By John Perik
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — At 9 a.m., Tuesday night, a few hundred Syracuse University students gathered outside of the Psi Upsilon fraternity following unconfirmed reports of sexual misconduct allegations. The crowd began their protest at the steps of the fraternity. They started the night with various chants such as “kick him out” and “survivors deserve better.”
By 10 p.m., the protestors marched toward frat row. There, students went from fraternity house to fraternity house alleging a culture of rape in fraternity life. There they approached fraternities chanting, “SU protects rapists” and “no means no.”
The news about the alleged incident first circulated around Yik Yak, an anonymous message platform. “PSI U @9 wear a mask and be prepared! Toxic greek life must go,” read one of the posted messages. Another read, “protest outside PSI @9PM kick them off!”
For one of the protest organizers, whose name remains anonymous, Syracuse University is failing its students. “We are here to protest all of the implications that have been put in place by the university meant to protect men when they commit violence against women,” the protest organizer said.
By 11 p.m., protestors gathered outside of SU Chancellor Kent Syverud’s house. “We need a leader,” protestors chanted from Syverud’s driveway.
“I want Kent to reform the Title IX that he has here at this school,” the protest organizer said. “We need a better system in place for us to be protected, for us to be believed, because our stories go on heard.”
The night concluded at the steps of Syverud’s house, where protestors left behind a sign that said, “survivors deserve better!”
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