Manifest creative director resigns following sexual assault allegations

By Ariana Portalatin, Managing Editor

courtesy Columbia College Chicago Website
Manifest creative director resigns following sexual assault allegations

After multiple sexual assault allegations made on social media, senior theatre major Evan Louis Szewc resigned as the creative director of the college’s 2018 Manifest Urban Arts Festival in a Dec. 28 Facebook post.

Szewc acknowledged and apologized for his actions before announcing his resignation in the Facebook post.

“I would like to apologize to the women that I have hurt in the past and also thank those who have come forward for their courage; I do not wish to silence you. In the past I have made crude and uncalled for comments towards women, have been handsy and tried to kiss people at parties, sent people pictures of myself that they did not ask for, and made people uncomfortable. I know that apologizing can not change these things, but I am still incredibly sorry,” Szewc wrote on Facebook. “As it is not my intention to cause any further harm or discomfort to others, I will be resigning from my position as the Manifest Creative Director. Those who are close to me know the ways in which I’ve changed and I hope that the people I have worked with this semester have not felt affected by the person I was in the past. I am deeply sorry for the pain that my previous actions have caused anyone.” 

Szewc was announced as Manifest’s creative director Dec. 12 based on a campus-wide vote. This year’s festival is scheduled for May 11 with the theme “OWN IT,” according to the college’s website.

In a Jan. 3 email to The Chronicle, college spokeswoman Anjali Julka confirmed Szewc’s resignation and said the student who received the second highest number of votes will be given the opportunity to assume the role of creative director and have their art submissions be included for the theme but whether they will accept has not yet been determined.

Story developments to come.