Next week, the university’s United Student Government’s (USG) Committee on Sexual Misconduct (CSM) is hosting their bi-annual Week of Action. Running from April 24-28, the week will include several events, such as bracelet making and the construction of period poverty kits.
USG Vice President of Health and Security and Co-Chair of CSM Emily Kennedy, GSB ’24, has been planning CSM’s Week of Action since last semester.

Kennedy said, “CSM has been planning Week of Action since the last Week of Action! CSM really focuses on creating this event through months of careful preparation and thought. We put a lot of time and effort into the events we pick, the t-shirts we design, the clubs we collaborate with and how to successfully share our mission with the Fordham community.”

This semester, CSM will be introducing several new events to their annual Week of Action. The lineup includes the Clothesline Project, during which Fordham students are invited to express their emotions and bring awareness to violence through the decoration of a t-shirt, and Little Words Project Bracelet Making, which includes the construction of bracelets displaying supportive messages for sexual misconduct survivors. Over the course of the week, CSM will also be collaborating with Days for Girls NYC to assemble period poverty kits containing menstrual products.

“I’m most looking forward to our Little Words project event! This is a new event for us, but I’m very excited to see more participation and hopefully a lasting impact. By creating bracelets with little words of support, students, faculty and admin can wear these bracelets on a daily basis and show their support for survivors,” said Kennedy.

CSM Co-Chair Molly Ewing, FCRH ’25, worked in collaboration with Kennedy to plan CSM’s Week of Action.

“I am most looking forward to our event with Days for Girls. It is such an amazing organization and CSM is excited to be involved with this project helping girls worldwide,” said Ewing.
CSM will also recognize National Denim Day on April 26 by wearing denim to combat victim blaming and educate the Fordham community about sexual violence.

Kennedy said, “This is an important event for Fordham to participate in, because Denim Day is in honor of a woman who was forcibly raped by her driving instructor. Victim blaming is a problem in our community and communities around the world. We participate in Denim Day to create change around this topic and spread the underlying message that it is never okay to sexually assault someone on the basis of what they were wearing.”

“I am also excited about Denim Day. It is an important event for Fordham to participate in to take a stand against victim blaming when it comes to sexual misconduct. Victim blaming is a major problem in society. No one deserves to be assaulted no matter what they are wearing, drinking or doing,” said Ewing.

CSM said they hope that the Fordham community participates in the week’s events and educates themselves on the issue of sexual misconduct.

“We hope to foster, promote, and create a culture of affirmative consent throughout our campus. Week of Action takes us one step closer to inspiring this change on a cultural level,” said Ewing.

“Sexual misconduct/assault can be a silent issue and also very difficult to talk about and address. CSM’s Week of Action is supporting survivors and giving them a voice,” added Kennedy.

Follow their Instagram, @csm_fordhamusg.