As I scrolled through social media these past weeks, I started to notice that many people were posting #MeToo statuses on social media. “Me Too” is a hashtag that a person can use to share that they are a survivor of sexual assault. The movement picked up momentum after the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein went viral; as many women bravely spoke up against him, they blazed a path for others to feel safe disclosing their stories of survival as well. Reading the posts on my timeline, though, I was heartbroken to see so many of my friends posting #MeToo.

This week I read an article on CNN called, “How #MeToo Could Move from Social Campaign to Social Change.” The article states that, “Twitter reports that more than 1.7 million

women and men have used the hashtag in 85 countries,” here by showing just how widespread sexual assault is around the globe. I was in awe of the courage of these people to share such sensitive information about themselves with the world by using two powerful words.

I became interested in finding out what Hamilton was doing to provide support to survivors of sexual assault. For one, there is the Counseling Center, which is a great resource on campus. Additionally, behind the doors of all public bathroom stalls is a poster with many other resources on campus such as the College Chaplain, the Health Center, and Peer Advocates, who are students trained to help survivors figure out what steps they can take to obtain the support they need.

I had heard about all of these resources before, but one I did not know much about was

SMART, the Sexual Misconduct and Assault Reform Task-Force which was created after the release of the 2015–2016 the Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Board (HSMB) report.

At an information session on Oct. 24, SMART unveiled their new initiatives — PASA and STOP. The group asked, “Are you passionate about sexual assault?” and “Do you want to make a real impact in eradicating rape culture on campus?”

The first program SMART talked about was PASA. PASA stands for Policy Advisors for Sexual Assault. PASA members are a confidential resource for survivors. After reading a pamphlet SMART members gave me, I learned that there are many steps that come with reporting sexual assault. There are “extensive meetings with the Title IX Coordinator” then there is the “HSMB hearing, the decision, and severe emotional trauma.” This can cause survivors to feel overwhelmed and unsure about all of their options. PASA members guide survivors through each step of the Title IX process and serve as an emotional support.

While PASA members work with survivors directly, STOP members work with Hamilton Students that want to learn more about sexual assault prevention. STOP stands for Student Trainers for Outreach Programming. Members of STOP facilitate “SMART Talks” for different organizations, such as fraternities or clubs. SMART Talks are discussion-based workshops created by the SMART Programming Committee to teach members of the campus about sexual assault.

The STOP members will increase awareness of sexual assault that happens on campus and educate people about how to prevent it.

I think that organizations like SMART and their initiatives PASA and STOP are incredibly important on this campus. These initiatives are both necessary and will enact an important change on this campus with regards to the issue of sexual assault.

For those who posted #MeToo — and for those who did not but are still survivors — I admire your bravery and encourage you to look into these new resources that are being offered on campus. I want you to know that there is confidential support available on campus, and you are not alone. To those hoping to assist in addressing this problem, I encourage you to become a member of any of the organizations I have listed in this article.

Hopefully, we as a community can continue to rally around this issue and maintain the first steps of progress that we have put in place.