It’s only been two weeks, but I feel like I’ve learned and accomplished so much. My first day, Meredith Smith shared the first project she wanted me to work on: developing a comprehensive clickthrough site full of resources for survivors of sexual violence and concerned friends and family of survivors. The clickthrough contains phone numbers both on and off campus, medical resources, LGBTQ+ resources, reporting both to Tulane and to the police, accommodation options, resources for victims of continuous sexual violence (relationship abuse, stalking, harassment) and more to come. While some of the resources were direct links and phone numbers, a big part of this project is inviting people an understanding about what to expect from the comfort of their own homes. Survivors are often forced to re-experience their trauma by explaining and re-explaining details to person after person if they decide to come forward, often not knowing the outcome or what a particular resource can offer.
Another important aspect of this resource is affirmation to accompany the information. Survivors often feel they are alone and if they aren’t able to share their experience with anyone, this clickthrough reminds the survivor that they can choose what to do next and this resource is only designed to inform the survivor.
On the second day Meredith Smith was going to be out of the office for a conference, so rather than stay in her empty office typing away at my computer alone, she invited me to the conference to hear Tarana Burke speak. For those of you who don’t know, Tarana Burke is a civil rights activist who founded the “#MeToo” movement back in 2006. Before it blew up in social media, Tarana used “Me too” to raise awareness of the pervasiveness and unfortunately common experience many people go through.
Starting next week I will continue to work on the clickthrough but will also be working on redesigning the Title IX website through the model of other universities. Many universities are clear and easy to navigate, and Tulane hopes to be one of them by the end of the summer.