Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Feb. 10, 1994, edition 1 / Page 14
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February 10,1994 U Rape on College Campus: A comprehensive series devoted to better Elon's understanding Mary Kelli Bridges Staff Reporter Editor’s Note: This is the first in ' an occasional series dealing with rape. DURHAM - She’s a freshman. He’s a sophomore. They’ve been dating for a week. She kissed him at a party the first time they met. That’s as far as they’ve gone. His friend says he’s a wimp for not going all the way. Tonight they’ve been in his dorm room drinking beer. They’re lying on the bed. Kissing leads to fondling. She wants to go no further. He does. She asks him to take it slow, saying she is not ready to have sex. Hearing his friend’s voice in his head pressuring him to continue, he doesn’t stop. Now she’s lying under him. “No. Stop,” she yells, while struggling to free herself. He rapes her. This scene is from “Sounds Dangerous,” a play shown to Duke University freshmen. Its purpose is to make them aware of acquaintance rape. Nearly 1,000 rapes and sexual assaults were reported on 2,400 colleges and universities in 1992, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Six rapes were reported on Elon College’s campus the same year, according to the school’s crime statistics. 1992 is the latest year for which Elon’s statistics are available. About 200 students, rape counselors and victims’ advocates gathered on the Duke campus in late January for The Third National Student Conference on Campus Sexual Violence. No rape awareness or advocate groups from Elon attended the conference. For three days, conference members exchanged ideas on how to stop rapes from occurring. Plays such as “Sounds Dangerous” are one way to educate students about acquaintance rapes. Instead of showing the actual rape, the actors performed monologues explaining what their characters were thinking during the scene. She couldn’t understand why he didn’t stop. He realized that she had said no, yet he still forced himself on her. Staged audience participation got out of hand, said Josh Gelerter, conference organiza. After the woman in the play told a friend that she had been raped by her date, an actress in the audience stood up and yelled out that the play was ridiculous. Other actors and actresses in the audience continued the staged interruptions, which were intended to begin a facilitated discussion among the audience. Arguments, however, erupted about the content of the play. Many audience members did not know the interruptions were staged; they yelled for the audience to be quiet and to allow the play to continue. What followed was an emotional free-for-all. “I didn’t expect the violent emotional outbursts that happened,” said Gelerter. “It was just so strong. I was not expecting that at all.” Michelle Silverman, the playwright and director, asked the audience for suggested changes in the play. Among the suggestions- have the woman rape the man. After the play, some audience members spoke to qualified rape crisis counselors; some relaxed in “safe spaces” and others just left in tears. Elon College’s Residence Life office sponsors a program similar to “Sounds Dangerous.” Dandelion Theater, a peer education program, performs skits about any subject for any organization. Incoming Elon freshmen watched a skit similar to the one performed at Duke. Beth Rosko, East Area director and adviser to Dandelion Theater, said the subjects were acquaintance rape, alcohol abuse, campus safety and security in residence halls, homesickness and diversity. Jana Lynn Patterson, associate dean of Student Affairs, said the 900 freshmen were divided into groups and put in different auditoriums to watch the skits. Each group was conducted by a facilitator and someone from One-In-Three, a student advocate/awareness group. Also in the audiences were Residence Life staff trained in listening and referral skills, Rosko said. Elaine Allen, program coordinator at the Duke Women’s Center, said audience members February Sexual Assault M5^th of the Month Brought to you by the One In Three Rape Awareness Program MYTH: If a survivor doesn't fight back she/he wasn't really raped. FACT: Rape is a potentiality life threatening event. Whatever a person does to SURVIVE the assault is the appropriate action. SUBMISSION CONSENT NO MEANS NO! Not Maybe. Not yes. If you have been assaulted, know someone who has been assualted, or are seeking information about sexual assualt, call: Rape Crisis Alliance Crisis Line 228-0360 Office 227-0813 To Icam more about One In Three, call Elon Volunteers! 584-2102 should be told that counseling services are available. People should be available immediately after the presentation and for the next couple of days, she said. Rosko said referral pamphlets are given to the audience at Elon and that discussion follows the performance. Silverman said theater can make more of an impact becaus the freshmen can relate to mof than just numbers. Gelerter said that, i retrospect, audience membei should be warned that the skit cH be emotional and that a coolin down period after the skit woul help the audience “get in touc with what they are feeling.” □ ECTV From Page 4 be used to train new students. The media board oversees the college media and serves as a buffer between the media and the administration and Student Government Association. The media board is made up of three faculty members and three students who serve a two year term. It is funded partly by SGA and the college. Fulkerson feels that the media board is good for the media organizations because there is a potential for SGA and the college to conu-ol money and the media board prevents this. Fulkerson does not know how the ECTV budget will be affected or how the organization will get money for funding. Other members of the media board are The Pendulum, Colonnades, WSOE and the yearbook. Phi Psi Cli. The ECTV channel is nev* technology for the college and i' has been ^)eculated whether video will replace the once popula> yearbook. Some media board member* have questioned the validity o the yearbook, costing ove' $33,000 a year and having a lac of student interest. Fulkerson does not want speculate about what will happe' to the yearbook. “We don’t want to pit ECT^ on the yearbook. If it dies,' dies on its own,” he said. This year the yearbook is f a trial period and a decision been made to put out anothf next year, but after that there ' no guarantee, according to medi' board members. THE PANTRY. IMMEDIATE OPENINGS SALES ASSOCIATES; STARTING PAY BASED ON EXPERIENCE ^ ***BENEFITS INCLUDE*** ; ✓ SEMI ANNUAL REVIEWS * MERIT INCREASE ✓ TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ✓ LIFE & HEALTH INSURANCE ✓ ACCRUED SIOC PAY * VACATION ✓ 40IK RETIREMENT PLAN APPLY IN PERSON AT YOUR LOCAL ELON COLLEGE PANTRY FOR IMMEDIATE INTERVIEW.
Elon University Student Newspaper
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Feb. 10, 1994, edition 1
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