"Hey, what’s up?” “Just got raped by an exam.”
This is a quote from a conversation that I overheard in the hallway of my residence hall. How did you react when you read that? Did it make you uncomfortable? Angry? Confused? Did you blink or furrow your eyebrows? Or did you notice that you did not react at all?
When I heard these words spoken in the hallway, I flinched. I blinked pretty furiously, took a shorter step, but nonetheless kept walking. Why was my reaction so minimal? How is it possible that a word with such a horrific meaning did not startle me in that moment? I reacted the same way one might when a professor throws out the f-bomb—slight discomfort, but virtually not impacted.
As students at UW, we are alerted with emails each semester reporting cases of sexual assault. Every case is quickly relayed to the student body, and the emails seem to have been piling up recently. So, we begin to expect it. It becomes part of routine. So, my lack of reaction when I heard someone say that they were “raped” by an exam is possibly best explained by such familiarity and regularity.
This comparison is preposterous. The impact that sexual assault leaves on its victims is chronic and devastating. The feeling you experience when you are leaving an exam room is in no way comparable to having been physically disrespected so intensely. When you leave your exam room, you will go home, blow off some steam with friends and continue your life. The temporary stress that you felt from the test will pass. It will not haunt your mind for the rest of your life, nor will it follow you into your future relationships with people.
The idea of comparing an exam to sexual assault is not only absurd, but the casual use of the vernacular associated with sexual assault causes the issue to be seen in a different light. We have grown accustomed to hearing the word “rape” in completely unrelated contexts. It has become much too integrated in everyday dialogue. As we have become more familiar to the word, it is taken less seriously. Using it in said context reduces the meaning of the word to earning a less than desirable grade on an exam. We subconsciously begin to understand the word in this casual definition. It no longer makes us cringe. We understand it to be common.
I can’t say that sexual assault isn’t common. Nearly 28 percent of female undergraduates have experienced nonconsensual sexual touching or penetration since attending UW-Madison, and over 50 percent of students said they have experienced sexual harassment according to a survey conducted by the university in January. This issue is disturbingly common, especially since it occurs here at UW. People are assaulted and harassed far too often. However, it is not to be understood in this light.
To you, it’s a regular segment in the news. To a victim, it is a devastating life alteration. When you use the word in this context, you are disrespecting the victims. Casting a casual tone over the topic only belittles the experiences and heartache of these victims. Stop tossing around this word. Stop minimizing the effects that these tragic events have on your peers. Be an ear that they trust, not a mouth that they fear.
Marisa is a sophomore majoring in journalism. Do you agree with her that “rape” is a word used too often in our daily conversations? Are UW students too comfortable with it? Send all comments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycarindal.com.
