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Sophie Downes: Trigger Warnings, Safe Spaces, and Free Speech, Too
Answer the following questions:
Comprehension
- Downes argues that the Ellison letter “came across as an embarrassing attempt to deflect attention from serious issues on campus” (2). What does she mean? How does this claim set up her main argument?
- Why does Downes mention that Dean Ellison is listed as a “safe space ally” (8) on a school website?
- In what sense could the Ellison letter be seen as “a public relations maneuver” (12)? Why does Downes consider this a bad thing?
- Why does Downes argue that denouncing “attempts by students to disrupt university-sponsored events … has little to do with trigger warnings and safe spaces” (13)? Do you agree?
- How does Downes think students on campus will respond to the Ellison letter?
Purpose and Audience
- What is Downes’s purpose in writing this article? What does she want to accomplish?
Style and Structure
- Downes offers a personal anecdote from her seminar on gender, sexuality, and disability. How does this example support her argument? What other information from the seminar could she have included?
- How would Downes’s essay be different if she structured it as a Rogerian argument? What changes would she have to make? Do you think that this strategy would be more or less effective than the one she uses?
Downes argues that Ellison letter was a distraction and should not have been written.
She also states that the letter’s allegations are untrue, are “not supported by evidence,” and has no justification.
Downes sets up her argument by stating that the letter came across as a distraction in a time of serious sexual assault accusations on campus.
She also says that the letter does not provide any evidence or justification for the claims made.
Downes claims that she has a senior at the school who says there are “zero sorority women” who get sexually assaulted on campus.
She also makes a claim that Dr. Eldridge discouraged victims from reporting sexual assault incidents to UVA’s Title IX office.
The writer believes this is unethical and violates Title-IX law by discouraging victims to report sexual assault incidents.
Downes also argues that the Title IX office is not properly trained.
She states that UVA’s Title IX office is not properly trained and does not have enough resources to handle all sexual assault cases on campus.
She draws a comparison between the UVA report and what she believes is a similar report for the University of Michigan, saying that UVA’s report did not address the type of “gross misconduct” by students that are included in the report at Michigan.
She goes on to state that she believes UVA’s report did not have enough evidence or data to prove that there is a real problem with sexual assault on campus.
Downes also states that she believes the UVA report was written to support a fraternity and their right to a non-gender conscious environment.
She further states this is downplaying the serious nature of sexual assault incidents that occur on campus.