Hundreds of Davidson College students rallied on Chambers Lawn on Thursday, Oct. 8, demanding the school hire a gender violence intervention coordinator and overhaul its survivor resources.

Two students hung a green banner reading "Silence = Violence" from a second-floor window of the Chambers academic building as the crowd gathered below, The Davidsonian reported. The event capped a week of student-led activism organized by Jennifer Vo, a Davidson College senior and chemistry major, and a coalition called Students Against Sexual Violence.

The rally was one of dozens held at colleges nationwide as part of a National Day of Action against sexual violence. The movement grew from high-profile sexual assault cases at Cornell University and Louisiana State University.

Katie Horowitz, an associate professor of gender and sexuality studies who has taught at Davidson since 2014, told the crowd the Oct. 8 gathering was "the largest protest I have seen at Davidson in my twelve years here."

The crowd wore green in solidarity.

Organizer Abby Wan, a Davidson first-year student, opened the rally with a moment of silence, then led a chant: "We love you. We believe you. We will fight for you."

A week of action

The activism began Friday, Oct. 2, when about 30 students met at the Spencer Weinstein Center for a planning session. By Saturday, Oct. 3, students had painted more than 50 posters and signs with slogans like "We Stand With Jane Doe."

Organizers spent the week distributing flyers, collecting student artwork and compiling a zine of poetry, essays and paintings. Anneliese Hawgood, a Davidson senior, created a poster reading "Stop Sexual Violence: Protect students NOT reputations" that was shared on Instagram by national groups including #MeToo and Feminist Generation.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, Vo published an op-ed in The Davidsonian arguing that Davidson's survivor support system is fragmented. She wrote that the college lacks a gender violence intervention coordinator, a confidential sexual violence advocate and a women's or gender resource center.

Demands and data

At the rally, Vo outlined the coalition's demands: updating campus survivor resources, increasing transparency in the reporting process, forming a student-faculty committee on sexual violence prevention, hiring a gender violence intervention coordinator and establishing a campus crisis center.

The day before the rally, Davidson released its three-year sexual misconduct report. Rally organizers presented findings to the crowd. The Davidsonian's rally coverage cited 103 reports of sexual misconduct and five formal complaints, with only one heard by a hearing officer. Vo's op-ed cited a broader figure of 110 reports covering sexual misconduct, relationship abuse, violence and stalking, with three formal complaints filed and none resulting in a ruling for the complainant.

Davidson College's administration has not publicly responded to the coalition's specific demands. Vo told The Davidsonian that campus offices she met with agreed to work toward improvements, but no formal institutional commitment has been announced.

In total, 38 student organizations co-sponsored the Oct. 8 event, including fraternities Phi Gamma Delta and Lambda Theta Phi. Patterson Court Council President Annalee Stuardi-Drumm said all Patterson Court organizations were encouraged to co-sponsor.

What comes next

Vo told The Davidsonian she has already met with Davidson's Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, the Chaplain's Office, Title IX, Health Education and Student Health and Well-Being.

One early result: the coalition is working with Davidson Health and Well-Being to update the campus resource website, which Vo described as outdated and difficult to navigate.

Vo said organizers are planning sexual assault prevention trainings with Patterson Court Council, including fraternities, and setting up meetings with peer institutions in North Carolina.