By: Emma Greenberg ’18

When a person experiences sexual assault or sexual harassment first hand, they usually feel obligated to stay silent and be in the shadows about it,” Daria Rinde ’17, founder and president of the new club Umbrella of Protection: Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Support (UPSASHS), said. The group focuses on advocating for sexual assault and harassment survivors, and acts as a support group for the members of the club.
“By creating this support group, we wanted to give them a place to feel safe and a place where they could talk openly while that they are never alone,” Rinde said.
Rinde was inspired to create the club because she wanted to make an environment where anyone with a story can feel comfortable sharing it with others. She aimed to create a “safe haven” for people who feel like they have nowhere else to turn.
“There should be a safe place for people to go where they can talk about [what happened to them] to other people that have experienced the same kind of things,” Rinde said.
Rinde believes it’s important to acknowledge that just because some people may never be sexually assaulted or sexually harassed, it does not mean it hasn’t happened to others. Rinde emphasizes that people will never know the story of others just at a glance. “It’s way more common than people think,” Rinde said.
The club is the first of its kind at the high school because, according to Rinde, there has never before been a high school support group for sexual assault and harassment survivors. She also commends Westport for being progressive in allowing the club to take place on school grounds. “No school has ever had anything like this,” Rinde said.
Confidentiality is key to the club. Rinde stresses that anything said in the club will stay in the club. She claims that just the act of sharing your story is hard enough, and that it should only be heard by a circle of trusted members. Rinde states that she “knows [confidentiality] is a huge deal” and would never want the club to infringe upon people’s comfort zones.
Other students in the club have also commented on the camaraderie the club offers. “I enjoy the sense of unity that we have here,” Xi Jones ’17 said. “We are a very close-knit group […]. There’s a sense of comfortability where you can be who you really are.”
Jones also said many of the group’s survivors have had many injustices inflicted upon them. He said that while the club is a step in the right direction, more should be done.
“There have been a few instances of students […] who have reported [instances of sexual violation] and who still don’t feel safe in the school because only what was required by law was done,” Jones said. “Here we are in 2017 where people are being told they can grab them, and the situation is getting worse, so places like this [club] are needed.”
The advisor of the club, Mandarin teacher Chris Fray, was “relieved” when the club got approved after undergoing a six month review process. “It was nice to know that there are other adults [in the building] that are on the same page about the need to expand our awareness about the issue,” Fray said.
Rinde is also appreciative of the people who have supported her club.
“[Principal James] D’Amico was one of the most helpful people,” she said. “He promised that we were going to get this done no matter how long it took.”
UPSASHS emphasizes it is a club that is open to anyone. One need not be a survivor of sexual assault or harassment; allies are welcome, too.
“We welcome everyone,” Jones said with a genuine smile.
Umbrella of Protection: Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Support meets in room 2046 on every other Wednesday.