DAILY NEXUS THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017 www.dailynexus.com UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA Sexual Assault Reports Up in I.V. Stephany Rubio with sexual assault survivors since Asst. News Editor 1990, said there were only nine psychologists in 2005 when she Sexual assault reporting and first started. They now have 21. rape cases in I.V. have been increas- Despite increasing resources, ing throughout the past four years. student activists and assault sur- It is unknown what exactly vivors were left confused over who has prompted the increase, but has jurisdiction over crimes in Isla the issue has been at the center Vista after the May 3 and 4 sit-in. of Associated Students’ elections The sit-in was a continuation of platforms and the recent sexual the 2015 sit-in that set out a list assault sit-in on May 3 and 4 in of demands eventually signed off Cheadle Hall. by UC Santa Barbara administra- Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office tion. (SBSO) spokesperson Kelly Hoover Chancellor Henry T. Yang also said there were 16 forcible rape signed off on this year’s demands, crimes in 2013, increasing to 27 in which included creating a sexual 2014, down to 13 cases in 2015 and assault survivor resource center back up to 23 in 2016. and paying in full the tuition debt Hoover said that, as of March, of Ro’Shawndra Earvin, one of the three forcible rape crimes have sit-in’s organizers. occurred. The sit-in eventually progressed Of the 48 reported sexual into a town hall on Wednesday in assaults in I.V. in 2016, 40 percent the Humanities and Social Sciences of suspects were unknown to the Building where public officials, victim or had just met the victim administration representatives, prior to the assault. Approximately students, sexual assault survivors 40 percent of the suspects were and activists were present to dis- acquainted with the victim as cuss the list of demands and public either friends or having mutual involvement in the process of real- friends with the victim. Twenty izing each demand. percent of suspects had been in a Earvin has publicly expressed dating relationship with the sus- her frustration with jurisdiction Page 5 pect or had sexual relationships matters over her sexual assault with the suspect. case, insisting that the university Hoover said 74 percent of the mishandled her case. JENNY LUO / DAILY NEXUS 48 sexual assaults occurred on the Earvin told the Nexus she want- weekends between 9 p.m. Friday ed to report her rape to the proper Legend has it that Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, wrote “The Crystal Ship” one night in Isla Vista during the 1960s and 11 p.m. Sunday. Approximately authorities who are supposed to when he was dropping acid on the beach and looking out at the bright, glimmering Platform Holly just off the coast. 74 percent of the cases also involved make sure she is “protected and alcohol and/or drug consumption, that justice is served.” alcohol being the most widely used Earvin also said she felt her sex- substance, Hoover said. ual assault case was not handled The university Title IX office, the same way that “a member of Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center a society who pays for those ser- and SBSO could not give specific vices” should. measures to explain why reporting In response to the confusion of Protests Halt UC Regents Meeting has increased. who has jurisdiction over crimes I.V. Community Services in I.V., Hoover said, “Regardless of The public forum with UC Regents was set to discuss proposed UC- District (CSD) board chair Ethan who takes the report, a Sheriff’s Bertrand said the increase in sex- deputy or UC Santa Barbara police wide tuition hikes but ended with protests and police intervention ual assault reporting could be one officer, the report is taken seri- of two reasons: more people are ously and will be assigned to the coming forward to report or more appropriate agency for the inves- sexual assaults are happening. tigation.” Bertrand said he wants the CSD Hoover said that when it comes Tamari Dzotsenidze to “fill in the gaps” that exist with- to reporting a sexual assault crime Asst. News Editor in the policing and safety of I.V. the victim will not be left in a Hoover also gave an analysis “jurisdictional limbo.” A small but lively group of students huddled in of the increasing sexual assault UCSB spokesperson Andrea front of the Isla Vista Food Cooperative on Tuesday reports in I.V. Estrada said the university cannot evening, waiting for a bus to take them to the UC “On the one hand, the reason discuss the details of any specific Regents meeting in San Francisco. for the increase in reported rapes case, but “the emotional and phys- They had one goal: to improve their university and sexual assaults could be the ical well-being of sexual assault through activism, even if that meant sleeping on result of more awareness regard- survivors is of paramount impor- a bus, skipping classes and starting a protest in ing these crimes and victims feel- tance” to the university. 48-degree weather. ing comfortable coming forward to “With the utmost sensitivity Wednesday’s meeting began with a public forum, report the incident,” she said. and care, the university considers where students voiced their concerns about college Counseling and Psychological each case individually and expedi- affordability. The public forum ended with police Services (C.A.P.S.) has created tiously to determine the best and threatening protesters with arrest. resources for students that are sur- most appropriate way to assist a Security personnel checked students before they vivors of sexual assault and rape. survivor in the aftermath of such were permitted to enter the public forum. The search Jeanne Stanford, the director of physical violence,” she said in a included wanding students with hand-held metal C.A.P.S. who has been working statement. detectors and forcing them to leave food and drinks outside the forum. The forum began at approximately 8 a.m. with 38 people signed up to speak. Individuals were permitted to speak for one minute, while groups of two or more who chose to combine their time received two-and-a- half minutes to speak. Several students spoke about divesting from fos- TAMARI DZOTSENIDZE / DAILY NEXUS sil fuels, with one student expressing outrage that UC Some called for the resignation of UC President Janet Napolitano, whose sizable salary has administration claimed it would be too difficult to divest. been the subject of debate. Others spoke about recent UC proposals to divest from fossil fuels. “I don’t think climate change is complicated when we’re talking about a simple divestment,” said a student graduate student who referenced the low wages made conduct, before telling the protesters that the police from UC Santa Cruz Fossil Free. “I think that when you by teaching assistants. would begin arresting participants if they did not have a top team of investors you can find out how you There were also calls for Napolitano’s resignation. leave in five minutes. can divest over seven years and make a public politicized “I think you need to resign, first of all,” one man The Regents left the room at this time. statement, because that is what we are asking you to do.” said, prompting applause at the meeting. “I also think “As far as Regents meetings go, unfortunately, it There were also speakers who were angered by the there needs to be a criminal investigation.” seems standard that you know, the meeting is shut tuition increases in the wake of the audit. Several speakers went over their allotted time and down and the Regents leave and don’t really pay atten- “We have to question why tuition increases are dis- were asked to stop. tion to us,” Michael Kile, who organized the protest proportionate to state disinvestment,” Taylor Chanes, After public comment, while Regent Chair Lozano with Gabriela Romo, said. the Associated Students external vice president at UC was thanking those that spoke, one audience member “The way that Regents set up their meetings they Irvine, said. “I don’t understand why we have a pro- stood up and began to chant, “Whose university?” set them up to minimize the public’s kind of view of posed increase in 2014 and another one in 2017 when Other audience members immediately caught on that” Romo said. “The fact that they shut down the we have millions of dollars in a reserve, whether or and started chanting back “Our university.” meeting shows that they’re clearly scared that people not that is supposed to go towards funding different As the chants grew, the room became more hec- are out there and pushing for you know maybe the programs for students that you are already under- tic. A reporter from UC Santa Cruz jumped over the right side of history.” resourcing.” barrier separating the crowd from the Regents in an The chanting continued for two more minutes The Regents will discuss the audit more thor- attempt to get a photo. He was reprimanded by police. while the police counted down the minutes. Protesters oughly on Thursday. Despite Regent Chair Lozano’s attempts to speak, filed out while chanting and all had left the room by There were also several comments regarding UC she was drowned out by the protesters. A police officer the five-minute mark. President Janet Napolitano’s salary, including one then stood in front of the crowd reading the rules of Police did not make any arrests.