,” Sanchez said, “So we really serve as that hub to put people in touch with the appropriate resources.”
While Sanchez’s department is equipped to guide students through the reporting process, not every survivor arrives at the door. For those still trying to make sense of what happened to them, the journey begins somewhere else entirely.
Danielle Elleman, associate director of NYU’s Sexual and Relationship Respect Services, explained that part of her work is helping students understand the differences between sexual assault and relationship violence.
“When you go through a trauma that’s going to affect every aspect of your life, there are things like difficulty concentrating, not being able to leave your house or your bed,” Elleman said. “Sometimes it’s really challenging in the aftermath and it extends to longer periods.”
Elleman, who has worked in positions combatting sexual assault and relationship violence for roughly 20 years, said the most important priority of the SRRS is a student’s comfort and safety — victims will not be asked to repeat their story or provide excessive details when they come for services.
Support for individuals recovering from traumatic experiences must extend across varying sociopolitical identities. Ria Raj, graduate assistant for NYU’s LGBTQ+ Center, emphasized the importance of developing similar programming for the queer community. Through the center, students are able to connect with the health and wellness office, which offers a 24/7 crisis hotline and free HIV testing.
“A huge part of understanding sexual assault awareness month and those who have been impacted by sexual violence — many of these folks are part of the LGBTQ+ community and being negatively affected by these things is a really difficult intersectional issue,” Raj said during the presentation.
For WiCS co-chair and Lieutenant Dara Tafawa, “support is all-inclusive.” She went into detail about her organization’s initiatives for this Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This included tabling events that featured bystander flyers and discrete safety cards, webinars to support those facing secondary trauma and a film screening of “I Am Evidence,” a 2017 documentary produced by Mariska Hargitay which exposes the concerning number of untested rape kits in the United States.
Tafawa explained that besides spreading necessary information — like uploading a list of hospitals that do sexual assault-related testing — the main goal of WiCS’s initiative is for victims to feel supported and not isolated.
Wednesday’s panel embodied that mission — creating spaces where students and faculty across backgrounds can access resources, feel seen and understand that they are not alone. Physical security system administrator and WiCS steering committee member Jhosnayda Frias advocates for an even wider outreach moving forward.
“It shouldn’t only matter in a month,” Frias said. “It should be throughout the whole year, even if it’s a workshop here and there. I don’t think a month should define when we educate the community for things like this.”
Contact Angie Diaz Gonzalez at [email protected].