On an unrelated note...

Those of you who are UNC students have surely heard of the lawsuit filed by 67 students against the university for violating sexual assault survivor rights. If you haven’t: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/16/unc-sexual-assault_n_2488383.html

Although I am saddened that our university would allow such a painful and hostile environment for survivors, I am so proud of the men and women who are coming together to incite major changes in how UNC handles sexual assult cases. They have not only have faced among the worst experiences a person can have, but in an attempt to seek aid and justice, were not supported adequately, or at all, by their university. One of my friends is among those seeking reform, and I am so proud of her and her peers for taking measures to create a supportive and empowering environment for future survivors. I can’t imagine the pain that each one of those students faced, and I am so impressed by their courage to speak out about the violence enacted upon them and continue to seek justice among much resistance. A few hours before I heard about the lawsuit I stumbled upon a video of my good friend Madiha (a UNC student abroad in Thailand with me) doing spoken word. She’s a bio and English double major and pre-med and I thought it was awesome and kind of random when she told me she has written a few spoken word poems-I did not expect them to be so powerful. I think it relates well to the topic above, so for those interested, I encourage a view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogCbwU4KGEY