Author: Mollie Cahillane

Grieving Saints Coach Sean Payton Advocates Tougher Gun Laws After Shooting of Former Star Will Smith: ‘I Hate Guns’

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Following Saturday’s fatal shooting of former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith, the team’s coach, Sean Payton, mourned Smith’s death and spoke out in support of gun control.

“I’m not an extreme liberal,” Payton said in an interview with USA Today. “I find myself leaning to the right on some issues. But on this issue, I can’t wrap my brain around it.”

“If this opinion in Louisiana is super unpopular, so be it.” Payton said.

He added, “I hate guns.”

Smith, a defensive end who played a key role in the Saints’ 2009 Super Bowl victory and made the Pro Bowl in 2006, was fatally shot following a fender bender in New Orleans’s Garden District. He was pronounced dead on the scene. His wife, Racquel, was also shot and taken to an area hospital for treatment, police said.

On Sunday morning, police announced the arrest of Cardell Hayes, 28, in connection with Smith’s death. Hayes allegedly shot Smith and Racquel after he rear-ended their vehicle with his Hummer. Smith and Hayes “exchanged words” and Hayes “produced a handgun and shot Smith multiple times,” police have alleged.

Hayes’s attorney, John Fuller, who has not returned PEOPLE’s request for comment, has said Hayes was “not the aggressor.”

Payton told USA Today“: “Two hundred years from now, they’re going to look back and say, ‘What was that madness about?’”

He added, “The idea that we need them to fend off intruders people are more apt to draw them [in other situations]. That’s some silly stuff we’re hanging on to.”

Payton spent Saturday evening participating in an auction for a charity event at the House of Blues. Returning home after midnight, he learned of Smith’s death, which occurred only about eight blocks from Payton’s home. He drove to the scene around 5:45 Sunday morning. He then spent several hours at the hospital where Racquel underwent surgery.

After returning home, Payton researched the gun used in Smith’s killing.

“It was a large caliber gun. A .45,” he said. “It was designed back during World War I. And this thing just stops people. It will kill someone within four or five seconds after they are struck. You bleed out. After the first shot [which struck Smith’s torso], he took three more in his back.”

“We could go online and get 10 of them, and have them shipped to our house tomorrow,” he added. “I don’t believe that was the intention when they allowed for the right for citizens to bear arms.”

Smith was killed just weeks before he was to join the Saints’ coaching staff as an intern.

“I don’t know how he felt about guns,” Payton said. “I know he loved this city. And I know he was going to be a heck of a coach. He had such a presence about him. Not only would he have made the transition to be a great defensive line coach, he had all the tools to become a head coach.

“We just don’t get to see those chapters. All the chapters before now were great. But it’s sad that we won’t see the next chapters.”

Originally published on People.com

 

New York Cop Claims He Was Sleepwalking When He Allegedly Broke Into Woman’s Home and Punched Her

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The lawyer for a New York City police officer who allegedly broke into a woman’s Bronx apartment and began attacking her unprovoked tells PEOPLE his client was sleepwalking during the incident.

Officer Eugene Donnelly is charged with three counts of assault and two counts of criminal trespass from the alleged June 2014 incident. His case is currently in pre-trial hearings, where his lawyer, Michael Marinaccio, argued that he was sleepwalking.

Hours before the alleged attack, Mayor De Blasio presented Donnelly with the Police Combat Cross, the NYPD’s second-highest award, for a 2012 incident in which he engaged in a shootout with a crime suspect and apprehended him while off-duty.

Marinaccio, tells PEOPLE, “The episode that occurred in June 2014 was not an alcohol induced blackout but rather an instance of my client being in a sleepwalking state.”

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, upon entering the woman’s house, Donnelly allegedly said, “Shh. It’s okay, just put a shirt on.”

Donnelly then allegedly threw the woman to the ground and began hitting her in the face, according to court documents.

“I’m a good guy,” Donnelly allegedly said. “But sometimes I’m a bad guy.”

Donnelly then allegedly dragged the woman by her armpits into her bedroom, where he allegedly continued to hit her in the face and head.In claiming that Donnelly was sleepwalking and was not in control of his actions, Marinaccio points to the fact that he received the award hours before. “That’s what calls into question why a police officer on the best day of his life would do something so out of character. There has to be some sort of explanation,” Marinaccio says.

Marinaccio says that Donnelly was suffering from PTSD brought on by the 2012 shootout. Donelly has allegedly been suffering from various symptoms, including night terrors, night sweats, insomnia and sleepwalking, Marinaccio says.

A spokesman for the Bronx District Attorney’s office tells PEOPLE that the office doesn’t comment on cases pending in the courts.

Originally published on People.com

Northwestern Football ranked in first CFP Rankings

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Despite tumbling out of the AP Top 25 Poll in Week 8, Northwestern football is ranked No. 21 in this year’s first College Football Playoff Rankings.

Northwestern’s early season wins over ranked opponents, Duke and Stanford, likely contributed to its CFP ranking. The Wildcats also dominated Minnesota in a 27-0 shutout and easily defeated Ball State and Eastern Illinois. Difficult losses to both Michigan and Iowa shook the ‘Cats, but a battle with Nebraska for a 30-28 win showed Northwestern is not done yet.

Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald and quarterback Clayton Thorson (18) celebrate a win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Northwestern defeated Nebraska 30-28. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald and quarterback Clayton Thorson (18) celebrate a win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Northwestern defeated Nebraska 30-28. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The Wildcats are 6-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten. Coming off a bye week, Northwestern will face Penn State at home this Saturday. They are slightly favored over the Nittany Lions, but it will be be a tough battle for both teams. Penn State also only has two losses this season: their first game to Temple and then to Ohio State.

Last year, the Wildcats defeated Penn State 29-6 at Penn State. If the ‘Cats win this weekend, they improve to 7-2 with three games left on the schedule. Two of those, Purdue and Illinois, are likely wins for the Wildcats with only Wisconsin remaining as a challenge. Given the fragility of the Wildcats, a loss to Penn State could also mean a loss to Wisconsin in two weeks. Either way, it is unlikely Northwestern football has a chance at winning the Big Ten West title given the strength of the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, more wins for the ‘Cats mean a more prestigious bowl game, something that could only serve to benefit Northwestern.

The rest of the Big Ten had a strong showing in the CFP rankings. Michigan is No. 17 and undefeated Iowa comes in at No. 9. Surprisingly, AP No. 1 ranked Ohio State is slotted at No. 3 in the CFB ranking, leapfrogged by LSU and Clemson. It is likely that AP rankings for Week 11 will start to look more like the CFP rankings, which means that win against Penn State will bring the Wildcats roaring back into the Top 25.

 

Originally published: http://isportsweb.com/2015/11/05/northwestern-football-ranked-in-first-cfp-rankings/

Analyzing Northwestern Football’s win at Nebraska

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The Northwestern Wildcats headed to Nebraska Sunday, Oct. 25 hoping to avoid a third straight loss. After a back-and-forth game, the ‘Cats came away with a much needed win with a final score of 30-28.

History told us this would be a close game. In the five matchups between the Wildcats and the Cornhuskers since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, four have been decided by three or fewer points.

The Huskers outplayed Northwestern for much of the game. The ‘Cats saving grace in offense came from freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson. Thorson passed for 177 yards and ran a career-high of 126. He had two runs of 68 and 49 yards to set up scores, the two biggest Northwestern offensive plays of the game. Thorson is clearly developing strength as a running quarterback.

Senior cornerback Nick Vanhoose returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown, a much-needed spark for the Wildcats.

Northwestern went into halftime with a 17-12 lead, despite Nebraska having huge statistical advantages in both time of possession and total yardage. The Huskers answered the Wildcats with a scoring drive in their first possession of the second half, which Northwestern quickly responded to with their second red-zone field goal of the day.

Northwestern football

After Nebraska scored a field goal, Northwestern quickly earned a touchdown by going 77 yards in just two and a half minutes, finishing with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Thorson to Dan Vitale. The score was then 27-22, and the ‘Cats did not give up their lead again.

Both teams had the potential for big plays that resulted in dropped passes. Northwestern’s Christian Jones dropped what would have been a touchdown pass right before the half. The ‘Cats need to be able to hold onto the ball if they hope to beat upcoming Penn State.

While a lot of the game, especially the first half, was nothing to write home about for Northwestern’s offense, NU’s defense led the team to an important win.

What it means for Northwestern

The Wildcats are bowl eligible for the first time since 2012. The ‘Cats improve to 6-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play, third in the Big Ten West. The Wildcats needed this win to stay afloat in the fight for Big Ten West. It’s a long shot, especially with the powerhouse that is Iowa, but don’t write the ‘Cats off just yet. The win against Nebraska should hopefully give Northwestern the confidence boost they need to take on Penn State in two weeks.

What it means for Nebraska

The only fans that might understand the disappointment Nebraska feels is Northwestern. The Huskers are now 3-5, but they have lost by a total of 13 points in all 5 losses. It was a sad day for Nebraska, who now must win three of their last four games, which include matchups against Iowa and Ohio State. The loss also spoiled the return of the 1995 Nebraska national championship team, who were honored in a pregame ceremony.

 

originally published: http://isportsweb.com/2015/10/25/analyzing-northwestern-footballs-win-at-nebraska/

Northwestern Football: The fight for Big Ten West

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The Iowa Hawkeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats: two teams that, at least in recent years, are not often recognized as football powerhouses. This year, it is different.

The Big Ten is arguably one of the strongest conferences in college football right now. Certainly stronger than the SEC. Five Big Ten teams are ranked in the AP Top 25. There are only three ranked SEC teams, and Florida is ranked the highest at number eight.

At the beginning of the season, it seemed Ohio State had already clinched the Big Ten East. However, Michigan blew the field right open with three shutouts in a row. Michigan defeated #13 Northwestern 38-0 just last week.

The Big Ten West is just as open. #17 Iowa has yet to lose. #20 Northwestern is 5-1, and these two teams will meet this weekend at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. This game will prove critical in determining the front-runner for the West division.

While Iowa is undefeated, the caliber of the teams they have played speaks volumes. The only challenge they have faced is Wisconsin, who they beat 10-6. Other teams include North Texas and Pittsburgh, not exactly Top 25 teams.

Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Clayton Thorson (18) dodges Minnesota duruing NU's 27-0 shutout of the Golden Gophers. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern football, on the other hand, has upsets against both Stanford and Duke. Both of those teams are currently ranked and have suffered no other losses. NU shut out Minnesota 27-0. The average win percentage of teams Northwestern has played this season is 69 percent, the highest in college football. Looking at these facts, Northwestern is arguably the better team.

Northwestern is not known for being the most consistent team. The last time the Wildcats felt hope for a great season was in 2013. Coming off a strong Gator Bowl win against Mississippi State, the ‘Cats looked strong. They started the season ranked at #22 and won their first four games. ESPN’s College GameDay came to Evanston for the first time since 1995 to watch the ‘Cats take on Ohio State.

And that’s where it went wrong for NU. They led most of the game before OSU took the lead in the fourth quarter. After a nail-biter of a quarter, OSU won 40-30 and the ‘Cats lost their next seven games.

Two years later, coming off back-to-back 5-7 seasons, Northwestern is 5-1 and ranked #20 in the AP poll. After NU defeated both Stanford and Duke, Stanford beat higher ranked University of Southern California and Duke took down then-ranked Georgia Tech.

This match against Iowa is absolutely critical for Northwestern. It will determine if 2015 is another 2013. If Northwestern can hold its own against Iowa and not fall to pieces, the ‘Cats will clinch the Big Ten West. If not, will not look great for NU.

The ‘Cats have the number one scoring defense in the nation. They need to take advantage of any Iowa turnovers and get on the board early.

Players to watch

Clayton Thorson: This freshman Northwestern quarterback needs to step up this weekend. His passing game has been anything but consistent. He hit only 39 percent of his passes against Duke and 48 percent against Michigan. However, Thorson did help shut out Minnesota.

Justin Jackson: The Northwestern sophomore running back is one of the best in the country and has 661 yards in just six games. He struggled against Michigan’s defense and gained just 25 yards. Jackson needs to look like he did against Stanford, where he earned 134 yards.

 

originally published: http://isportsweb.com/2015/10/15/northwestern-football-the-fight-for-big-ten-west/

Dear Kim Davis: Gay Rights in America

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Dear Kim Davis,

Hello, my name is Mollie Cahillane and I’m a junior at Northwestern University.  I’m writing to you in regards to your recent refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  As a queer American woman, I have some thoughts.

I admire your ability to stand tall in the face of adversity.  I admire the strength of your convictions.  Believe it or not, I even agree, “you can’t be separated from something that’s in your heart and in your soul.” But here’s why you’re wrong.

Your belief that same-sex marriage is a sin is antiquated and hypocritical.  You believe gay marriage is destroying traditional marriage, but haven’t you been married four times?  You were even willing to go to jail rather than issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

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You’ve been lauded for your homophobic beliefs and you’re now regarded as the queen of the bigots.  Your constituents are poorly educated, and dare I say it, morons.  Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz admires you.  The man attempting to defund Planned Parenthood (a.k.a. taking away affordable healthcare for women) is also homophobic.  In one fell swoop you’ve undermined the LGBT community and 50 percent of the population.

Kentucky, your home state, one of the most conservative states in this country, found you in contempt of court.  You went to prison for being intolerant.  But, you did get a hashtag out of it.  (Plus a great parody onTwitter).

Kim, your beliefs are your beliefs.  I may disagree with you but I know I can’t convince you that you’re wrong, so I’m not going to try.  But you must have heard of separation between church and state.  You hold a public office.  Why do you believe you’re above the law?  You have not gone to jail for practicing your religion.  You went to jail for attempting to use the government to force others to practice your religion.

And now I hear that after all of this, you’re still forcing your personal ideology on Kentucky.  Kim, straight people sued you.  Your deputies went behind your back while you were in prison and altered the marriage licenses.  What if my religion believed women from Kentucky named Kim shouldn’t have the right to marry?

After you got out of jail, you changed the marriage license form to remove the office’s authority.  My guess is you’re headed back to jailand your plight for bigotry will begin to fade in the conscious of society.  You might have the vocal homophobic minority on your side for now, but times are changing and my generation doesn’t take you seriously.

So this is the last you’ll be hearing from me, Kim.  And don’t worry; you’re not invited to my wedding.

Yours,

Mollie Cahillane

Growing Up Gay: Being Queer and Feminine

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Growing up, I lived a sheltered life.  I’m the oldest of four children and I have parents who would do anything to protect me.  I’m very lucky.

Even though I hate to admit it, this shielding had its drawbacks.  When I was eight, I told my mom I learned what the f-word meant.  Too embarrassed to say it out loud, I leaned and whispered ‘fart’ in her ear.

So imagine me in sixth grade.  I hear the word ‘gay’ for the first time.  What does this mean?  Boys can like boys?  Girls can like girls?  What?!

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Flashback to third grade.  All every girl can talk about is their crush on the cute boys in our class.  Here’s the problem.  I don’t have a crush.  What’s wrong with me?  I go home one day and tell my mom about this boy.  I like him so much mom!  I draw his name in hearts!  She asks me if he’s cute. ‘Ew! Gross!’ was my instant response.

I had a boyfriend once, back in seventh grade.  He broke up with me because I didn’t want to kiss him.  I was so confused and wondered,  ‘What’s wrong with me?  Why don’t I find anyone attractive?  Why doesn’t anyone find me attractive?’

Looking back now, it’s almost hard not to laugh.  Poor Mollie.  I was confused and scared and felt so alone.  It was hard realizing I’m gay.  I lived in Georgia and went to a conservative Christian school where I felt like being gay wasn’t an option.  I turn 21 next week and I’ve been out and (mostly) proud for three years now.  I’m in a happy, committed relationship with a beautiful girl.

But, it wasn’t so easy to get here.  First I had to realize I’m gay.  Then I had to process it.  Then I had to accept it.  And next, I learned to embrace it.  It didn’t make sense to me for a long time.  In my mind, lesbians had short hair, no makeup, wore combat boots, and stuck out in a crowd.  I had long curly hair, wore dresses almost every day and brown eyeliner was my best friend.  I didn’t fit what I thought gay should look like as a woman.

I DIDN’T FIT WHAT I THOUGHT GAY SHOULD LOOK LIKE AS A WOMAN.

Why did I feel that I was only a real lesbian if I presented as androgynous or masculine?  Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with choosing to present oneself in this way.  The feminist movement is about a woman’s right for equality regardless of how she looks.  And while androgynous or masculine presentation is the right self-expression for many queer women, I thought it was the only option.  So at 19, I underwent an identity crisis.  I bought combat boots (which I love and adore and wear probably every day).  It was only due to my mom’s intervention that I didn’t get a pixie cut.  (Thanks, mom! You were right, I can’t pull that off…) Now, at 21, I’ve learned to say ‘screw you’ to the gender binary and I fully believe that gender is a construct – but that’s a whole different article.

So while my style may have evolved (still wearing Dr. Martens and excessive flannel), my identity hasn’t.  Sometimes it’s tough not being easily identifiable to other lesbians, because honestly I really would love some more queer friends.  But at the same time, I’m confident and happy with who I am, the choices I’ve made, and the life I’m living.  I’ve learned to reject the stereotypes that come along with my sexual identity and I’ve learned not to let the doubt define me.  Just don’t take away my plaid flannel shirts until after graduation.

 

Originally published: http://www.bsmartguide.com/learn/how-to-find-love/1210-growing-up-gay-being-queer-and-feminine.html

A Rogers Park treasure: the Heartland Café

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The Heartland Café has been an artistic and political center in Rogers Park, Chicago, for 36 years. Under new ownership since 2012, the Heartland underwent a physical and ideological transformation.

Tom Rosenfeld, the Heartland’s owner, has lived in Rogers Park since 1999. He owns an organic farm in Michigan as well as a consulting business in Chicago. He looked to connect his farm to food businesses in Chicago.

“I had just been an organic apple grower and then I started to realize I needed to diversify my farm,” said Rosenfeld. “At that time, Heartland was really going through some troubles. Michael James and Katy Hogan, the owners at the time, were doing fundraisers, and they were really doing anything they could to stay open.”

Rosenfeld first approached James and Hogan with the idea to buy the Heartland in 2010. They initially rejected Rosenfeld’s offer, but called him at the end of 2011 and then spent the next six months working on the deal before Rosenfeld took over in 2012.

“There was so much excitement in 2008 around the Obama campaign and so much intense action around the restaurant that their business hadn’t really declined,” said Rosenfeld. “On night of the election, it was just jammed in here. It was packed and rocking and partying late until night. On Wednesday morning, there were no more politics and nobody was here. That’s when they realized how heavy the impact of the economy and the crash really was.”

Rosenfeld and his family initially began going to the Heartland because they found something on the menu that everybody liked.

“It was the menu that drew me here initially,” said Rosenfeld. “Once you’re here, it’s just a great place to hang out. My wife used to come here when she was a teenager and hang out because it was kind of counter-culture and the cool thing to do.”

All three of Rosenfeld’s children have worked at the Heartland.

“My daughter is in the theatre community, so depending on if she has a show at that moment she serves here, she bartends here, she cashiers here. She’s pretty much done every job here,” Rosenfeld said.

One of his sons is a teacher and works for the restaurant over the summer. The other son works for all of Rosenfeld’s businesses on an as-needed basis.

After the change in ownership, the Heartland Café underwent a number of physical transformations. They refurnished the tables, painted the walls, closed off the kitchen, and completely rebuilt the porch.

Rosenfeld also redesigned the store in the front of the café.

“When I took over the store had a lot of items on consignment, a lot of media, incense, a large magazine rack,” said Rosenfeld. “We reimagined the whole store and now it’s a perpetual farm market, much more of a natural grocery store.”

Organic food is now an important part of the Heartland Café.

“During season almost all of the produce comes from my farm,” said Rosenfeld. “We retrained all the kitchen staff. We completely changed the menu. It used to be kind of a hodgepodge menu, so we shrunk it way down and gave it a much more Midwestern ideal. This is all a grand experiment and I hope it works. I believe that organics should be available to the masses. We try to keep our price point very low, and our food quality very high.”

Rosenfeld emphasized the changes in Heartland’s ideology.

“It’s a lot of physical changes, but maybe more importantly changes to the food and where it’s coming from, how it’s prepared, and then a lot of training and retraining and different approaches for our employees. We haven’t changed the name, we haven’t changed the general concept of the place, we haven’t changed the politics.”

Chris Mayor has worked at the Heartland Café for 10 years and is also a professional forager.

“The place has really come into its own since Tom took over,” said Mayor. “We’re pushing for zero waste and there’s a huge emphasis on sustainability now.”

The Heartland Café has long been a political center of Rogers Park, especially for progressives and left-leaning people. James and Hogan founded the Heartland with the idea that it would become a venue for open political discussion.

“You can see our signs, we’re not shy about our politics,” said Rosenfeld. “As a result of the political activism of the two founders, this place started to attract more and more political importance in the neighborhood and the north side of the city.”

Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, Jan Schakowsky, and Barack Obama have all hosted campaign events at the Heartland Café. “Vote for Chuy” signs are pasted all over the windows at the café. Most recently, the Heartland hosted a talk called “The State of the Police State” in reaction to events in Ferguson, Missouri.

“We’re more than just a place for candidates to go,” said Rosenfeld. “There’s a lot of important political discussions that happen here. We’ve long held our role as a place for progressives to come together and talk.”

The Heartland Café is an artistic center. In One Ear, an open mic show has been at the Heartland every Wednesday at 10 p.m. for the past 16 years. “PeteWolf” Winninger owns and hosts the open mic.

“It started off as a poetry show, and then in April of 1998 I introduced features and music, and then we expanded from an hour and a half to a three hour, four hour show,” said Winninger. “We have music, performance, comedy, magicians, anything really.”

Performers are allowed five minutes and are charged a three-dollar cover.

“The open mic scene is really hard to describe,” said Rosenfeld. “It’s really eclectic and changes every week.”

Winninger hopes to expand In One Ear in the future.

“We want In One Ear to not just be the open mic, but to be these different events that people create,” said Winninger.

 

Written for Journalism 301: Enterprise Reporting in Diverse Communities

One in four: the facts about sexual assault on college campuses

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I tend to think of myself as the typical female college student.  I’m 20, starting my junior year at Northwestern University, I’m in a sorority and I double major in European history and journalism.  Unfortunately, as the typical female college student, I have a one in four chance of experiencing rape or attempted rape.  The White House found that one in five college students (male and female) experience sexual assault throughout their time in college.  And most sexual assaults go unreported.  Imagine what these numbers would be like if they included the unreported assaults.

Sexual assault on college campuses has exploded in the media recently.  Whether it’s at a big state school like FSU, an elite private school like Notre Dame, or even a high school like St. Paul’s, these cases have attracted national attention.

Right now, 94 colleges are under federal investigation in the United States for how they handle sexual violence under Title IX.  Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex or gender under any federally funded education or activity program.

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At Northwestern, I’m the director of a student organization called Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators.  It’s my mission to work to create a sex-positive environment and to end rape and rape culture on campus.

I’ve found myself incredibly frustrated with the cavalier attitudes I’m often faced with.  I’m discouraged because I feel that many students and members of our society don’t understand the gravity of these issues.  Sexual assault is not a new problem, but the way we approach it is new.  I’ve frequently heard that people are tired of hearing about rape.  Guess what?  So am I.

More people are not suddenly becoming rapists.  Instead, our society, and young women in particular, are becoming more educated about rape.  Women are realizing that you don’t have to physically fight back for an assault to occur.  Even if you change your mind halfway through and the other person doesn’t stop, it’s still rape.  Our realities and perceptions surrounding consent are changing.  We see this clearly in California’s ‘yes means yes’ bill, which demands that there be affirmative, voluntary, and vocal consent from all parties.

Our nation has a sexual assault problem.  We don’t like admitting it, and the majority of people like to exist in ignorance.  That doesn’t change that within four years at school, one in five people and one in three women will be victims of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault.  Sexual violence happens on college campuses, and to people of every gender, race and sexual identity and not just heterosexual women.  Sexual violence is more prevalent in the Greek communities, as women in sororities are 74% more likely to experience rape.

Northwestern University defines consent as knowing, active, voluntary, present and ongoing.  Anything other than this is sexual assault.  Consent is not present when an individual is incapacitated due to age or physical condition (sleep, lack of consciousness or incapacitation due to alcohol or drugs).  Theoretically, this eliminates the possibility of victim blaming and slut shaming, as it is never a survivor’s fault.  So why do we still hear things like ‘What were they wearing?’ and ‘She shouldn’t have drank so much.  What did she expect to happen?’

Wikipedia defines rape culture as ‘a concept within feminist theory in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality.’  This is clearly oversimplified, but I’m tired.  I’m tired of hearing rape jokes on campuses and in ‘funny’ movies.

We need to keep educating.  We need to stop teaching girls how to ‘not get raped,’ and instead teach people not to rape.  We need to teach people about respect and consent, not criticize skirts for being too short or walking late at night.  I truly believe as a society we can beat this, and that’s why I keep fighting.

Most college campuses already have organizations combating sexual violence.  If not, start one! You can also volunteer at your local rape crisis center or donate money to organizations such as RAINN or Planned Parenthood.  Keep raising awareness, keep speaking out, and keep fighting.

 

Originally published:  http://www.bsmartguide.com/learn/how-to-find-love/1193-one-in-four-the-facts-about-sexual-assault-on-college-campuses.html

The truth about Northwestern’s sexual assault problem

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On any given year, 9.2 percent number of young women on college campuses are the victim of sexual assault or worse, but the response by university and police officials is a complicated equation that factors in politics and public relations to such an extent that no one, and no study, can accurately pin down the precise degree of a problem that appears near epidemic across the country.

Take, for example, Northwestern University, where in January a student filed a lawsuit, claiming school failed to act after she filed a sexual assault complaint against Prof. Peter Ludlow two years ago.

According to NU’s 2011 National College Health Assessment, conservative estimates indicate as many as 900 students may be victims of sexual violence annually.

Northwestern defines consent as “voluntary, positive agreement between the participants to engage in specific sexual activity.” In January 2014, Northwestern rewrote its sexual misconduct policy to include stalking and domestic violence.

“There are a number of factors that influenced what that policy is,” said Laura Stuart, the Coordinator of Sexual Health Education and Violence Prevention at CARE (Center for Awareness, Response and Education). “One of them is Illinois law. In our policy, we do include the Illinois state definition of rape, sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence. We also include Northwestern’s definitions. In general, Northwestern’s definition tends to be broader.”

The state of Illinois has a limited definition of sexual assault: “sexual penetration by force or threat of force or an act of sexual penetration when the victim was unable to understand the nature of the act or was unable to give knowing consent.”

A California Coalition Against Sexual Assault study discovered that one in four women had been victims of rape or attempted rape, and 84 percent of those raped knew their attacker.

“We’re committed to helping people as much as we can, regardless of whether they want to report to police or file a complaint,” Stuart said.

The CALCASA study revealed that only 5 percent of rape victims reported it to the police, underscoring long-held beliefs that sexual assault may be one of the most underreported crimes in the country.

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the Jeanne Clery Act into law. The law requires colleges and universities to publish an annual security report documenting three years of campus crime statistics about sexual assault and report these statistics to the U.S. Department of Education.

Universities must also disclose in the same report all crime statistics for incidents that occur on campus.

“I think that the Clery Act is well-intentioned, but it is also a good example of unintended consequences that can come from such legislation,” said Stuart. “I’ve found that universities with a high level of services for sexual violence survivors tend to have a higher number of reportable sex offenses under Clery, whereas universities that have almost no services for survivors and may even discourage survivors from accessing services will have zero or very low numbers of reports.”

Therefore, people who do not understand this relation could mistakenly think they are choosing the “safest” school, when the opposite may be true.

Indeed, when someone attempts to file a sexual assault charge, there are incentives for Northwestern and the Northwestern University Police Department to downsize the seriousness of crimes, in order to keep the Clery reports low.

High Clery numbers, for example, could affect the ability of Northwestern to recruit potential students.

Here, there is an extremely political relationship between NUPD and the administration, as the President of Northwestern appoints the Chief of Police. That job is to keep crime low, and if it is not, they could be replaced. A way to keep it low is to discourage victims from filing charges and classifying criminal sexual assaults as other crimes, according to an investigator who has worked at the University as well as in private practice.

“I had students confide in me about situations I thought met the definition of rape and sexual assault,” the investigator said. “Charges were almost never filed. In the one occasion when the student did go to the administration, she felt there was action, but the male student that was guilty of the assault case didn’t get any serious discipline.”

This became very visible in Feb. 2014, when a Medill junior filed a lawsuit against Northwestern.

The school’s investigation concluded in 2012 when Joan Slavin, director of the Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention, found that Ludlow “engaged in unwelcome and inappropriate sexual advances” toward the student. Ludlow, however, was not terminated. Neither the student body nor the police were made aware of the accusations.

Northwestern responded to the lawsuit on Feb. 21.

“Northwestern complied fully with its procedures, conducted a prompt and thorough investigation of all of the allegations made by the student to the University and took a number of corrective and remedial actions in this matter,” said University spokesman Al Cubbage.