The Feminist Equality Movement participated in the Carry the Weight Day of Action yesterday evening, carrying a mattress and signs down through Baker Center and down Court Street for Take Back the Night Week.
Bystanders on Court Street succumbed to double takes and rubbernecking as students carried a standard dorm mattress and signs against sexual assault.
As their contribution to Take Back the Night Week, the Feminist Equality Movement participated in the Carry the Weight Day of Action.
The national event, coordinated by the Carrying the Weight Together organization, grew out of an experience at Columbia University, where a sexual assault survivor carried a mattress around campus for her thesis after the university dismissed her accusations against her alleged rapist, said Alanna Foran, an Ohio University sophomore and treasurer of FEM.
“There was a lot of news about it when it happened and it’s kind of died down since; I think that we need to be continually supporting survivors of assault on our campuses,” Foran said.
What started as a handful of students quickly rose in number until about 30 people were standing outside Baker University Center’s first floor with signs reading, “my voice gives consent, not my body” and “no does not mean convince me.”
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After a few brief words from Foran, the group shared in a moment of solidarity for survivors of sexual assault before walking into Baker. A group of four was carrying a mattress while others were carrying signs.
The group took the escalators up Baker Center to walk down Court Street, eventually arriving at Cutler Hall. The students made their walk in relative silence.
“I like their demonstrations a lot, they’re informative, but not in your face,” said Gretchen Snyder, a junior studying music production who is involved with FEM, but didn’t help organize the event.
After the walk, the students set the mattress in front of Cutler and gathered around it.
Foran said that she wanted everyone to have a safe and open space to share stories, experiences, songs, poems or anything else they felt could add to the conversation.
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Though a nervous energy permeated the circle, once the ice was broken many stepped up to share their experiences, their own and those of friends and loved ones.
“I think people put forth the excuse ‘Oh young people drink, this just happens when they’re around each other,’ ” said Ryant Taylor, a senior studying creative writing, current LGBTQA affairs commissioner for Student Senate, presidential candidate on the BARE ticket and previous Post columnist. “I think the conversations needs to be changed to ‘this shouldn’t happen’ and we need to demand a change in how people view these things.”
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