The University Theatre has been announced as the setting for an open conversation hosted by President M. David Rudd and the University of Memphis leadership on Oct. 18.
The open conversation will be an opportunity to discuss how the response times for these investigations can improve and how the U of M can rid campus of this type of sexual misbehavior, according to an email addressed to the campus community by President Rudd.
University of Memphis President M. David Rudd and Provost Dr. Weddle-West answer questions from attendees and online viewers of a Town Hall meeting Tuesday afternoon in the UC Theatre. An open conversation hosted by President Rudd will take place in the same venue Oct. 18 in an effort to openly discuss how response times for sexual assault investigations can improve and how the U of M can rid campus of sexual misbehavior.
The Memphis Greek organizations hosted a similar open discussion on Thursday to discuss if they are doing their part for the Greek community.
Student Grace Delgato said she felt the meeting did not help.
“These discussions absolutely did not help anything,†the senior fashion merchandising major said. “We need real action from our university, from police services and from every Greek organization on campus.â€
As a member of the Greek community, Delgado said he was upset with the way the other members of Greek life have tried to protect their reputation instead of protecting a possible victim of sexual assault.
“Hearing the victim shaming coming from individual Greeks really makes you grasp why people are scared to come forward,†Delgado said. “The University of Memphis Greek system is not a safe space for victims, and everyone needs to rethink what they stand for and who they stand with.â€
While Delgado said the conversation helped “nothing,†she believes it was a good idea in theory. She said if the university continues to push for action and for people to talk, things could start to change.
“We can talk all we want, but it won’t change anything until people start to actually care – no matter who the victim is,†Delgado said.
Chris Weiner, a senior sociology major and member of the Greek community at the U of M, said he felt a “sense of guilt†when he found out someone in the Greek community might have been sexually assaulted.
“I have mixed feelings after reading the article published on Tuesday, I was mostly angry at myself for not paying enough attention before,†Weiner said. “A lot of everyone’s responses [were] from anger and I think that is why having a place to let our anger out is so great.â€
Weiner said he wanted to do something to help anyone that could be assaulted in the future.
“I think the open conversation we had with the Greek community definitely opened doors for some bigger conversations,†Weiner said. “I really do believe that if we continue to have conversations with each other, something good can really come out of all of this.â€
