FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS ' 3Fmmmt& 3f&Qb®m VOL. 105 ISSUE 16 ThcFoghoinOnline.com MARCH 5, 2009 Sexual Harassment On Campus Is Often Unreported campuses, and this university is no excep­ SAMANTHA BLACKBURN tion. In response to the recent events at StaffWriter USF, many students have blamed violence associated with military culture for the Author's Note: Initia/ reporting and in­ rapes allegedly committed by an ROTC terviews/or /fits artic/e were completed last student. However, it is important to note, spring. However, new reporting and updated none of the students interviewed for this interviews were done to address issues raised story were in ROTC and such incidents fry tie arrest on Fefr. 12 of Ryan Caskey, a are common on all kinds of campuses University of San Francisco senior who has throughout the United States. freen charged with tie rape and sexual assault Peer pressure is especially tough for Get Down for Gaza event cel­ of four of his fema/e c/assmates. Cas/key has first-year students, who are in a new com­ ebrates, supports Palestinians p/ed notgui/ty to these charges. He are aware munity and want to fit in, said Orio. Of affected by Israeli attacks. this story includes graphic language, frut it is the night outside the dormitory, during important to acknow/edge that sexual'assau/t her freshman year, Jane said, "Reporting and harassment are happening on this campus the experience never crossed my mind." and on many other campuses across the tVnited For some students, reporting harassment *mGK3 would disrupt their social lives, which in States. The names of students and victims in this artic/e have freen changed to protect them. Jane's opinion is much more important than "reporting one stupid incident." One night, Jane Dixon and a few of her Another student, Elizabeth Smith, also friends were outside Gillson Hall, a fresh­ chose not to report the sexual harassment "Favorite man dormitory at the University of San she endured in a class her sophomore year. Francisco, drinking and partying, when "Guys will make comments or say sexual Online things got out of hand. John, a good friend things, and they just think it is funny. Be­ of Jane's, was extremely drunk and high on cause it happens all the time, our genera­ cocaine. Jane knew John had had a crush tion has become used to it," said Elizabeth. Comments" on her for a long time; he even had a nick­ Beginning around the first week of class, a name for her: "monkey." However, when­ male classmate of Elizabeth's began com­ ever John was intoxicated, he would try to menting and writing notes about the way make a move on Jane. On this particular she looked and things she was doing. He night, he was lying in the dirt drunk with would call her sexy, touch her hands and Read the Foghorn's top online his pants down to his thighs. "He started arms, and even attempted to caress her leg. comments from the last two issues. looking at me and saying 'monkey, mon­ Elizabeth verbalized her discomfort to her key, monkey.' I was like what, do you need classmate; however, this behavior persisted Photo Illustration by Melissa Stihl/Foghorn help?" said Jane. throughout the semester. As a result, she Various forms of sexual harassment are prevalent on university campuses, but the dreaded going to class and avoided him _QE1 Jane noticed that John had an erec­ victims of these incidents often keep silent to protect themselves and their friends. on campus. "If I tried to report every gross tion and tried to run, telling him to "put it comment a guy ever said to me, I feel like away." Jane said John continued to hassle a big deal, and then all the sudden it's a friends, I think reporting [it] would cause a I would be in the counseling center every her and said something along the lines of big deal." lot of unnecessary drama," said Jane. day," said Elizabeth. "Monkey, you gotta f- me, like you have In 2005, a survey conducted by the News of USF senior Ryan Caskey's ar­ Victims of sexual harassment are pro­ to. We need to have sex, it will make my American Association of University Wom­ rest has the entire USF community talk­ tected under Title IX of the Education reputation so much better back home. You en (AAUW) revealed that 62 percent of ing about sex and violence. Many young Amendments of 1972. The Office of Civil have the perfect body, and all I want to do women feel uncomfortable making waves college students say they have encountered is have sex with you." It did not stop there; Rights (OCR) works with the Depart­ following this vulgar plea, he proceeded to ff But then it was kind of silence ment of Education to protect civil rights pull out his genitalia, began masturbating, in federally funded education and prohibit and chased Jane around. "I was drunk too. accepted^ silence accepted, its not a big J J gender discrimination. Maureen Guilfoile, Everyone was laughing, and it was kind of who worked as a Senior Equal Opportu­ like a joke," said Jane. deal, its not a big deal, and then all of a nity Specialist at the OCR from 1996- 2005, said, "Schools subject to Tide IX are This type of behavior may be appalling required to maintain an environment that to a reasonable person and is legally con­ SUdden itS a big deal -Assistant Bean Julie Orio is free of sexual harassment." sidered to be sexual harassment; however, Title IX protects students from un­ Jane's reaction, or lack thereof, is typical of some type of sexual harassment at school. in their social circles so they laugh off or wanted and unlawful sexual harassment at college students. Assistant Dean of Stu­ endure offensive behavior from friends The AAUW's report emphasized that sex­ Stephen Malkmus wows fans all university programs, on and off campus. dents Julie Orio said, "I think sometimes that they would never accept from strang­ ual harassment takes an especially heavy during Noise Pop at the Great Guilfoile said a student should report the when situations come to us, it probably ers. And even if they do want to report un­ toll on female students, and that the ma­ American Music Hall. could have been resolved five steps before. incident to a school official and file a com­ wanted sexual attention, it can be hard to jority of students do not report the cases. plaint with the OCR. "To file a complaint But then it was kind of silence accepted, know who to turn to or what will happen. According to the survey, sexual harass­ SCE silence accepted, it's not a big deal, its not St^ "If it's a situation where you have mutual ment is a major problem on most college HARASS: Continued on Page 2 MELA Event Highlights Injustices c? ISO invites other clubs to discuss global inequalities ily have battled in the United States, from NICHOLAS MUKHAR airport security to the questions about her StaffWriter appearance. The roughly 400 students in attendance went from a loud, talkative On Thursday night, McLaren Hall crowd to a silenced group as Zaman pas­ was home to USF's second MELA event, sionately tackled U.S. foreign policy and where six USF clubs each brought a differ­ the use of the words "extremists" and "ter­ ent social injustice to the forefront of dis­ rorists." cussions among the hundreds of students "Those extremists' groups provide in attendance. healthcare for people that US.-backed re­ The Indian Student Organization (ISO) gimes do not provide," she said. spearheaded the event that featured tradi­ The other five groups who shared social tional dances and music, South Asian food injustices were the Muslim Student Asso­ Men's rugby loses another and speeches by USF students and profes­ ciation, Back to da Roots, Invisible Chil­ game, this time to Santa Clara, sors. The ISO's main issue was the pollu­ dren, School of Americas Watch and Not despite their best efforts. tion in India. For Sale. "We want to inspire people to join a "There has been a 20-year-long war on cause and find something they care about," _SE children in Uganda," said freshman Mag­ said co-president of the ISO Priya Sajja, gie Kennedy, whose Invisible Children Melissa Stihl/Foghorn who said the ISO got the idea for their group focused on the suffering of children USF student Marisela Marquez accesses USFrooms at the Office of Residence Life. cause from the movie "Slumdog Million- n in northern Uganda. aire. Kennedy has been studying this issue "We want to create awareness about since high school, and traveled to south­ New Software Improves Housing Selection the South Asian community at USF," said ern Uganda two years ago as part of a dents." CHELSEA STERLING senior Ravi Sandhu. Sandhu, who was the humanitarian mission. Kennedy and her Students who wish to live on campus News Editor DJ of the night, is the former president of group were not allowed to enter northern for the 2009-2010 school year will not the ISO, but has since passed on the tide Uganda though. have to wait in line to choose their room. Beginning this spring, incoming fresh­ and is still a member. Invisible Children is a nationwide In past years, students have received a lot­ men, transfers and returning students will After roughly an hour of socializing group that was started in California.