Objective

• Identify risks of sexual assault, including date rape, and where to get help

Directions

Watch the following video, in which Emma Sulkowicz, a student at Columbia College, describes the experience and aftermath of being raped by a fellow student—who remains on campus.

1. Click on the following link, and read the followup article, which describes Emma’s response to the way the university handled her case: “Students Bring out Mattresses in Huge ‘Carry That Weight’ Protest Against Sexual Assault.”
2. Write a short essay (2–3 pages) in which you respond to the following questions:
   • What were the results of Emma’s “Carry That Weight” protest?
   • Do you think it was an effective strategy for dealing with the problem of sexual assault at Columbia and other colleges? Why or why not?
   • Who has the responsibility for addressing this problem? (College administrators? The police? All students? Female or male students? Someone else?)  Which approach do you think would have the greatest impact? (Education? Activism? Policy change? Something else?)