Columbia student brings rape protest mattress to graduation

A 21-year-old visual artsstudentwho's been makingheadlines all yearwithaprovocative (and ratherlabourious) senior thesis projectgraduated from Columbia Universityon Tuesday with a 50lb mattress in her hands.

EmmaSulkowicz has been haulingaround an extra-long dorm room mattresssince September, when sheembarked upona piece of endurance performance art toraise awareness about sexual assault on campus (and the alleged mishandling of such cases by school administrators.)

"I was raped in my own dorm bed, and since then that space has become fraught for me," she saidin a Columbia Spectatorvideo about the piece, which is calledMattress Performance (Carry That Weight)."And I feel like I've carried the weight of what happened there with me everywhere since then."

Sulkowicz,oneof 23 students who've filed a federal Title IX complaint against Columbia for mishandling sexual assault cases, vowed at the inception of herproject to carry themattress everywhere until heralleged rapist, a fellow student,was expelledor left school on his own accord.

Thestudent in question,Paul Nungesser,has said he didn't rape Sulkowicz and was cleared of the charge (as well as two others against him) by Columbia in 2013.

Last month, hefiled alawsuit against both Columbiaand Sulkowicz' thesis advisor"for allowing his accuser to publicly brand him a 'serial rapist'," last month according to CNN.

Speculation as towhether or not Sulkowicz would carry the mattress with her to graduation ahead of Tuesday's ceremony is thought to have prompted an emailsent to graduating seniors by university administratorson Monday.

"Graduates should not bring into the ceremonial area large objects which could interfere with the proceedings or create discomfort to others in close, crowded spaces shared by thousands of people," reads a portion of the email published by The Columbia Spectator.

The newspaper notes that this guideline was not included in communications about graduation to students before2015.

And yet, despite this message,Sulkowicz was spotted in her blue cap and gownat the graduation ceremony on Tuesday,famed mattress in tow.

Nungesser, a fellow graduating senior, was also present at the ceremony.

News reports and social media posts from theceremony show that Sulkowicz carried her mattress into graduation and up on stage to receive her degree with the help of some friends.

She did not, however, shake university president Lee Bollinger's hand upon graduating, as is customary.

Whether or not this omissionwas intentional is not known, but the student body in general seemed pleased with the fact that Sulkowiczbrought her mattress to the ceremony.

As seen a video uploaded to YouTube by The Columbia Spectator Tuesday, audience members cheered and clapped as Sulkowicz marched across the stage.