Carry That Weight campaign arrives on campus

LC Students join the nationwide campaign to protest sexual assault policies at Colleges

By Pioneer Log Staff

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, several Lewis & Clark students, inspired by the efforts of Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz, joined college students across the nation in a day of action. Known as Help Carry That Weight supporters carried a mattress around campus in order to draw attention to sexual assault policies at LC and colleges nationwide.
Lauren Achee (’16), Kaiya Gordon (’15), D. Bowen (’16) and Iris Shanks (’16) started their walk at East Hall and moved to J.R. Howard Hall, before continuing to Miller Hall, where they were assisted up and down the stairs to the fourth floor by Assistant Professor of English Jerry Harp. They ended their walk at Templeton Student Center, aided by several students along the way.

Mariam Saïd (’15) helped carry the mattress as the students walked outside Templeton.
“I think it’s important because (the mattress) is such a big object that you can’t ignore it,” Saïd said.  “The mattress helps you know what’s going on in the campaign and you can focus your attention on it.”
Another LC Carry That Weight supporter, Annabel Carroll (’16), held the door open for the LC mattress carriers. She supports the movement because of its specificity in helping survivors of sexual assault.
“I work with the Feminist Student Union as a peer counselor, and there you become acquainted with survivors and their stories,” Carroll said. “I like that this movement is particularly less broad and vague and that it’s rooted in individual people’s experiences.”