this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2026
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Today I Learned

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Columbia University senior Emma Sulkowicz, 21, says she was raped in her own bed at the beginning of her sophomore year. This week, two years after the alleged assault, Sulkowicz, a visual-arts major, has made a promise to carry her mattress around campus every day as part of her senior thesis. It is, she says, a symbol of the burden sexual-assault survivors carry with them every day.

“The act of carrying the mattress from inside my room out into the light has mirrored the way my life has changed, as I’ve brought my personal story out into the light,” Sulkowicz told TIME. “This project is a way to heal one of the most difficult things that happened to me. As I will build muscle and get stronger, hopefully I will also build emotional strength.”

Sulkowicz started the performance-art project on Tuesday, and she said she is determined to continue carrying the mattress wherever she goes — to class, the library, the gym — as long as her alleged rapist is still on campus. That means her project could last until graduation day in May 2015 — unless her alleged assailant is either expelled or chooses to leave the school. Last year, Sulkowicz and two other women reported the same person to the university. All three cases were dismissed.

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[–] Snapz@lemmy.world 56 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

As the linked article didn't include any photos of what was being discussed...

[–] NewSocialWhoDis@lemmy.zip 40 points 20 hours ago

I appreciate the friend behind her helping her carry it. Solidarity.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 9 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Good for her

This is completely unacceptable. The fact that multiple women reported the same guy is a huge red flag

[–] Snapz@lemmy.world 29 points 20 hours ago

The story's lead image, of the person that famously always carried the mattress... is of her not holding a mattress?

Did we do a journalism, Dad?

[–] CptOblivius@lemmy.world 54 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

What an absolute shit university Columbia has become.

[–] OleFoFa@lemmy.world 27 points 22 hours ago

It does reflect the US though

[–] moldy_rice@piefed.keyboardvagabond.com 66 points 1 day ago (2 children)

In January 2015, New York's U.S. senator Kirsten Gillibrand invited Sulkowicz to attend the 2015 State of the Union Address.[5] Families Advocating for Campus Equality said the invitation was "undeserved and violates the principles of confidentiality and gender equality of Title IX",

Wow, TIL about this asshole NGO that defends rapists

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Families_Advocating_for_Campus_Equality

[–] Randelung@lemmy.world 38 points 1 day ago

"Families Advocating" oh yeah, definitely a racist/sexist/bigoted organization. They're not all named like this, but those that are, are very likely very shitty.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 32 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (51 children)

Well after reading the wiki, I wouldn’t call it that:

Specifically, FACE objects to many schools' Title IX proceedings that deny students basic procedures traditionally provided to those defending themselves against allegations of wrongdoing, such as: not being informed of the specific accusations, denied access to the complaint, witness statements, and evidence, and not being permitted to contact and present witnesses.

I think due process is one of the fundamental principles of our society, be for it murder, rape or petty theft.

[–] Boost@lemmy.world 7 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

This reminds me of a reddit post from a while ago. Dude is going to a university in the US. He's randomly contacted by campus police to let him know that a student has taken out a restraining order on him. He's a graduate student, and the student who took out the restraining order is from one of his classes that's typically for undergrads. Other than sharing that class, he doesn't know the student. Never even spoken to them. He's on a student visa, if he's expelled, he'll likely be deported. He's not allowed to speak to the student and campus police won't even tell him why the restraining order is in place.

After doing some investigation on his own, he finds out the student is dating one of his roommates, who he also doesn't know very well. The roommate is stalking the student, and another roommate is helping the stalker.

The student who took out the restraining order had seen him with the stalker at some point and, because the class they share is typically for undergrads, assumed he only took the class to keep an eye on the student for the stalker.

He was able to go to his graduate advisor about it and luckily it all got cleared up, the student withdrew the restraining order. But his whole academic career was nearly derailed because a random person was able to take out a restraining order on him with zero direct evidence, and there was no established means by which he could defend himself.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 5 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

That’s why you shouldn’t let university staff do police work or become Dredd (judge, jury & executioner). Professionals have trained for years to get this stuff right but “campus police” thinks they can do it without any proper training or investigation.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 4 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

"Campus Police" are regular police (for all that's worth), not rent-a-cops. Their jurisdiction is University and University-related policing. Think of the University as being its own city.

I teach nights at a university and UPD is pretty great. The city cops are very much out to get people, whereas the UPD has a very light touch. They'll bust a party with a bunch of 19yo Kids drinking too much and getting loud, and tell them to keep it down and stay safe, while offering to call a non-police volunteer to drive anyone home for free.

Parking Services (not part of UPD) can get go suck on a tailpipe though. Fuck those guys.

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