Elliot Mollie Hunting Ground Response

1. In order to raise awareness about sexual assault on college campuses there needs to be a definite change in the rhetoric and tone towards sexual assault survivors, perpetrators, and the claims of sexual assault in general. The persistent ignorance and rape culture in our society is the main reason why sexual assault continues to be a pervasive threat on our college campuses. I believe that the stories of trauma need to be shared more often, if only to combat the belief by many that sexual assault is “not that bad”. This victim-blaming, uncaring, and unwilling rhetoric surrounding rape and sexual assault is the reason why even after having evidence and proof of rapes many authority figures in our country overlook sexual assault claims. The only real way to change this mindset is to show people images and stories like Hunting Ground and Til it Happens to You. We have gotten past the need for numbers and facts, and into the time for personal feelings and emotion. After watching these films I was much more moved to take action to combat sexual assault than I was after Googling how many rapists go free.

2. Our activism organization was the EROC (End Rape On Campus). The two founders of this organization are Annie E. Clark, who is the executive director and a published author, and Sofie Karasek, who is their Director of Education and a subject of The Hunting Ground. This organization’s key objectives are to raise awareness about campus rapes and to directly support victims and their families. They also want to push campus, state, and federal policy reforms that make sure that no rapist goes without punishment. Through this, they hope to put an end to the normalized campus rapes going on in many colleges all throughout the country. This organization is currently internet exclusive. They have no paid staff and receive no substantial funding from any government organization. Furthermore, it is important that we aid not only the EROC, but all organizations that seek to expose the frequent but ignored rapes going on on college campuses. This organization has also been praised on the news, not only because they have done good things, but also because this is a relatively isolated organization. It isn’t too well-known, nor is it adequately funded, but the articles that are written about it from major news outlets have nothing but good things to say.