CASVResponsetoFallBacchanalCancellation

TheCoalitionAgainstSexualViolenceisdeeplytroubledbytheColumbiaadministrationschoice
tocanceltheFallBacchanalconcertandtoplacethespringconcertunderreview.Wefeel
stronglythatthisisabandaid,notasolution,inthefightagainstsexualassaultonColumbias
campus.Thegoalofourworkisandhasalwaysbeentocreateacultureofconsentoncampus
whichmakesalleventsandspacessafeforstudentscancellingBacchanalsendsthefalse
messagethattheconcertisthecauseofsexualviolence.

HarassmentandassaultatBacchanalmaybemorevisible,butsexualviolenceisprevalent
throughouttheyear,andwillhappeninColumbiaresidencehalls,buildings,andeventswhether
ornotthiseventtakesplace.TheseincidentswillstilloccurtheylljustoccurinECorJohnJay,
insteadofLowSteps.Cancellingtheeventonlyservestoignoreanddistractfromthetrue
reasonsforsexualviolenceoncampusinadequateconsenteducation,alackofaccountability,
andrapeculture.Bacchanaldoesnotcreatetheseconditions,andwefeelstronglythat
cancellingitisamisguideddecisionwhichrestrictsstudentschoicesratherthanworking
towardsacommunitywherewecanallsafelyinteract,learn,andgrowtogether.

Thisyear,theBacchanalCommitteehadseveralproposalstomaketheeventonewhich
promotesasafer,responsiblecommunity,inwhichstudentsholdeachotheraccountablefor
theiractions.Thesesafetyproposalsincludedtrainingdozensofstudentsinbystander
intervention(consistentlyfoundtobeoneofthemosteffectivemethodsinfightingsexual
assault)tobestudentsafetymonitorsduringtheconcert.Bacchanalsuggestedgiving
backstagemeettheartistspassestostudentsvolunteersasanincentivetobetrainedin
bystanderinterventionbySexualViolenceResponseandtoserveasstudentsafetymonitors,
whocouldbeplacedthroughoutthecrowd,interveneinanydangeroussituations,andbeeasily
identifiedbyanystudentswhofeltuncomfortableatanypoint.Thismethodhasbeeneffectiveat
ensuringsafetyatotherstudentevents,suchasGenderF*ck.Notonlywouldthisservetomake
theconcertenvironmentsafer,thiswouldalsoprovideanopportunityfordozensofpeopletobe
trainedinbystanderintervention,skillsthattheycouldcarryoutintothelargercommunity.

Finally,CASVstronglybelievesthatacultureofconsentcanonlybebuiltwithinastrong
communitydeeplyrootedinrespect.Alarge,communitybuildingeventlikeBacchanalactsas
oneoftheonlycampuswideeventsthatundergraduateshavetobringthemtogether.We
believeBacchanal,animportantcommunitywideevent,canandshouldbeusedasalocusof
culturalchange.Cancellingtheconcertnotonlydistractsfromtherealcausesofsexual
violence,itpreventsusfromtakingvaluablestepsthatmayactuallycombatsexualviolence.
Ultimately,wereconcernedthatcancellingthefallconcertwillonlyhidehighlyvisibleinstances
ofassaultandsilencesurvivors,sweepingsexualviolencebackundertheruginsteadoftaking
affirmativestepstofightit.

AtleastonememberoftheCoalitionisindissentwiththisstatement.