Student's art project targets campus rape
A college student is drawing attention to the issue of sexual assaults on campus with her senior thesis art project.
Emma Sulkowicz, 21, a senior visual arts major at Columbia University is planning on carrying a mattress with her wherever she goes until her alleged rapist leaves the campus, Columbia Daily Spectator reports.
"A mattress is the perfect size for me to just be able to carry it enough that I can continue with my day, but also heavy enough that I have to continually struggle with it," said Sulkowicz in an interview with the Spectator. Sulkowicz is not allowed to ask for help to carry the mattress during her performance, but others can give a hand if they would like.
Sulkowicz is calling her thesis "Mattress Performance" or "Carry That Weight". The mattress, she said, represents her privacy that she ended up bringing to the public attention after the sexual assault when she started sharing her story with the media. "Actively carrying something that is normally found in our bedrooms, out into the light is supposed to mirror the way I have talked to the media, news channels, etc. " she explained.
Sulkowicz told the Spectator that the sexual assault took place in the beginning of her sophomore year, but due to her feelings of shame and embarrassment she couldn't come forward to notify the authorities. She found courage to do so when she met two other female students who said that they were assaulted by the same fellow student.
After the incidents were brought to the attention of school authorities, the alleged rapist was found "not responsible" in all 3 cases, Sulkowicz said in an interview with the Spectator. She was also among the 23 students that filed three separate complaints against Columbia University.
College sexual assaults and the handling of the allegations have become a hot topic nationwide with an increasing numbers of complaints. The issue has gathered so much attention that The White House formed a special task force to investigate the issue.
