PAGE 8 — THE DECREE — OCTOBER 7,1994
Date rape possible even at Wesleyan
(Continued from Front Page)
Another problem with date
rape is that it is a breach of trust.
The rape may be committed by
someone the victim has known
for years. Regardless of the na
ture of the relationship, it is usu
ally committed by someone the
victim trusts. Once this trust is
abused, it may affect the victim
in other relationships. It may take
(Continued from Front Page)
on college campuses that receive
the most attention or coverage
when hazing is discussed.
Hamrick explains that, “The
Greeks are expected to mess up.”
President of Sigma Pi frater
nity Pete Widell explained that
his fraternity’s national organi
zation is trying to get hazing out
of local chapters.
“Hazing does not promote
brotherhood,” Widell said. “Haz
ing is any mental/physical abuse,
anything degrading, and that does
not just apply to pledges but ap
plies to brothers too.”
President of Nu Gamma Phi
fraternity Chris Brandt says the
word “haze” has many meanings.
Os Guinness slated
for Staley Lecture
(Continued from Front Page)
postgraduate studies at the Uni
versity of Oxford, where he
graduated with a doctorate of phi
losophy in the social sciences.
Guinness’ most recent books
are Dining With the Devil: the
Megachurch Movement Flirts
with Modernity and Fit Bodies,
Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals
Don’t Think, published by Baker
in 1993. The Gravedigger File,
one of his first books, is an ex
amination of the social and cul
tural forces shaping religion in
the late 20th century.
Dr. Guinness was a guest
scholar at the Woodrow Wilson
Center for International Studies
and then a guest scholar and vis
iting fellow at the Brookings In
stitution. From 1986-89, he was
the executive director of the
Williamsburg Charter Founda
tion, one of the drafters of the
Williamsburg Charter, and co-au-
dior of the public school curricu
lum living With Our Deepest Dif
ference.
He is cunently a director of
the Trinity Forum, a seminar-style
forum for senior executives and
political leaders that engages lead
ing ideas in the context of faith.
years for them to trust anyone
enough to have a serious rela
tionship, if they ever can again.
I have yet to mention the pos
sibility of infectious diseases. In
the era of AIDS, herpes, and the
old mainstays (syphilis, gonor
rhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis), it
is added trauma to the victim to
have to worry about contracting
a terminal disease from a forced
In a document provided by the
FIPG risk manual there is a list of
85 examples of hazing outlines.
This document is in the process
of being simplified for use at
Wesleyan, which includes a list
of 11 examples of hazing.
Each pledge and Greek orga
nization at Wesleyan is required
to fill out a pledge card which is
signed by the pledge, the
organization’s president, the
organization’s advisor, and other
people.
Vice-President and Dean of
Student Life, Dr. Nancy Van
Kuren, explained how an incident
of hazing would be handled at
Wesleyan. The Greek advisor and
Greek Council would handle and
confront acts of hazing.
“If it is a severe sort of thing,
that involves personal injury, it
would be handled with the judi
cial process,” Van Kuren said.
Van Kuren also pointed out
that hazing is not just confined to
an on-campus event. “Hazing can
occur at events organizations have
off-campus,” Van Kuren said.
Van Kuren also said it is “a mis
conception that hazing is only in
volved with Greek organizations.
The school policy applies to all
organizations.”
“Yes, hazing does occur on-
campus and it is not just confined
to the Greek organizations,”
Widell said.
How widespread hazing is
across the nation is hard to as
sess. Jonathan Brant, executive
director of the National Interfi^-
temity Conference, estimated that
only five percent of NIC mem
bers haze.
College organizations and
Greeks in particular are now try
ing to concentrate more on otlMr
acts of building unity and broth
erhood. Community service is one
of the ways organizations are
working together at college cam
puses.
Wesleyan’s Greek organiza
tions have an extensive listing of
community service activities and
are more involved with events on
campus in an interactive way,, ,,
sexual encounter. It is a situation
where there is no benefit for the
victim, but there are several pre
cautionary measures that women
can take to prevent themselves
from becoming a statistic in the
Wesleyan crime booklet.
One of the most important is
to never become so inebriated that
you are unaware of your actions.
Second, try not to put yourself in
a compromising position. Always
keep an eye on your friends; don’t
let them run off with a stranger or
leave them alone with a group of
men. Finally, instinct is the most
important asset a person has. If
something just doesn’t seem right,
your instinct is probably correct.
Remember, if someone con
fides in you that they have been a
victim of date rape, it is impor
tant to get her help. This means
not only medical attention but also
getting understanding, care, and
support.
Finally, a recent study of col
lege students by two social scien
tists, Russell Clark and Elaine
Hatfield, turned up some inter
esting results. The students were
propositioned by members of the
opposite sex after a brief intro
duction. The first question was,
“Would you go out on a date with
me tonight?” Fifty percent of the
women agreed to accompany the
male on a date. The figure was
consistent with the men ap
proached by women as well.
The second question was,
“Would you go back to my apart
ment with me tonight?” Only six
percent of the women agreed to
this, while 69 percent of the males
found this proposition agreeable.
The final question, “Would
you have sex with me tonight?”
demonstrated a striking polarity
in the answers of the sexes. None
of the women agreed to this of
fer, while an overwhelming 75
percent of the males agreed to
have sex with their date that night.
The women were insulted when
approached with the offer of sex,
while many men found the re
quest complimentary.
Date rape is not an issue or
crime that can swept under the
carpet. It will not go away. But it
can be prevented. Using certain
precautions and keeping a sharp,
clear head can go a long way in
protecting yourself.
If it does happen to you, con
tact your resident director. If you
cannot reach them, contact
Deborah Pittman at 5180, Nurse
Janice Stump in the Wellness
Center at 5187, or call Campus
Security at 977-7374.
1994
Staley Lecture
Tuesday, Oct. 11
7:30 p.m.
Leon Russell Chapel
This Year’s Speaker:
Dr. Os Guinness
“Freedom of Conscience in
a World of Pluraiism and
Tribalism: Making the
World Safe for Diversity”
Hazing law tightened