The Hunting Ground

Watching The Hunting Ground, I feel a mixture of emotions. I am truly saddened and enraged at what happens on college campuses so frequently, but also empowered by the strength and courage shown by the women who share their stories. Even looking at the title of the film is disappointing - the hunting ground. How shitty is it that a college campus, a place for learning and development, a place for happiness and friendships, a place that should feel as safe and secure as a second home could be so easily compared to a hunting ground. So many women feel alone during their times of struggle, and the attempts of colleges to mask what is truly going on is mortifying. Safety should be the first priority, yet, so often, monetary gains are emphasized over the well-being of students. The men who assault women rarely receive punishment, and if they are criticized, the infraction is so minimal. I know students at Saint Mary's who have gotten into more trouble for underage drinking than a man gets for sexually assaulting a woman. What hypocrisy. Although the movie is difficult to watch, I believe that knowledge of the harsh truth is the first step to making a change. Not only administrators, but students, need to stop turning a blind eye to the events that happen even right here, at Saint Mary's college with a disgusting frequency.