Monday, April 5, 2010
1st Admin Meeting Update
As Dr. Olson's letter from last Friday showed, the administration is taking steps to review and improve its policies concerning care for survivors of sexual assault. Plan A has also been promised a space in the upcoming meeting to discuss these changes. We are very happy to be involved and to see that changes are being made, and we hope to see similar changes in the coming weeks regarding the other issues we have brought forward.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Recap: Weekend Actions
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Action in Red Square - Photos!
Hey everyone!
Here are some updates about what's been going on with the Plan A Campaign!
Yesterday, we hosted a theater event in Red Square to draw the Georgetown community's attention to the fact that, while over a month has passed since Plan A sent our first letter of concern to President DeGioia with regard to the way Georgetown approaches reproductive justice and sexual health, we have yet to receive any correspondence directly from him. We got a vague and essentially un-responsive letter from Todd Olson after we delivered our first letter on February 5, and President DeGioia has not yet scheduled a meeting with us. His failure to address reproductive justice in a genuine way is quite clearly a continuation of Georgetown's general protocol of ignoring and neglecting sexual health issues, but it is still disappointing to see such a blatant lack of engagement on President DeGioia's part when our attempts to open a dialogue have been so direct.
To show him that we have not forgotten about our request, several students from Plan A gathered in Red Square to raise awareness about the campaign, to let people know that the university has not responded to our questions and concerns, and to send yet another message to President DeGioia that, although he refuses to respond to us, we are continuing to gather support and move forward.
Our skit had a St. Patrick's Day theme, and its goal was to highlight the ways that Georgetown's policies around sexual health are negatively impacting the lives of students on campus. We delivered a pot of condoms to the president with a message that said, "Doesn't it seem backwards that students are providing their president with sexual health resources? Student health shouldn't be left to luck." We had a great turnout, and were able to elicit a lot of interest from students and other passers-by!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
St. Patty's Day Extravaganza!
Leprechaun Jack O'Gioia will be there with the ever elusive pot of condoms. After the skit we'll be delivering a note to Jack DeGioia reminding him that we are STILL WAITING for a response to our letter.
If you can't make it to the skit, write a note to DeGioia letting him know that you want a response to our letter. You can email his office (presidentsoffice@georgetown.edu) or write out a note and deliver it.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Speak-Out
Speakers supporting the Plan A campaign told personal stories of things that have taken place at the university that describe the way that Georgetown's policies around reproductive justice and free speech have negatively impacted their experiences at Georgetown University.
After the Speak-out, students marched silently, to emphasize the silencing of pro-choice voices at this university, to the President's Office to deliver a response letter to President DeGioia and a tape-recorder with personal stories of Georgetown students, including one from a student who called Georgetown University Hospital after her friend had been raped.
After marching into Healy, students were told by DeGioia's executive assistant that he was out of town. The students of Plan A waited until DeGioia's Chief of Staff, Erik Smulson, came out to meet them, and they delivered the letter and the tape-recorder.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Speak-Out Tomorrow in Red Square
2-Hear personal stories from students whose lives have been negatively affected by Georgetown's policies.
3-Sign the petition!
4- Join us in delivering a letter to President DeGioia.
Come for just 15 minutes between classes or stay for the whole time.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Rape Kits: Why Plan A Cares
The first woman who answered the phone told me that I could not get a rape kit at the Georgetown Hospital. When I explained the urgency of my friend’s situation, she suggested that I try the George Washington Hospital. After I insisted on speaking with someone else who could give me more information, I was put on hold for well over five minutes. I was astounded that I was forced to wait for that length of time right after I had explained that my friend had been raped and was seeking emergency response. When another woman came on the line, she told me that my friend would have to go to the Washington Hospital Center in order to have access to a rape kit. She did not tell me what Georgetown Hospital could do for my friend until I explicitly asked her what resources Georgetown Hospital had for rape survivors. She explained that a survivor could be medically screened but that it would not include a rape kit. This is common procedure for most university hospitals in the District of Columbia, as the Washington Hospital Center serves as the only place where rape kits are administered. However, when I told the woman that my friend needed help getting to the Washington Hospital Center (map shown below), she casually suggested that we take a taxi.
View Larger Map
This suggestion revealed what Plan A finds most problematic about Georgetown University Hospital’s services for rape survivors. Plan A is pointing out not only that the university does not carry rape kits, but also that it provides no services for its students to access them elsewhere. It is unconscionable to expect rape survivors to get into a taxi and ride over to an unfamiliar hospital alone. Not only does this require the student to incur the expenses of transportation to an alternate location, but it also obliges a traumatized rape survivor to put themselves into an unsafe environment without any support from the university. I expressed these concerns to the woman from the hospital and asked if there were any other options. She explained that my friend could be transported to the Washington Hospital Center by MedStar (the company that owns Georgetown Hospital). This, once again, places tremendous financial burden on rape survivors and unquestionably will discourage many survivors from accessing essential resources like rape kits and comprehensive post-trauma care.
In order to lift these burdens from access to critical health services, the Georgetown administration must advocate on behalf of its students. It must provide free transportation to and from the Washington Hospital Center in order to facilitate safe and uninhibited access to rape kits. Anything less is an affront to the health and safety of rape survivors. Plan A also believes that the University should actively distribute information about steps to accessing services for sexual assault and rape survivors. It is the University’s responsibility to ensure that this information is made public, explicit and well-circulated.