The Dickinsonian Above, a portion of the estimated 3,000 people who gathered at Biddle Field listen to a musical performance. The stories are almost always the same. These young women have been victim- ized by their fellow classmates. They have been coerced or forced to have sex against their will. Few have come forward and fewer still have taken their complaints to the discipline system.
Victims are often ashamed, afraid, traumatized, and unclear about exactly what happened.
But victims are generally quite clear that something happened that they did not want to happen and to which they did not consent. These are the individuals who did not want the sex when they were having it, communicated that they didn't want it, but were nevertheless coerced or ignored. Students must understand that sexual assault is a real crime that happens on this campus each year. Women must empower them- selves. The Women's Center is actively working this year to address these issues.