Rose Scholars Meet Elizabeth Garrett and Ryan Lombardi

Combating sexual assault is the responsibility of more than just the sexual assault victim. We all need to have open discussion about the problems and not shame the victims. It is our responsibility to help the victims come forward with their assault incidences and make them feel comfortable about doing so. Accessibility is a key issue. The question raised is how can we ensure victims have and are aware of the appropriate resources in the event of a sexual assault?

That is where all of our roles come in. We need to be educated about these resources and the high prevalence of sexual assault campus. We need to understand how often we let these incidences slide or belittle the severity of the situation. The stats on sexual assault is astounding and should not be the reality. No one should have to feel violated in the place that is their home while they are receiving an education. Sexual assault is needs to be tackled as a campus community, not by individuals impacted already. It is refreshing to hear the Cornell Student Assembly tackle such an important issue and involve Cornell President, Elizabeth Garrett, and VP of Student and Campus Life, Ryan Lombardi, to also speak on the issue and know it is on their radar.