Sexual violence transcends geographic, cultural and institutional boundaries and its impact is deeply felt within the Whitman community. To address this issue, Whitman relies heavily on the student-led Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) coalition and other institutional resources, such as the Welty Health Center.
Senior SVP member Jackie Zapanta explained that SVP plays an important role in raising awareness of available services both on and off campus. This role helps bridge gaps between available resources and the students who need them.
“We as SVP are resource facilitators … and so we know of the resources that not only the college provides, but also the community around Whitman,” Zapanta said.
SVP members strive to promote a variety of on-campus resources, including the Title IX Office, Counseling Center and the YWCA Sexual Assault Victims Advocate (SAVA) program. These resources provide a lifeline for survivors, yet they have limitations.
Most notably, the investigation by the Attorney General’s Office revealed Whitman’s Title IX Office has failed to support students seeking to file official complaints.
While the YWCA SAVA program is a confidential resource separate from the college, it operates on a part-time basis, offering only 20 hours of support weekly, with just four of those hours on campus. This limited availability highlights a need for more robust systems of care.
The college organizes resources into mandatory and non-mandatory reporters. This distinction is critical for survivors who may wish to seek help without initiating a formal reporting process, making the experience less stressful. This transparency allows survivors to make informed decisions about where to turn for support.
“All Whitman employees, so faculty and staff, are all mandatory reporters, with the exception of Adam Kirtley, who is the interfaith chaplain, counselors in the Counseling Center … and the SAVA,” Zapanta said.
Director of the Health Center, Laura Norris, explained that the Counseling Center can be a resource for students who may not want to report their assault.
“Health Center staff are not mandatory reporters and provide private, compassionate care to handle the needs of the students in the way that can contribute best to their healing,” Norris said.
The Counseling Center at Welty Health Center also plays a role in providing emotional support to the survivors of sexual assault.
“The Counseling Center … provides any therapy help and beyond for sexual assault victims and survivors,” Zapanta said.
Eliza,* a student organizer and SVP member alleged that, despite urgent student demands for free STD testing, the Health Center initially resisted, forcing the Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) club to deplete its budget and advocate tirelessly to persuade director Laura Norris to allow chlamydia and gonorrhea testing. She said that while the Health Center eventually relented, it later took credit for the initiative, presenting it as their own success.
“Students did all the groundwork, all the organization … Basically the Health Center was nothing but a barrier,” Eliza said.
In response to the allegation, Norris said she had collaborated with PPGA to bring free STD testing to students.
“Last year, we were approached by [the student leaders] of PPGA and had several very productive conversations to try to figure out the best way to make STD testing available at low or no cost and still stay within the parameters of the resources the club had available,” Norris said in an email to The Wire.
Kayla,* who is familiar with SVP’s budgeting process, described her disillusionment with the way student needs were handled.
“I know when I first brought up Narcan years ago … [Kazi Joshua] asked Claudia [Ness], the [former] head of the Health Center, ‘Do you think we need it?’ and she said no. And that’s when I realized … their heads are in the sand,” Kayla said.
Ness said she did not remember a specific conversation with Joshua regarding Narcan.
Senior SVP member Megan Radley said that although many Whitman faculty members express support for SVP’s mission, that support isn’t always extended into practice.
“In terms of institutional support, we definitely face challenges — not necessarily a lack of respect, but struggles with implementation,” Radley said.
SVP has faced significant obstacles in their collaboration with institutional representatives. A recent meeting with Aimée Milne, the Assistant Vice President for Wellness and Counseling Center staff member, left many SVP members feeling disheartened, even as they remain committed to their mission.
Radley explained that many of the projects Milne proposed are things SVP has spent years advocating for or putting on themselves, including organizing Sex Week and implementing the SHAC (Sexual Health and Consent) program.
“The reason we’re feeling this frustration is that we have previously gone and talked to admin — including when Aimée Milne was in the room with us — with a list of demands that essentially included having our voice heard and being a part of the hiring process … But what we feel has happened is that they are not asking for our consent … in what programs or next steps they are looking for, seeking out and making moves on,” Radley said.
Though Radley acknowledged these programs should be implemented and supported, she expressed frustration that SVP had been left out of the decision-making process.
“It felt very disrespectful because these are things that SVP has been doing for years … it felt as though what we were asking for was being taken away from us,” Radley said.
The issues raised by SVP leaders point to broader institutional challenges. While Whitman has taken steps to address sexual violence, such as hiring more staff for wellness initiatives, these efforts often fall short of addressing systemic issues. Additionally, the college relies on part-time roles for critical positions like the SAVA advocate.
“The college is made of students for students, and so there should be no reason why students’ voices are not heard,” Zapanta said.
Sexual violence is a complex and deeply rooted issue, and Whitman College is not immune to its effects. While the college has made strides in providing resources and fostering dialogue, significant gaps remain. Bridging these gaps requires not only institutional commitment but also a willingness to center the voices of those most affected. As Radley and Zapanta emphasized, the fight against sexual violence is not just about implementing policies but about fostering a culture of respect, accountability and support.
*Eliza and Kayla are pseudonyms used to protect the sources’ anonymity.
