Finding the change: new resources for stopping sexual harassment
In today’s world, it is important to reflect on the way people can come together to solve problems. The Feminist Club has become a club that supports and advocates for the benefit of the student body. In May of 2019, the conversation surrounding sexual harassment resurfaced after a variety of messages were written on the walls in the girls restroom, communicating concerns with how sexual harassment has been handled. At a meeting during the Feminists club in May, following up on the writing, Principal Gregory Neuman and other counselors and school staff members were present to answer questions about the school’s process regarding harassment.
After this, the writing on the girls bathroom stalls were painted over. Despite this, we have moved forward as a school.
Audrey Lipsey, senior, and president of the Feminist club, played a key role in the action to aide students getting support about sexual harassment. Lipsey facilitated the meetings held to discuss the graffiti and issues students were having with the administration. She, along with other members of the Feminist Club, came together to find where the problem was and how to get everyone on the same page.
“The problem that we were approaching last year and we’re still trying to solve is that kind of information, what are the policies, where do I go, wasn’t clear,” Lipsey said. “And so what we’ve done is we’ve created pamphlets about sexual assault and harassment and they have on them resources for where to go if you want to report something. If you have questions, they give definitions and try to answer questions people have. And we gave a staff training last week, talking with the staff about how to reach out to students so that they have a place to go to with staff and people that we know.”
These resources are what students were seeking out last year, and this proves that when our student body comes together on an issue that they are passionate about, we can find the solution.
The Feminist Club meets Fridays in room A101 and its leaders are working to release these resources soon.
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When she's not writing for wlhsNOW.com and the Amplifier, Karina Rower, senior, enjoys working to promote diversity with Affinity Club and volunteering...