In case you missed it, last year a Columbia University student named Emma Sulkowicz made national headlines when she started carrying her mattress around to classes. The protest performance art piece (titled Carry the Weight) began when the school would not expel the student that Sulkowicz says assaulted her and two other females. Performance artist Marina Abramovic was impressed with Sulkowicz and organized a meeting with the young artist. "Many people don’t have the willpower to stick to something no matter what, and that’s what she’s doing."
According to DNA Info, Sulkowicz and her friends attended their commencement ceremony this morning with the mattress, ignoring Columbia's warning to students not to bring "large objects which could interfere with the proceedings or create discomfort to others in close." Photos and video taken at the event show that Sulkowicz was allowed to enter and also walked across the stage with the mattress to accept her diploma.
Badass 4 life #EmmaSulkowicz walks thru Columbia graduation w/ mattress 4 #rape protest WATCH: http://t.co/6aYspug8OJ pic.twitter.com/F7B0FISx2A
— Hello Beautiful (@HelloBeautiful) May 19, 2015
Emma Sulkowicz took her mattress up to the stage to lots of applause at #ccclassday2015 pic.twitter.com/1hTviv7UsU
— Teo Armus (@teoarmus) May 19, 2015
