By Nicole Zamlout
Reviews Editor
Armed with colorful posters and an array of chants and demands, students gathered to protest against the Senate hearings regarding allegations of sexual assault against then-Supreme Court Judge nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has since been confirmed, on Oct. 3 in Alumni Grove.
Three women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. The most prominent accuser is Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University in California. Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick have also come forward. Ramirez is a volunteer coordinator at Boulder County Housing and Human Services in Colorado, according to CNN. Swetnick is a web developer who previously worked in the Internal Revenue Service and Customs and Border Protection in Washington D.C., according to the Chicago Tribune.
Sarah Cortes, a freshman political science major, led the independent protest after advertising the event around campus a week in advance.
She stated that Kavanaugh’s nomination and the allegations surrounding him could negatively impact women’s rights in the U.S.
The protest began at Alumni Grove, where Cortes spoke to the collection of approximately 20 students about the purpose of the event.
“We are running out of time,” Cortes said. “We must use our voices now and tell the Senate committee that enough is enough with questionable government officials.”
Freshman secondary education and history dual major Lucy Fleischmann followed up by reading an original work of poetry titled, “Never Again.” The poem drew upon past events similar to Kavanaugh’s case, including Anita Hill’s accusations against the Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas in 1991.
“‘He still got on the bench of the Supreme Court,’” she said read from her poem. “‘Never again!’”
Students then walked to Trenton Hall and looped around Green Hall while shouting several slogans, including “Notice the SCOTUS,” “I stand with Christine Ford,” and “You better bet Brett, we ain’t done yet!”
Despite minimal reaction from the community, students felt they accomplished progress with this demonstration and had their voices heard.
Fleischmann joined the student protest because she believed Kavanaugh’s nomination would have the power to overturn landmark decisions such as Roe v. Wade.
“If he gets in now and lives for another 60 to 70 years, he could repeal Roe v. Wade, which is the most important thing for women’s rights,” Fleischmann said.
Cassandra Fernandez, a freshman nursing major, said that sexual assault survivors should be taken more seriously and that politicians should be held more accountable for their actions.
“For a man like this to be elected at such a high podium, that’s not OK. Survivors should be heard,” Fernandez said.
