Pitt students gather outside Cathedral of Learning to protest sexual assault

PITTSBURGH — Hundreds of University of Pittsburgh students gathered on the front lawn of the Cathedral of Learning, less than 24 hours after they learned of a sexual assault that happened inside of a stairwell in the iconic landmark.

Students call the cathedral “Cathy.”

“I don’t think anyone who goes to Pitt could read that and not be horrified. We have all been in Cathy, we’ve all been at Cathy at 4 in the afternoon, and it’s just completely unspeakable that something like that would happen,” said student Hope Karnes.

It’s the third sexual assault that has happened on or near Pitt’s campus in the last month.

Police don’t believe any of the assaults are connected.

Sophie Runia told WPXI-TV that she is taking her safety into her own hands.

“I just got some pepper spray because I don’t feel comfortable walking around campus by myself. I have a class in Cathy and I walk home by myself in the dark, and I don’t want to be caught in a compromising position,” Runia said.

With handmade signs and speeches, students asked for more security, limited access to the cathedral and cameras in stairwells.

The university has since added more police and security officers at the building.

But for Runia, that’s not enough.

“We should be able to go to class and feel safe. We should be able to be in a school building and feel protected. It makes no sense we would be walking around and be fearful that something is going to happen to us,” she added.

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