On May 13, 2011, a female Marquette student studying abroad in Cape Town as part of the South Africa Service Learning program was raped in an alley just outside of the university-provided housing.

Just after the incident, a night guard was put in place outside of the building for the remainder of the program. This security service was discontinued after that semester’s group left.

Now, program alumna of that semester and 2011 Marquette graduate Molly Arenberg is pushing for the university to provide more preventative security and build a greater awareness of sexual violence in foreign countries where its students are studying.

“My first and primary goal was just to get the night guard back in place,” Arenberg said. “However, through my attempts to talk to (the Office of International Education), the Department of Public Safety, the Leadership Council and a (DPS) sexual violence advocate, it became more and more apparent that there is a systematic problem in how Marquette responded to this act of sexual violence.”

Arenberg said students were sleeping when the attack occurred, and two students woke to the victim’s screams. The victim was then taken to the hospital and provided a counselor.

The university-provided housing, the Kimberley House, is located at 1 Kimberley Rd., adjacent to the alley students often use to walk home. In response to the attack, the university installed a light and three security cameras providing a live video feed of the house’s alley entrance, which students are told to use.

Current students in the program were asked if they felt the need to reinstall a night guard, but they decided against the proposal.

One current participant in the program, Jessa Hackman, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, has been speaking on behalf of the group. According to Hackman, the group has discussed the safety issues brought up to them and views the dangers no differently than any other major city’s crimes.

“We know she (Arenberg) is coming from a place of love and concern for the current and future members of this program, and for that we are really thankful,” Hackman said in an email. “However, at this time, the current residents of the Kimberley House feel comfortable in our environment here in Cape Town.”

Students were instructed by the university to use the buddy system, Arenberg said. This, she said, is not an adequate preventative measure.

“Marquette told them that the buddy system is enough, and as students with faith in their program, they agreed,” she said. “This is another reason why I am concerned not just about the product, but the process of Marquette taking appropriate action.”

Current students are not disregarding their safety, though. According to Hackman students are taking personal responsibility and provided security features that have been added by the university, and according to Hackman, the group “feels confident” it is safe.

Terence Miller, director of the Office of International Education, said in an email that the university is in constant communication with its students in the Kimberley House. He reiterated the current students’ sentiments.

“Our two on-site Marquette University staff members met with all 21 students currently studying in Cape Town and living in the Kimberley House last week Thursday,” Miller said. “They reassured us that they felt safe living in the house.”

Besides the newly installed cameras, the house features an emergency call button, which will activate an armed response and send security to the house. There is also an armed security agency that patrols the area and will walk students home, which program participants have also been encouraged to use, Miller said.

Arenberg is not asking for the program to be shut down. As an alumna she said the program is “life-transforming” and she thoroughly enjoyed her experience. She just asks that Marquette better address its response to sexual violence in all aspects of study abroad programs.

After several weeks of correspondence with the university via email, Arenberg, with consent from the victim, decided going to the media was the next option. The story was also reported by Milwaukee’s TMJ4 TV station last Wednesday.

“I hope I don’t have to go any further,” she said. “The reason I took it to the press was because Marquette froze me out of dialogue. I didn’t want to take it to the press. It was the only way to get Marquette to address the issue appropriately.”