Society pushes a narrative that sexual violence is a black-and-white situation, when in reality, most people’s experiences are the gray in between.

The Sexual Assault and Rape Anonymous Hotline (S.A.R.A.H.) at WashU is ceasing 24/7 service after almost 10 years, citing decreased staff capacity. The peer hotline will now only be available from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m starting Feb. 6 and through to the end of the semester.

From the embarrassingly marketing-laden websites to the contrived allusions to a commitment to diversity, the expectation that we students should treat the administration as an external, distant entity is very quickly and clearly communicated to us freshmen. Is it any wonder that we treat brochures as punchlines? 

Following US Department of Education regulations that limited Title IX’s scope in May 2020, Washington University’s Title IX and Gender Equity Office, the Rape and Sexual Violence Prevention Center and student groups such as Title Mine have worked to implement a variety of new initiatives addressing the DeVos regulations.

In light of the recent controversy surrounding Kappa Sigma’s new pledge class, Title IX and Campus Life are clarifying their respective roles in the response process to allegations of sexual assault.

Title Mine presented five proposals relating to the Title IX office and survivor support systems on campus to Chancellor Andrew Martin Nov. 23.

Washington University administrators hosted a listening session to discuss how to rebuild trust in the University’s Title IX process and how the University can address sexual violence on campus following the results of the 2019 AAU Campus Climate Survey Oct. 17.

42.5% of undergraduate women will experience nonconsensual sexual contact with physical force by their fourth year at Washington University, according to findings released in the Association of American Universities (AAU) Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct, Oct. 15.

Student Union hosted the second Game Day event of the year in preparation for the Washington University’s football team’s home game against Illinois Wesleyan University Oct. 20. SU partnered with WUSTL Athletics, Green Dot, Student Affairs, the Olin Business School and United Provisions for the programming.

The system is broken every step of the way, and a complete rethinking of the Title IX process and how the school supports survivors—even beyond reporting—is needed.