After many hours of reading stories about assaults and rapes on college campus's, one thing that has been consistent with all the stories is the fact that many schools and police brushed off the victims claims. Even now, Yeardly Love's case is being brought up again with lawyers and officers saying it was her fault. Now, I don't know about everyone in the world, but who asks for someone to inappropriately touch, handle, or abuse them? When a person says "No" they mean no. No matter what.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iku-QO8tqSM
Monday, December 5, 2011
Interview with Faculty
After having an interview with the dean of student life, she had some interesting things to say about my topic. We discussed the specific situation that took place on campus and off. She informed me that the school tries it's best to protect the students but she said, and I quote, "I fear for your alls safety. You're under a false sense of security, which worries me".
After talking more about what she had said, I brought up campus safety and how they have changed over the years at SBC. She said that the student are either upset with them because they do too much, or they do too little. There is no medium to the matter. However, question remains in my mind, why is doing too much a bad thing? Safety should be #1 no matter who gets upset about the little things. One instance she brought up was how campus safety makes people stop at the gate at night. She said that sometimes people complain that they made quests feel unwelcome when they asked for their ID's etc... You would think if they felt unwelcome, then why did they choose to come visit?
After and before interviewing the dean of student life, I had a few of my male friends visit from another school on a boathouse night. I had them arrive on campus between the hours of 10:30-11:30, which are the prime times where outside people decide to show up to a boathouse on those nights. My past history with this situation have been both good and bad. Last year after certain people showed up uninvited, campus safety would call students to make sure that their guests who said they were there to see a specific student, really belonged to that student. All four of my male friends were the same for each boathouse I had them come to. The first night they came, I did not receive a phone call. After the interview where I brought up this concern, which was the same day as a boathouse, I received a phone call from campus safety asking if my guests were actually mine. Only after my 4 friends had been sitting in my room for 10 minutes telling me about the officer at the gate joked around with them before allowing them to drive through campus. The officer who called me did not mention the names of students or where they said they went to school. Even though I was impressed with how they responded to my 2nd experiment, I knew it had only been because the dean I had spoken with had a meeting after my interview with the chief of security.
Maybe it was a start to a new way of keeping outsiders off campus, or just an attempt to show the students they're doing their jobs, but one thing is certain. I've had more complaints thrown at me by how disappointed students were with their safety on campus than those who had compliments.
After talking more about what she had said, I brought up campus safety and how they have changed over the years at SBC. She said that the student are either upset with them because they do too much, or they do too little. There is no medium to the matter. However, question remains in my mind, why is doing too much a bad thing? Safety should be #1 no matter who gets upset about the little things. One instance she brought up was how campus safety makes people stop at the gate at night. She said that sometimes people complain that they made quests feel unwelcome when they asked for their ID's etc... You would think if they felt unwelcome, then why did they choose to come visit?
After and before interviewing the dean of student life, I had a few of my male friends visit from another school on a boathouse night. I had them arrive on campus between the hours of 10:30-11:30, which are the prime times where outside people decide to show up to a boathouse on those nights. My past history with this situation have been both good and bad. Last year after certain people showed up uninvited, campus safety would call students to make sure that their guests who said they were there to see a specific student, really belonged to that student. All four of my male friends were the same for each boathouse I had them come to. The first night they came, I did not receive a phone call. After the interview where I brought up this concern, which was the same day as a boathouse, I received a phone call from campus safety asking if my guests were actually mine. Only after my 4 friends had been sitting in my room for 10 minutes telling me about the officer at the gate joked around with them before allowing them to drive through campus. The officer who called me did not mention the names of students or where they said they went to school. Even though I was impressed with how they responded to my 2nd experiment, I knew it had only been because the dean I had spoken with had a meeting after my interview with the chief of security.
Maybe it was a start to a new way of keeping outsiders off campus, or just an attempt to show the students they're doing their jobs, but one thing is certain. I've had more complaints thrown at me by how disappointed students were with their safety on campus than those who had compliments.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Shocked.
After interviewing a rape victim of a virginia campus, I was shocked to hear that the campus safety on her campus didn't know how to handle the situation. She told me that they were so flustered and made her feel like she was lying about the whole thing or had egged on the individuals who attacked her as if she were "asking for it". No woman asks to be man handled unwillingly. No woman asks to seen her life flash before her eyes as she is being forced to do things she begs to not do. What shocked me the most was when she explained to me how they turned her case over to the local police station and even after the rape test coming back positive, the police department also seemed very carefree. Which is ridiculous. How are people supposed to feel safe when the security and police force don't care? Amazing. Simply amazing. This is going to astonish people. Trust me.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Truth.
After recently interviewing a past student from SBC, you would never have guessed something horrible happened on our own campus. Well, believe it or not, it has happened more than once. I was amazed after interviewing a few students that incidents involving poor security on our campus had resulted in awful things. Which makes my article that much more meaningful to allow women and other readers insight on how they can prevent things from happening.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
What is sexual assault?
The department of public safety at Southern Illinois University published an informational page about sexual assault on campus. Under their "Campus Safety Alert", you can find all the information about what sexual assault is, the different types of sexual assault and more. The beginning of the page tells us that recent studies show that sexual assault on campus's is now 70%, and they occur in 'date rape' situations. The victims of sexual assault tend to KNOW their rapist, and other people who know both individuals tend to know that the situation happened. However, do they come forward? Most of the time, no.
I was very impressed, however, by the information provided by SIU's public safety. They give step-by-step information about rape and harassment. They even give information out to men on the subject. From what I have read from this site, SIU is trying their best to keep their student safe and informed about this rising issue amongst college campus's across the nation. Which more schools should strive to do, also.
SIU's Site:
http://www.dps.siu.edu/cp_sexual_assault.htm
I was very impressed, however, by the information provided by SIU's public safety. They give step-by-step information about rape and harassment. They even give information out to men on the subject. From what I have read from this site, SIU is trying their best to keep their student safe and informed about this rising issue amongst college campus's across the nation. Which more schools should strive to do, also.
SIU's Site:
http://www.dps.siu.edu/cp_sexual_assault.htm
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Too Young...Too Late
Yeardly Love was a student at the University of Virginia. She was a varsity lacrosse player, and loved by many of her fellow teammates and students. This is just one case of how silence can end up tragic. It was known that Yeardly's ex-boyfriend, George Huguely (also a varsity lacrosse player at UVA) had been very abusive to her in the past. Could this have all been avoided if someone had come forward with the abusive relationship Yeardly and George had? Maybe, but we'll never know.
On May 6, 2010, 1,500 students lit up the lawn on UVA's campus to remember the life of Yeardly.
On May 6, 2010, 1,500 students lit up the lawn on UVA's campus to remember the life of Yeardly.
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