Recently, I made the decision to create the Instagram profile "kcspeaks", a space for Kenyon students of color and survivors of sexual assault to share their stories. As a former Kenyon student, I noticed during my time at Kenyon that both the administration and student body created an environment that is not safe, especially for marginalized groups. In particular, I noticed that Kenyon was not a safe environment for students of color or survivors of sexual assault. Too often, I heard students make backhanded and even blatantly racist comments about students of color, and too often I saw the ways in which Kenyon fostered a dark rape culture. The Instagram "kcspeaks" it not by any means a place to speak poorly about Kenyon as an institution- it is a space of affirmation for the voices that have gone unheard for so long at Kenyon College. The purpose of this account was not only to create a space of affirmation, but for members of the Kenyon community to see the sheer amount of stories shared by students. 

When I saw the number of stories shared with me, and the growing number of followers on the Instagram account, I knew that I had to use the traction of the account to promote administrative change. This petition is a message to Kenyon College: even if these changes are not enacted, I hope that this petition will urge Kenyon to evaluate the space that it has created. 

President Decatur and other members of the Kenyon Administration: 

Though many of us are thankful for our experiences at Kenyon (current and past), there is no denying that in Kenyon's homogeneity, students of color are often the victims of racial discrimination on your campus. According to your website, 22% of Kenyon students are students of color, and yet, many of us have found ourselves unprotected by both the Kenyon administration and student body. While this, of course, speaks to a larger systemic issue, we, the signers of this petition, urge Kenyon to strive for creating more open and safe environments for students of color. We ask that Kenyon consider creating these options, and taking these active steps to promote a space of racial inclusivity:  

1. An accessible resource for students to submit complaints against professors for discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate behavior. 

          a. For the comfort of students, no one professor may consistently teach a course that is

               a major requirement. 

          b. The creation of a conduct board to investigate these claims.

2. Mandatory diversity training for leaders of student organizations. 

3. An acknowledgment of Kenyon's homogeneity- not feigned diversity and rhetoric of inclusion. 

4. Increased promotion of courses that feature the lived experiences of people of color. 

It is also important for Kenyon to acknowledge its poor treatment of survivors of sexual assault. According to an article published by the Washington Post, the highest annual total of reported campus rape is 43. This statistic includes institutions much larger than Kenyon, and yet, in 2019 Kenyon had a total of 34 reported campus rapes. While we, the signers of this petition, acknowledge that Kenyon must adhere to the Federal Title IX policy, this Federal Title IX policy does not account for Kenyon's own negligence. Kenyon has taken a negligent position on not only Title IX cases that follow through with investigations, but student support. We, urge Kenyon to consider instituting the following changes and creating the following resources: 

1. The return of the health center's sexual assault survivors group therapy. 

2. Increased involvement from the Title IX office in student organizations, especially those whose members have received Title IX violations. 

3. The ability for student organizations to maintain the safety of their spaces without facing punishment for "retaliation". 

      a. In order to assure that this system does not become a way to exclude students, we                   suggest creating a way for students to file petitions for exclusion with organizations that             will be overseen by the Title IX office. 

4. In cases where there is significant evidence of sexual assault, a student should not be permitted to hold a campus leadership position 

While we acknowledge that, as an institution, Kenyon must adhere to certain guidelines, we, the signers of this petition, urge Kenyon to evaluate its policies and actions that have facilitated an unsafe environment for marginalized groups. Thank you for taking this petition into consideration.