The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 27

March 23, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 11 London native Sarah Everard began walking home from her friend’s home just past nine o’clock on March 3. The walk from her friend’s flat to her own residence was estimated to be less than an hour’s walk; an easy walk for most young people. If you’re a woman, the concept of walking alone at night can be dangerous, but Everard did everything she was supposed to do. She walked in well-lit areas, she called her boyfriend and she didn’t have both earphones in. Sometime during her walk home, she went missing, and her body was confirmed to have been found nine days later. Unfortunately, Everard’s story is not uncommon, and while her alleged killer was arrested, many are never caught or charged. In the days following Everard’s disappearance, the case raised international attention and women took to social media sharing their stories of loved ones lost to femicide or their own stories of harassment and sexual assault. The conversation quickly turned to the perpetration of rape culture, specifically by men. Some men on the internet quickly took offense -- how dare we loop them in with such degenerates? Thus, #NotAllMen trended on social media platforms for several days. The “Not All Men” argument has existed for years before Everard’s case. As far as sources show, it was first tweeted as early as 2011, but has existed in many verbal forms for years before that. If you’re a woman, you’ve probably heard one of the following; “Not all men are like that,” “I would never do something like that” or “I’m a nice guy.” This argument poses several problems. Firstly, if the first response you have to a woman sharing her story of harassment and gender inequality is to absolve yourself of blame by saying “not all men,” you are part of the problem they are talking about. It does not contribute to the conversation or make any real With April comes Autism Awareness Month, and although this started out with good intentions, many of the awareness practices have actually become more harmful than beneficial to this community. Many of the organizations centered around helping those on the autism spectrum have actually been extremely ableist, the biggest perpetrator being the organization Autism Speaks. There are many reasons as to why this organization has the reputation that it does. To begin, many of us actually know the organization due to its widespread campaigns that can be seen in most towns. To begin, their logo is a blue puzzle piece. Most people do not know exactly why this is their logo, but it is actually very ableist. The entire point of their logo is to represent the separation of those with autism from society as they are their own lost puzzle piece. However, this goes against the entire point of the actual autism awareness. The month of awareness was created to try and make those with autism feel more included and understood. Instead, the logo perpetuates the idea that they are disconnected from society. Beyond that, there are many other issues. Many are familiar with their most common campaign of “Light it Up Blue.” The entire point of this campaign is to try and find a cure for those with autism. However, yet again, this is against the entire point of why we have Autism Awareness Month. There have been many instances in which those with autism say that people try to find a cure for them, making them feel as though they are sick or should feel ashamed of being the way they are. AutismAwareness Month is supposed to be about bringing attention to the change. It just points out that there are some men who would not harass, stalk, rape or murder women. Thank goodness for that, I guess. Secondly, if almost every woman you know has a story where a man made them feel genuinely unsafe, then you have to acknowledge that it is a male dominated problem. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in six women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and that is just based off of statistics regarding officially reported cases. Genuinely, almost every woman I know has a story of a time where a man made them fear for their safety. I know generalizations can be harmful, and I am not trying to push aside the fact that statistics show that one in 10 men are victims of sexual abuse in their lifetime, but I am saying that in a society that is dominated by the patriarchy, the silencing of women by the outcries of men trying to absolve themselves and other men has gone on for far too long. When women talk about being afraid of men, they’re also talking about the societal institutions that let men be excused for offenses against them. Women should not be afraid to walk home alone at night. After sharing their stories, they should not have to argue with men who are trying to separate themselves from the men who were in those stories. We know it’s not all men, but it’s enough men to be worth talking about. It’s hard enough to be heard as a woman, and even harder if you’re a woman of color or a woman in the LGBTQ+ community. If you really want to show that you’re not one of those men, make a safe space for women to talk and make sure that they’re the ones being heard. discrimination and hardships individuals on the autistic spectrum are already going through. It is not supposed to create more things for them to worry about. There have also been a multitude of instances where Autism Speaks has been accused of not letting those with autism spectrum disorders into any leadership roles of the organization. They do not let those on the autism spectrum speak for themselves, further making it seem as though they are incapable of doing things for themselves. Although there are many instances where they have been flat-out ableists, Autism Speaks had started with good intentions. However, without recognizing their errors and listening to the people they are claiming to try and help, they will not be able to correct their mistakes and actually make a difference. As a freshman, this is my first year in college, and obviously, my first-year experience is much different than first- year experiences in the past. Because of COVID-19, I lost half of my senior year in high school, which was frustrating as my most of peers and I missed out on prom, graduation, pep rallies, spirit weeks, a senior trip and more. Even though I was fortunate enough to have a senior parade and graduation, it was a much different experience than I originally anticipated. Losing months to make last-time memories with the people I have spent half of my life with was hard. However, I do not look at COVID-19 and what it has caused with anger; I am very fortunate for quarantine and how it has allowed me to grow and change as a person. Without COVID-19 and the hardships it caused, I would not be who I am today and for that I am appreciative. That said, it has been an adjustment for all and it has not been a very easy one. I was the only one from my school to leave New England for college. My first-year experience has been much different from my peers who stayed in Massachusetts and the surrounding states due to different state rules. I find myself not in the right to complain about certain COVID-19 protocols and regulations here at NSU as they are not as extensive whatsoever in comparison to the ones up north. I am aware that they are in place to keep us safe, but some do not make any sense to me. I cannot understand why we are not allowed to have people from other dorm buildings in our own dorm buildings since we are allowed to see them everywhere else on campus. If I am around my peers in the UC, I should be allowed to be around them in my dorm building as well. My experience with the housing COVID-19 rules are circumspect. More often than not, I feel as though NSU picks and chooses which housing rules to enforce. At the beginning of the first semester, the rule that stated only four people were allowed to be in the elevator was enforced, but now, it is completely overlooked. I do not think it is fair that some rules are enforced and some are not. I may be biased since I am a student living on campus and have gotten in trouble for having people in a different building in my room, but to me, the rules do not make sense. Overall, I think that NSU has done a great job implementing regulations for our safety so that we can have the most normal college experience despite the pandemic that we are currently living in. I am truly grateful that I am able to go about my day as I please without as many restrictions, like my peers up north, but I hope that next semester some of the housing rules are more lenient, less difficult to follow and make more sense. Kiley Moore Contributing Writer Opinions Don’t be ableist this Autism Awareness Month: Don’t support Autism Speaks Neha Simon Contributing Writer Please stop saying “not all men” Sofia Gallus Arts&Entertianment Editor COVID-19 housing rules With permission to print from C. Mclaughlin