By Helen Robins
Last fall, along with being a brother in AKPsi, I was one of two coordinators for the Louisiana Sexual Assault Student Activist Conference (LSASAC). The LSASAC is an annual conference that brings together students, educators, and activists from around the state and country to discuss different approaches to sexual violence prevention and response. Any brother from this period can attest that I would rarely stop talking about what this event – and the mission it stood for – meant to me. Ultimately, the support of the brotherhood of AKPsi helped bring it to fruition.
Pulling off an event of this scale required massive amounts of time and energy. We coordinated national speakers, panelists, administrators, and caterers. We had to write proposals, draft advertisements, design handouts, and speak to clubs and classes. I was working hard to ensure it would be successful, but I was also scared of failure. What if nobody showed up? What if none of our planning worked?
In the darkest moments when I felt certain nothing would work, brothers stepped up to help. When a crucial order failed to arrive the day before the event, S Kern offered to drive me to an office supplies store over a half hour away to load up on over $500 worth of folders, pens, and stickers. Sophia Mariani volunteered to cover the event for the Hullabaloo, where she interviewed staff and participants and documented the hard work we did. Even more brothers talked to their classes and clubs about the event on my behalf.
The most visible moment of support from the brotherhood came during the conference itself. AKPsi was one of the best represented clubs on campus, and our brothers took up several tables. Many had never participated in sexual violence activism work, but came to learn and support. They were not just there because I asked them to be: they asked meaningful questions, and walked away with ideas on how they could help improve our campus and our chapter. Several brothers connected with local activists and went on to complete service projects or internships with organizations to prevent sexual assault.
Brotherhood can mean always having a friend to get lunch with, or always knowing someone in your classes. My brotherhood goes above and beyond those simple expectations to support one another in the pursuits that we hold closest to our hearts.
