A Campus Community in Crisis

by Darryl Roberts ‘98,

originally published in the May 2, 1997 S&B

“Today we mourn for the Grinnell College student who was the victim of one of the most unspeakable acts of brutality against a human being; we mourn for the countless other victims of rape and sexual assault who must live with scars that even time cannot heal; and we also mourn for the family members, loved ones and friends of rape victims who must live with the piercing reality that they were not able to prevent a rape from occurring against someone whom they love and care for.

“What is important is not the identity of the person who was the victim of rape on this campus. What is important, however, is what we as students, faculty and administrators are going to do to address this issue and ensure that Grinnell College becomes a place where men and women have adequate resources and support to protect themselves against individuals who pose a threat to their safety and survival.

“As a first step, we must acknowledge the overwhelming fear and anxiety that women must live with from day-to-day in a milieu where few men respect their human dignity and self-worth. No woman should have to live each day with the threat of being attacked at any moment by an aggressor. No women should be asked to live in an environment that expects them to depend on men for protection and/or inadequate resources to ensure their safety and survival.

“No matter how much this community wants to accept this, the recent incident reveals students' vulnerability to crime and violence on this campus. Unfortunately, Grinnell is not the utopia or safe or insular environment which it promises to be to most of its students; it is a pseudo utopia whose existence is as much threatened by violence and crime as is the larger society. However, when this institution sees itself in isolation to the outside world, it risks the danger of perpetuating a continuous cycle of internal conflict.”