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Photos by Lilly Kubit/PublicSource. Photo illustration by Natasha Vicens/PublicSource
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Dear Reader,
Right now, many students at our local universities are home for Thanksgiving break, and Oakland may become a bit quieter. But this break signals more than a respite from traffic — it also marks the end of a particularly vulnerable time for college students.
More than half of campus sexual assaults occur between the start of the fall semester and Thanksgiving break, in a period of time known as The Red Zone. For months, I’ve been investigating the prevalence and impacts of this violence.
Throughout our reporting, we’ve sought to be of service to readers.
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Here’s one example: We learned that seeking medical care, receiving mental health support or reporting an assault can be a confusing or overwhelming process for survivors. We spoke with advocates, university officials and healthcare professionals to create a guide explaining the resources that are available.
To treat this topic with the care it deserves, we knew that showing up and listening were of the utmost importance. About a dozen survivors of sexual and gender-based violence on Pittsburgh campuses courageously shared their stories with us, revealing the institutional gaps and social challenges that leave students at risk. And when a reported assault in October on the University of Pittsburgh campus prompted protests and a town hall meeting on sexual violence, I spoke to students in attendance and shared their reactions.
At PublicSource, our mission is to immerse ourselves in the community, listen to your concerns and strive to do right by you. We not only seek to ask tough questions and hold power to account, but also we strive to be a resource for our neighbors and provide information that is practical and useful. We hope that projects like The Red Zone shine a light on important issues and help people in the community heal and thrive.
To do this work, we rely on support from readers like you. Right now, your new monthly donation will be matched 12x, and your one-time gift will be doubled, all up to $1,000. Please help sustain this important work by making a MATCHED gift today.
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Sincerely,
Emma Folts
Higher education reporter
PublicSource
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To be removed from fundraising messages, please email [email protected]. Donations by check can be made payable to PublicSource and mailed to our office at 1936 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219. So that we can credit you properly, please include your email address with your gift.
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