It seems as though media and readers of various articles published by major media outlets have misinterpreted the purpose of the petition. A few words thoughts about it: I’ve read multiple comments (there's 800+ on one article alone) of people who feel bad for Ben Holm. It disgusts me. It infuriates me. It makes me sick to my stomach. Especially when I think about all of the people who have opened up on this petition about their own assaults. They're claiming students don't understand 'innocent until proven guilty'. We do. I get it. Loyola is not a court. BUT, Loyola does have a massive platform, it's a university! My anger comes from Loyola's silence about rape culture and how crimes perpetrated by white men are rarely punished. Loyola has the power to reach a lot of people. It’s a Jesuit institution that receives a lot of money from alumni. Jesuit values are rooted in activism and social justice, but for some reason, they refuse to engage in conversations about sexual violence on campus and a larger issue of law and prison in the U.S. This entire situation could have been handled in a more sensitive way, Loyola could have made it clear that they will work to educate and eliminate toxic behavior. They could have denounced a justice system that has harmed marginalized groups since its establishment. However, they did not even address the root of the entire issue (why a rapist was allowed to walk freely on campus for 3 years): rich, white, male privilege. If the institution would take action and create dialogues, a lot of people could be educated about rape, rape culture, and the prevalence of sexual violence on campus. The people attending this school are future leaders, doctors, lawyers, managers, business people, entrepreneurs, etc: if they have knowledge about an incredibly toxic system, they can work to help dismantle it. Moreover, this situation is larger than Loyola's role in it. This is about a system of "justice" that protects white men and locks away for life marginalized groups like men of color, sex workers, undocumented folks and people suffering from addictions or substance abuse. This situation reiterates just how far 'daddy's money' will get someone. It doesn't matter if they have a bag of weed or if they raped a minor, as long as their skin is white and their bank accounts are full, many cases have shown that they rest easy each night knowing their athletic scholarships will be renewed at the end of each semester. Student organizations are already having these conversations and are constantly taking action to address rape culture and a broken "justice" system, but the administration needs to take a step in the same direction and address its own role in the issue. Respectfully, thank you for your support, we are trying our hardest to reach administration, Ashley Kennedy