Franken Amendment Restores Rights to Sexual Assault
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FEATURES COMDEB NEWS SPORTS Interview with a concerned Synergy House forced to Holy crap! There’s a bear in One chair, one run, no wor- neighbor relocate as a result of ADA that tree! ries; the fi rst snow report audit Sarah Albert 3 Jeff Hester 6 Greg Collette 9 Joey Wolf 11 Volume 40 No 6 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF COLORADO COLLEGE Check out Comment and Debate col- umnist Nick Hawks in CC’s book buying al- ternatives Page 8 Do CC students need to reconsider their partying styles? > October 16, 2009 With each passing year, the problem gets worse. volume at which a noise complaint can legally be catalystnewspaper.com Parties die quickly I’ll arrive around midnight, just looking for a made. If a neighbor can hear noise outside his good time, only to realize that most of the par- or her house and is bothered by it, he or she can and local authorities ties have been broken up and the ones that are legally call in a noise complaint. The police say Franken Amendment constantly deal with that they also receive calls from drivers and local residents complaining of a high volume of pe- restores rights to complaints. Where Parties that used to destrian traffic in the street. Drivers claim that it end at 2 now die down is difficult for them to see the drunken students, sexual assault victims have we gone wrong? who often cross the street at will. “around 12:30. With each However, law enforcement and residents are passing year, the problem not the only ones concerned with this issue; Ben Quam Hugh Johnson many seniors are working against the problem Staff Writer Guest Writer gets worse. I’ll arrive as well. Recently, a meeting was held in Gaylord n the summer of 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones around midnight, just to discuss the noise complaints resulting from t’s been a long week; I think we all feel like signed an employee contract with the Hal- off-campus parties. I got the chance to speak that. After enduring five days of my profes- looking for a good time, liburton subsidiary KBR, a fi rm involved in more with two seniors, Tristan Kanipe and Troy I sor’s droning monologue, spending countless Diechen, about their reaction to the issue. There the rebuilding of Iraq. Ms. Jones arrived to work I only to realize that most hours in the library, and having drained all my in Iraq that July and immediately began to fi le was a common theme echoed throughout the energy driving to and from various extracurricu- of the parties have been complaints with her supervisors about the con- meeting, and we concluded that the student lar activities; I’m ready to take a breather. Each stant sexual harassment directed at her by her broken up. body needs to reevaluate the way it views the weekend’s arrival feels like a steaming bowl of male colleagues. She was living in a barrack with party scene. Kanipe put it well when he said, soup after a long day outside in the freezing cold. over 400 men and very few women. However, “It’s just kind of a different point of view now, The perks are endless: sleeping in, kicking it with her requests were ignored, and within 4 days of still worth going to have slowed down consider- roommates, watching ball games, and of course, ably. This past block was no exception, with the” being there, Jones was drugged and gang-raped. partying. Somehow, I’ve become enamored with When she tried to report what happened to majority of parties being stopped before they It’s just kind of a really got going. Jones attempted to sue What’s the reason behind this? Are the cops different point of view Somewhere between out to ruin our fun? Do the Colorado Springs KBR for damages, but now, being a senior. I residents that live around campus hate us? “ the dozens of red Solo never really had to deal “the company invoked a Perhaps, we are the source of our own problem. cups lying around the condition in her contract: “ Local law enforcement officers say that the with cops as a freshman, house and hardwood majority of area calls they receive are noise com- whereas now, I view sexual assault allegations plaints around the college. They get a few open floors sullied with a could not be taken to container complaints here and there, but noise parties a lot differently slippery mixture of beer court because I’m liable when and dirt, I’ve come to like Perhaps we are the things are going on at my her supervisors, Jones was locked in a storage partying. source of our own house. container and placed under guard. She was kept without food or a bed, and was told “if she left” problem. Local law Tristan Kanipe stuffing myself in a cramped room overcrowded “ Iraq for medical treatment, she would be with- enforcement officers say with hot, sweaty, people and listening to music out a job.” It was only after she was smuggled ” ” that’s way, way, too loud. Not only this but that the majority of the a cell phone that her father and congressman being a senior. I never really had to deal with also the opportunity to engage in meaningless made arrangements for her safe return. Jones calls that they receive are cops as a freshman, whereas now, I view parties and sometimes undecipherable banter with my was nineteen years old at the time. a lot differently because I’m liable when things inebriated peers. for noise complaints all Upon returning to the U.S., Jones attempted are going on at my house.” Somewhere between the dozens of red Solo to sue KBR for damages, but the company around the college. Freshmen seem to interpret partying differ- cups lying around the house and hardwood invoked a condition in her contract: sexual as- ently than seniors do. For a freshman it appears floors sullied with a slippery mixture of beer sault allegations could not be taken to court and to be about “raging”—partying at full throttle and dirt; I’ve come to like partying. But, as the could only be heard in what is called “private remains as the biggest problem. The city of Col- with unhinged inhibitions and little afterthought. years pass, Fergie’s “Glamorous” turns into Lady arbitration,” where the decision is relegated to orado Springs upholds a “Generic Noise Code”” Gaga’s “Poker Face,” and parties that used to policy, meaning that there isn’t a set decibel Continued on page 2 Continued on page 7 end at two now die down around twelve-thirty. 2 October 16, 2009 Features Responsibility and self control, the path to better parties Continued from page 1 the term “bar talk” to describe the conversa- the CC bubble, that CC students are isolated number of house parties here at Colorado Col- In contrast, seniors love to party and have tions taking place on party nights. Since every- from the rest of the town, but in reality there lege. Another possibility would be an increase good-ol-congenial fun, but now we have the one is drunk and everyone is talking, there’s are many ways in which this simply isn’t true. in 21 and over parties that exclude the younger responsibility of taking care of a home. Seniors incentive for everyone to speak louder—hence, When we go out, we need to remember that, members of the CC student body, the dreaded are a bit more cautious, seeing as we are liable there are a lot of noise complaints. No one is unlike many colleges, CC is not sequestered “list parties.” No one wants this to continue or for those noise complaints and tickets that being asked to stop drinking, partying, or hav- from the community that surrounds it. There get worse. so frequently occur. Freshmen, who are only ing fun—just be a little quieter when traveling are many local residents that live amongst our With Halloween coming up, there’s no doubt looking for a good time, and rightfully so, are to and from house parties. seniors who have their own responsibilities. that it’s going to be a wild and crazy time. not aware of their impact on both the com- One way to keep things quiet is to leave the By following these guidelines, we can limit the We’re all excited and we all want to have a good munity and the senior residents. Hopefully the dorm rooms in smaller groups; try and limit number of noise complaints and, thus, we can time but we have to remember to keep things We wake up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday “mornings and do trash sweeps—its part of our children’s chores. We have filled trash bags with 7-11 snack bags, broken glass, beer bottles, cans and red cups, and we don’t even have that big of a yard. freshmen will begin to realize that, when they are partying, they are entering someone’s home.” As Deichen puts it, “You’re actually going to students houses—where they live. The next day, they’ve gotta clean up the mess you make …which is fine, because the way CC tradition- ally runs is that, for three years you get to party Photo: Ben Mackall at these houses and then it’s your turn to deal with it.” the size of groups traveling to parties to ten party longer.