Since last year, when former President Barack Obama issued a presidential proclamation on sexual assault, April has been observed as sexual assault awareness month. And given the recent sexual assault allegations at Northwestern, it is especially important now more than ever, to not only promote awareness in April, but also to act.

According to an email vice president for student affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin sent out to the NU community March 30, there will be no disciplinary action or further investigative action taken after two fraternities received allegations of druggings and sexual assault. Many students and faculty alike have expressed frustration after the University’s response. But even though the desired results of sexual assault activism may not have been achieved, we as students can still stimulate change. It is our responsibility to erase the stigma associated with discussing sexual assault and encourage education and awareness around the issue so we can create a strong, unified campus community.

Fortunately, it has become increasingly uncommon for people to outwardly shame sexual assault survivors for their experience. Regrettably, however, other, more passive factors of shame and judgment around sexual assault still persist: silence and stigmatization. Silence is dangerous. Though it sometimes does result from genuine misunderstandings about victims’ experiences, not knowing what to say or how to react, bystanders remain silent in some cases because of fear of judgment. The topic of sexual assault remains acutely taboo in our society, and people often have difficulty discussing it. Similarly, stigmas still exist around both the event of sexual assault and survivors themselves.

These behaviors and beliefs are exactly what we need to work to change, and now is the perfect time to do so. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate sexual assault from campuses and society in general. But we need to first take baby steps toward achieving that major goal. It’s extremely important to foster a community of safety and understanding for sexual assault survivors. The more comfort survivors feel, the more likely they will feel safe to speak, whether through pressing charges against their assailants or promoting activism. We also must create a sense of empowerment for survivors and allies alike.

That is exactly our goal in Students Promoting Education, Awareness and Knowledge for Change, a student organization dedicated to sexual assault activism and support for survivors and allies. SPEAK has been around on campus for four years. It first started as a safe environment for people to share their stories and offer support, and recently we have worked to gain traction toward promoting change through activism.

One of the ways we will be observing April as sexual assault awareness month is through an event called the Clothesline Project. CLP is a national project that began in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women and help them express their emotions. Women, and now men as well, affected by violence decorate t-shirts with quotes and pictures, sharing a small part of their story for others to see. CLP has been a major proponent of breaking the silence and stigma associated with sexual assault. Projects like these help build an environment of empowerment around sexual assault because it creates a visual representation of survivors’ resilience.

Whether you or someone you are close to has been affected by sexual assault, it is extremely necessary for all of us to unite in promoting a safe and empowered NU community. Remember to observe April as sexual assault awareness month and help promote change on campus.

Alana Farkas is a Weinberg sophomore. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.