‘The Hunting Ground’ Airs at ESUSends Message to Students: Be Aware of Sexual Assault

“The Hunting Groung” encourages university students to spread awareness about sexual assults on campuses. Photo Courtesy / The Hunting Ground “The Hunting Groung” encourages university students to spread awareness about sexual assults on campuses. Photo Courtesy / The Hunting Ground
“The Hunting Groung” encourages university students to spread awareness about sexual assults on campuses. Photo Courtesy / The Hunting Ground
“The Hunting Groung” encourages university students to spread awareness about sexual assults on campuses.
Photo Courtesy / The Hunting Ground

Amy Lothian
Student Life Editor

Last Wednesday, ESU students and faculty joined together to stream the “eye-opening” documentary “The Hunting Ground.”

Viewers were invited to engage in an intimate Q&A session between Sophie Karasek, co-founder of the End Rape on Campus (EROC) survivor advocacy group and Dr. Doreen Tobin, Vice President of Student Affairs at ESU.

EROC stemmed from the friendship of University of North Carolina students Andrea Pino and Annie E. Clarke, both of victims of assault on UNC’s campus.

With Karasek and two other advocates, the women fueled what began as one federal complaint, and turned into a nation-wide call for action from victims across the country who have begun taking legal action against their universities under violations Title IX.

The film, now streaming on Netflix, follows the stories of students, like Karasek who were assaulted on their college campus, and were neglected and shamed when they brought the offenses to light.

Karasek became an advocate for gender equity after her own experiences at the University of California at Berkeley.

She took several federal actions against the college and has since aided hundreds of other students in holding their schools accountable for their crimes.

“You have the power, the power of storytelling”, says Karasek on reactions from the institutions, national news sources and making connections with other victims.

EROC works to educate campus communities by providing methods for preventing, reforming, and ending the way these crimes are handled.

Streaming “The Hunting Ground” is intended to “bring this to the attention of ESU students,” said Dr. Doreen Tobin.

ESU has invited EROC peer educators to work alongside university clubs, sports teams, Greek life and faculty on prevention and supportive resources provided by the university and surrounding community.

ESU’s actions against sexual assault aim to go well beyond the inclusion of Title IX on University syllabi.

ESU’s provides resources including but not limited to University Police, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and ESU Human Resources.

President, Marcia G. Welsh ensures that she will “put nothing above the well-being of [ESU] students.”

Find out more about on campus resources and future events surrounding the topic by visiting the Student Activities Association office or website at www.esu.com/saa.

Find out more about End Rape on Campus, Sophie Karasek and the Title IX initiative at endrapeoncampus.org.

Email Amy at:
alothian1@live.esu.edu