Longwood students were introduced
to boundaries as lines of red tape seemed
to pop up on campus over night, appearing
beside Lankford Student Union,
in front of the Greenwood Library and
more. Designed to pique students' interest,
the publicity stunt welcomed Nancy
Schwartzman to introduce her documentary,
"The Line: A Personal Exploration
About Sexual Assault and Consent,"
to over 250 attendees in Jarman
auditorium on March 22 at 7 p.m.
The documentary delves into Schwartzman's
own experience of sexual assault,
while discussing others' "in an attempt
to move through the trauma of her experience
and achieve a better understanding
of the sometimes ambiguous
line between consent and coercion," as
stated on the Media Education Foundation
Study Guide of "The Line."
The film has reached over 1,000 universities.
The Line Campaign, a nonprofit
organization committed to create
a world without sexual violence, has
spread to blogging and Twitter, reaching
up to become ranked in the top 50
women's blogs and the Top 20 Feminist
Twitter Feeds, respectively. The Line
Campaign and Nancy Schwartzman
have been featured in The New York
Times, Gawker, The Village Voice and
many others.
"My goal ... was to create a loud, honest
conversation about sex and consent,"
said Schwartzman, later adding, "We
can sort of reach students. It's not finger
waving and pointing about 'don't
do that and don't do this.' It's just very
honest. And I think that kind of honest
conversation needs to happen."
In the documentary, Schwartzman
interviewed other women about their
experiences with sexual assault, an attorney
who specializes in sexual assault,
feminist and college football hall of
famer Don McPherson, prostitutes and
Schwartzman's own assailant.
In the documentary, McPherson said,
"We raise women to survive in a rape
culture, yet we do nothing to talk to men
about not raping."
Schwartzman said that "victim blaming"
is commonly taught in culture.
"Why are we piling up excuses for
someone who violates?"
Assistant Professor of Communication
Studies Naomi Johnson commented that
she has shown the film before in previous
classes and had been interested in
opening it up campus-wide. She said
the benefit of the movie is that, "She encourages
men and women to think more
clearly about how, where and why we
draw our own personal lines of sexual
consent."
Sexual violence and assault, Johnson
said, "is an issue that is a human issue -
not a woman issue ... It affects all of us."
After her sexual assault, Schwartzman
said, "I had thought there was a clear
contract between people that went to
bed together that we were both going
into this thing to have a good time and
make sure each of us enjoyed ourselves
and that there were certain rules, and
those rules were that you asked. You
didn't take. And I think what I lost was
understanding ... and my body because I
was violated ... It was like my world got
flipped upside down."
During the making of the documentary,
Schwartzman commented that "I
didn't expect, in a lot of ways, all the
support I've received and all the stories
of how this was really important and
people shared my story and the support
of men and how many men want
to make a change. And I think that was
pleasantly surprising about it."
After the closing of the event, students
were able to have their pictures taken
with blank stickers with the question,
"Where is your line?" Each student
wrote their message therein as to what
his or her line is between sexual consent
and coercion.
When asked what her line was,
Schwartzman said, "I'm a Pisces, and I
change my mind all the time, and my line
is having the right to change my mind
and feel comfortable in faith enough to
be in the moment to know where I am
and where I want to be."
For those students who have been affected
by sexual violence or assault in
any way, Counseling Intern Heather
Hammock of the Longwood Counseling
Center expressed open arms to students
who are looking for assistance in any
way. To contact the Counseling Center,
call (434) 395-2409 or go online to www.
longwood.edu/counseling.
Special thanks were given to the Women's
and Gender Studies department,
the Office of Student Wellness, the Office
of Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Greek
Panhellenic Council, Phi Beta Sigma
fraternity, the Student Government Association,
Jess Trafton, Liz Chassey and
James Early for contributing to the publicity,
funding, sponsorship and overall
success of the event.
