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Sexual Assault on Campus: Will it Ever End?

WASHINGTON- The Brock Turner case was just the beginning. When the Stanford swimmer was sentenced six months in a federal prison for raping an unconscious woman on Thursday, June 2, millions of people were outraged. “It’s disgusting. It really shows how important it is that more people are educated about [sexual assault],” said Julienne DeVita, a graphics major at American University.

It’s not just the Stanford case. Sexual assault cases have been a nationwide problem for decades. According a Bureau of Justice Statistics survey titled “Rape and Sexual Assault Among College- Age Females, 1995-2013,” the highest rate of surveyed sexual assault cases per 1,000 female students and non students ages 18-24 existed in the early 2000s. 

While the rate of sexual assault cases was higher for non students 76.4% of the time, the difference was 0.1 between students and non students in 2013. Even with the 0.1 in 2013, colleges are trying to provide more services to help victims of sexual assault.

Figure 1: Rate of Rape Cases Between Female Students and Non Students Ages 18-24 from 1997-2013 (Courtesy of the Bureau of Justice Statistics) http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsavcaf9513.pdf

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At American University, programs such the Office of Advocacy Services for Interpersonal and Sexual Violence (OASIS) have been designed to spread awareness about sexual assault, as well as to provide services to help victims of this nationwide epidemic. “I think that they’re [organizations for sexual assault victims] are advertised on campus, especially in the bathrooms,” DeVita said.

The OASIS bathroom initiative consisted of placing signs on the back of stalls in every women’s bathroom on campus. Each sign reads, “Sexual Violence is never the survivor’s fault!” Besides this slogan, the sign explains actions and support services for victims of sexual assault. Such resources include the American University Counseling Center, the Washington Hospital’s center DC SANE center, and the DC Sexual Assault Hotline.

Even with programs like OASIS, sexual assault still exists on campus. While DeVita did not have a personal experience with sexual assault, she acknowledged the existence of a rape culture. “It’s hard to stop because it’s under the radar. Victims should be treated with respect because when you’re put in that situation you don’t know how to act,” DeVita said.

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2016 election already on voters’ minds

Standing between the 56 granite columns of the World War II Memorial donning shorts and a t-shirt, David Johnson, 31, toured the site with his wife and parents.

Sixteen months from the 2016 presidential election tourists like Johnson already are looking ahead to the barrage of political advertisements, speeches and debates that will shape the next year and a half. Regardless of political party, issues are diverse and the election season is expected to drag on.

“I would hope that they focus on the real issues rather than the crap that goes through the 24-hour news cycle,” said Johnson, who counts issues including net neutrality and money in politics as top election priorities.

Many citizens feel the need to elect a candidate who will focus on these issues and others.

Gregory Pratt, 27, said he would like to see the candidates address student debt, while Bianca Perez, 30, is looking for greater focus on the economy, especially for middle and lower classes.

“I hope people don’t vote based on party lines but instead on what the candidates have to say,” Pratt said.

Perez, however, had a different vision for the outcome of the election.

“I hope that we can get a candidate that can continue the progression of our country,” Perez said. “A lot of steps have been taken towards more acceptance in our nation, and I hope whoever the new candidate is can continue in that path.”

While most voters have high expectations and are passionate about the candidates’ talking points, some are skeptical and even indifferent.

Angel Cleves, 44, said that she doesn’t “really trust a lot of politicians. I guess. So that’s my concern: what they say they’re going to do, they do.”

American University graduate Logan Combest-Friedman was not keeping up with the election developments.

“I don’t have many expectations,” Combest-Friedman said. “It’s the same thing every time.”

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District residents tense, concerned as Navy Yard goes on lockdown

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Reports of a possible shooter and hours-long lock down Thursday at the Washington Navy Yard left many residents in Washington D.C. concerned, according to interviews.

A couple of hours after initial reports of a possible shooter flooded social media and metropolitan news sites, authorities gave the all clear. But, that didn’t stop residents from feeling confused or concerned about what was happening in the southeastern part of their city at the Navy post that was the site of a mass shooting in September 2013.

“After hearing about all of these shootings, people become desensitized,” said Sajlaya Henson, 27.

Metropolitan district police announced shortly after 10 a.m. no gunmen were on scene and no shots had been fired.

Leonaro Roy, 27, stood behind the counter at a Tenleytown smoothie shop. He heard the initial buzz on Facebook.

“This is very concerning considering it was the second time it happened,” Roy said, before police had released updated details.

On Sept. 16, 2013, former Navy veteran Aaron Alexis, 34, opened fire at the Navy Yard killing 12 people.

The former shipyard is currently the ceremonial and administrative headquarters for the U.S. Navy and operates for the Chief of Naval Operations, according to its website.

The Navy Yard is not the only place on U.S. soil to experience events such as mass shootings; they have become a trend in America’s headlines over the last several years.

This has become a leading point in the bipartisan debate, striking debate and heated emotions on both sides.

On one side, proponents of gun control argue the weapons industry needs to be regulated to ensure these occurrences cease. Citizens are calling for action and turning to officials to make changes.

Melissa Hoghtlin, 55, said: “Why aren’t we doing anything about gun control?”

 

 

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Social media helps students and grads network, stay informed

Students on American University’s campus use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to obtain news, contact others and even find jobs, ushering in a new era of social media unknown to past generations and even foreign to some millennials.

Journalism and Arab World Studies major Jacquie Lee, 20, interned for a Republican senator from Ohio and wrote for Street Sense, a district publication that advocates for homeless rights. In both positions, social media was a small part of the job. She composed tweets and posted on Facebook.

“It is assumed since you are young, you are good at writing for social media,” Lee said. “But this may not always be the case.”

For Lee, who is headed to study abroad in Jordan in August, Twitter is a great way to see top headlines. It also allows  stories that wouldn’t receive coverage to gain international recognition. Lee talked about the Arab Spring and women in the Middle East.

“Citizen journalists are reporting stories that they see instantly,” Lee said regarding the way news breaks over Twitter.

Not only do students use social media to find out information about the world, but they are also capable of giving the world information about themselves. Many students agreed that the use of Facebook and Twitter is a great way of branding themselves and getting recognized .

Business and entertainment major Toye Adenekan, 20, uses social media to help him stay fresh in his industry.

“I use it for tidbits of news but I am able to put my name out there,” Adenekan said.

Yolanda Martinez, a 26-year-old who earned a graduate degree in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley, uses social media to find news, sources and jobs.

“I definitely view it as a positive,” Martinez said.

College students know the importance of making connections to get ahead. Seventeen-year-old AU student Cassie Castro is pursuing a path in political science and keeps up with others in her field. She uses social media to branch out and make relationships with others.

“Networking is huge, especially in college,” Castro said.