Nora Walkiewicz (286) & Zoey Zelinger (286)
Two years ago, on an October night at Cornell University, a female student was allegedly drugged and violently sexually assaulted by seven male students in a fraternity house. Her attempts to report the conduct to the police fell through, the men accused faced little repercussions, and she has since dropped out of college. On September 16, 2026, the anonymous student, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a civil lawsuit against the university. The reopening of the investigation, along with Cornell’s student newspaper publishing the names of the Seven, has attracted substantial media attention to the handling of campus sexual assault allegations.
This proceeding is not the first of its kind. For her 2015 thesis project, a Columbia University student carried around a mattress to protest the school’s failure to act on her sexual assault allegation against a peer. In a 2025 scandal at Indiana University, freshmen pledges were left traumatized by a hazing incident that resulted in multiple hospitalizations. In this case, fraternity members were criminally charged with felony hazing. Nevertheless, students at universities across the country agree that college administrations are not doing enough to put a stop to these incidents.
Alongside condemnation of the Cornell Seven and hazing rituals in general, discussion around the topic of safety on college campuses has spread. As seniors work through the admissions process, these stories raise questions about what is important to consider in an institution. Fiona Bisuk (286) was not surprised that the incident was “swept under the rug” by Cornell’s administration. She highlighted the wealth of the assaulters as a factor in the punishment they received, noting that “students on scholarship wouldn’t receive the same treatment.” For Fiona, safety, tied only with location, is her top priority. Josie Chrismer (286) hopes going to a smaller, liberal arts college will mitigate the fraternity culture of toxic hazing and sexual violence. Josie, who’s committed to Brandeis University for lacrosse, plans to set rules for herself about going out in college: watching her belongings, sticking with a friend, etc.
While many seniors, such as Fiona and Josie, are considering safety measures after hearing about the violence at Cornell, Laura Casas (286) hasn’t changed her mind. “This happens everywhere,” Laura expressed. “Cornell is just getting the attention for it right now.” Laura has thought about campus safety throughout the application process, and the recent events at Cornell only reinforced her considerations.
Although the Cornell case has brought student safety into the light, it is far from the first tragedy to raise concerns about violence on campuses. The university’s handling of the incident has prompted thousands of students at Cornell to take action by holding a “Justice for Survivors” protest to showcase their support for Jane Doe. Students have also held a public forum and hearing to discuss sexual violence on campus, encouraging others to speak out. These efforts demonstrate how incidents like Cornell’s can spark broader conversations about administration accountability and student wellbeing. For Central students, the events are proving the importance of safety as a factor in their college application process, highlighting how campus culture shapes the college experience.
