Welcome To CERC!
Our Mission:
The Coalition to End Rape Culture is a Registered Student Organization working to dismantle and eradicate rape culture at UMass Amherst by organizing our communities to speak out, stand up, and fight back against sexual violence. CERC seeks to deconstruct and end rape culture by educating the on-campus community and making concrete changes to university policy. We are all living in a rape culture, which is an environment in which rape and sexual violence are ignored, condoned, trivialized and normalized. Rape culture is pervasive, systematic and affects all of us negatively. At CERC, we provide a safe space for survivors and allies looking to get involved with this work. CERC provides access to local resources, services and all types of support for survivors. Our goal is to work not only against violence, but also the stigmatization and shaming of survivors. Our organization is dedicated to challenging the climate of violence on our campus, building student power and combating normalization and acceptance of rape culture.
What We've Done in the Past:
- Open Might Nights (biannually for 2 years)
- Week of Action to End Sexual Violence (2 years)
- Rally to reform and mandate UMPD's Sexual Assault Prevention Training
- Open Letter Writing Workshop (2 years)
- CERC President, Priya Ghosh, performed the talk "Living in a Rape Culture" at TedxUmassAmherst
- Organized #CarryThatWeight Day of Action in solidarity with survivors of sexual and domestic violence (Fall 2014/Spring 2015)
- Candle Light Vigils to honor those who have lost their lives to domestic and sexual violence
- Surviving in Numbers: A sexual & Domestic violence awareness project
- Featured in multiple on and off campus media outlets such as The Daily Collegian, UMass Radical Student Advocate, and HerCampus
- Featured in a RH Reality Check article on UMass' relationship to Bill Crosby
- Spoke at the Know Your IX student speakership panel about Title IX at UMass Amherst
- Created a Survivor's Bill of Rights (Spring 2015)
- Rallies for the implementation of the Survivor's Bill of Rights (Spring 2015/Fall 2015)
- Street Light Campaign (Fall 2015)
Meet Our Executive Board:
President
Priya Ghosh
[email protected]
Core Team Members:
Vice President: Olivia Murphy
Secretary: Katherine Valett
Treasurer: Colby Gavin
Strategy Coordinator: Melissa Myers
Survivor Support Coordinator: Tiffany Ramirez
Priya Ghosh
[email protected]
Core Team Members:
Vice President: Olivia Murphy
Secretary: Katherine Valett
Treasurer: Colby Gavin
Strategy Coordinator: Melissa Myers
Survivor Support Coordinator: Tiffany Ramirez