On the evening of Monday Nov. 3, the Villard Room glowed with soft lamplight as students, faculty and community members gathered for a screening of “Beyond Survival,” a documentary about the long fight to pass New York’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. Hosted by the Support, Advocacy and Violence Prevention (SAVP) Office and the college’s Counseling Service, the screening promised more than a film. It became a space for reflection on justice, resilience and collective care.
Before the lights dimmed, SAVP Director Rachel Gallert welcomed the audience and gently pointed out the resources available: the Faculty Parlor for private support, gender-neutral restrooms and advocates nearby for anyone who needed them. Her introduction felt less procedural than protective, setting the tone for an evening rooted in empathy and safety.
The film opened with white text on a black screen: “This is the story of the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. The community that fought for it. The people working to implement it. And the survivors who continue to lead the way.” From that first line, the room fell completely silent. Through interviews with legislators, judges and survivors, “Beyond Survival” followed a decade of tireless organizing that turned pain into policy. It showed how the justice system often mirrors the very patterns of control that survivors escape.
At one point, a survivor, tears streaking her face, looked into the camera and said, “We survived, and we deserve it.” Around the room, many wiped their eyes. The atmosphere was heavy but warm, a shared ache that seemed to pull everyone closer.
The story struck deep for Vassar. Nicole “Nikki” Addimando, a former Vassar employee, was among the first people in New York to receive a sentence reduction under the act. Many on campus had joined efforts for her release, and the film felt like both a remembrance and a reminder of unfinished work.
After the credits, the panel began. Michelle Burman, Addimando’s sister, spoke softly about the pain of watching the court system replay cycles of abuse. Kate Mogulescu, Legal & Policy Director of the Survivors Justice Project, explained how survivors still struggle to access the law meant to protect them. “Passing a law isn’t the end,” she stated. “Justice happens in every courtroom, every hearing, every story retold.”
Then, Judy Clark, a longtime activist who spent decades incarcerated, connected the dots between domestic violence and prison itself. “If we understand abuse as control,” she said, “we must see incarceration as part of the same pattern.” The room stilled again.
During the Q&A, students asked about the cost of advocacy and how to stay involved. The panelists returned to one idea: Change takes community. The act passed because survivors and allies refused to give up, working together year after year until lawmakers finally listened.
As the evening ended, Gallert reminded attendees of campus and local resources, from SAVP advocates to the Family Services Victim Center hotline. Conversations lingered by the refreshment tables, low and thoughtful. No one seemed eager to leave.
“Beyond Survival” may have been filmed in courtrooms and prisons across New York, but its message belongs here, too. It showed how people—survivors, organizers, students—can build something powerful together. As the crowd stepped into the cold November night, one truth felt clear: Justice is not a verdict. It is a community, sustained by those who keep showing up.