Editor’s Note: Readers should be aware that this article has content pertaining to sexual assault. If you identify as a survivor of gender-based violence and want to reach out for support, visit du.edu/CAPE for confidential resources and contact information. 

thedobettercampaign started out as a conversation between peers. They were frustrated with sexual assault survivors’ lived experiences on college campuses. They were disillusioned with the bureaucratic tape that prevented change through traditional channels. So, relentless in their activism, they turned to social media. 

“We weren’t just thoughts behind a screen,” Grace Wankelman, a second-year at DU and one of the movement’s creators, said. “All three of us are survivors, and all three of us have stories on that account. We created it because we’re sick of what happened to us and so many of our peers, and we want to make sure future students coming into this school don’t have to have that experience.

“We’re normal college students. We’re stressed, and we’re all over the place. But this is something we said ‘enough’ to.” 

Early January, third-year Maddie Membrino, fourth-year Shannon Saul and second-year Grace Wankelman started wecanDUbetter—a campaign that seeks to stop gender violence on campus by amplifying the stories of survivors. They published their first post on Instagram, and the movement snowballed from there. They amassed thousands of followers, received hundreds of stories from students and alumni alike and attracted media attention from The Denver Post, The Denver 7 Channel, Fox 31 Denver and other major news outlets. 

On March 5, their activist work culminated into meetings with the chancellor and a seven-page action plan released by the University. It outlines the steps currently being taken by the administration to improve campus culture and the courses of action to be implemented by the end of winter quarter and fall quarter next year. 

Among its biggest promises, the university pledges not to cut funding for gender violence and prevention programs. They have organized a third-party audit of the Title IX Office, which now reports directly to the chancellor. Greek life will sign a Memorandum of Understanding, a legally-binding document that spells out expectations for upholding student safety at parties. Incoming students will receive four years of gender-based violence education and the opportunity to join a masculine identity student organization. 

While the response is at some parts lacking urgency, the team behind wecanDUbetter describes this plan as an “incredible start.” 

“By and large, nothing on campus would be different if Instagram hadn’t taken off. There wouldn’t be a lot of tangible change,” Membrino said. “Before this, Shannon and Grace had created a resolution to work on this in USG. But, because there wasn’t a lot of support, their demands would have been pretty tame compared to what we actually got to ask for and receive from the university.” 

After witnessing the movement’s scale and success, students from other colleges and universities reached out to wecanDUbetter about replicating it on their own campuses. Membrino, Saul and Wankelman realized what they started had the potential to become a national movement. 

“I think [thedobettercampaign] has needed to happen for a while now. The #MeToo movement was really helpful in talking about our society’s culture as a whole. But the problem with it is that you have to out yourself, and a lot of people aren’t comfortable with that. They want to remain anonymous,” said Saul. “Because of that, college campuses are very much a bubble. Higher education has not been specifically addressed in any movement.”  

Campus culture went largely unspoken of when #MeToo gained traction in 2017, despite the fact that 23 percent of female undergraduates experience rape or sexual assault at some point during their education. 21 percent of LGBTQ+ students say the same. Four out of five victims never report, even though sexual assault is more prevalent than other crimes at college. 

The team behind wecanDUbetter wanted to start a conversation about gender-based violence that went beyond DU. On thedobettercampaign Instagram, any current or former college student can share their story. Already they have posted about CU Boulder, Oregon State, Arizona State, University of Wisconsin—the list of schools goes on and on. 

To get this national movement off the ground, Membrino, Saul and Wankelman had to make the difficult decision of releasing their names. It was a choice that put their safety at risk, as past threats have pushed them to install alarm systems in their homes and share their location with friends. But they felt going public with their identities was necessary to move forward. 

“The decision was made to take on the risk of posting stories for other people. This way, the national page can be a platform for people from universities anywhere. If there are multiple stories from one school, students can draw attention to it and try to interact with their administrations and create change. They can focus on activism without worrying about their safety or the legal aspect of it,” Saul said. 

As for the future, they hope to turn thedobettercampaign into a non-profit. All expenses thus far have come out of their own pockets, so they have started a gofundme to raise the $5,000 needed. But for those who would like to support the movement and are unable to donate, its creators emphasize mindfully sharing it with others. 

“We want to spread this as much as possible, but we want to make sure it’s trauma-informed,” said Wankelman. “There might be attention-grabbing stories, but they might be harmful to survivors if there aren’t trigger warnings. Talk about this issue, but be cognisant. Talk about it with the mindset that you’re speaking with a survivor—because you very well could be.” 

Through their activism, thedobettercampaign hopes to build a sustainable effort towards ending gender-based violence on college campuses. It is far from easy work for three college students with classes, jobs and personal lives, but they do it in the hopes that higher education can one day be a safer space for all of us to exist in. 

DU may have heard wecanDUbetter’s demands, but this problem remains unsolved. We owe it to survivors everywhere to continue to recognize them and their stories. For more information on thedobettercampaign and how to support them, visit their website. 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding how this was covered, please reach out to duclarioneditorialteam@gmail.com.