Everything Wrong With US Media Coverage

The Scoffayette

Everything Wrong With US Media Coverage

The Scoffayette

Everything Wrong With US Media Coverage

The Scoffayette

#MeToo Panels discusses concerns with Greek life and sexual assault

The+%23MeToo+panel%2C+consisting+of+students+and+professors%2C+was+sponsored+by+PASA+and+the+Office+of+Educational+Equity.+Photo+by+Elle+Cox+21
The #MeToo panel, consisting of students and professors, was sponsored by PASA and the Office of Educational Equity. Photo by Elle Cox ’21

In a crowded room in Oechsle Hall, community members gathered for the #MeToo Panel which revealed several sentiments towards the influence of Greek life on sexual assault at Lafayette.

The panel was sponsored by Pards Against Sexual Assault (PASA) and the Office for Educational Equity. Panelists consisted of two students, Sara Hayet ’18 and Mikai Johnson ’19, and professors Nandini Sikand and Randi Gill-Sadler.

Educational Equity Coordinator Jessica Brown reached out to the Pards Against Sexual Assault Executive Board a few months ago to see if they would be interested in cosponsoring a panel discussion about the #MeToo movement that has taken off in the last few months. This movement began in the wake of many women and men revealing sexual harassment and sexual violence often at the hands of powerful men in Hollywood.

The discussion was facilitated by Cristina Usino and Parker Gaglione ’18. Usino is currently Assistant Director of Admissions but previously served as the Assistant Director of Intercultural Development and Coordinator for Gender & Sexuality Programs.

Usino and Gaglione, along with Brown and PASA, worked with the campus community to develop the questions asked of the panel and the audience at the talk.

“I’m always so amazed at our students, [such as] Sara and Mikai, for being so brave to sit in that space and share from their own lived experiences, their own leadership positions and then how wonderful and rich our professors are,” Usino said.

“Professor Sikand and Professor Gill-Sadler…are women who I just feel privileged to know, privileged to be around, privileged to be in their spaces and feel like they are catalysts for change on our campus,” she added.

The discussion began with Usino touching on the background of the #MeToo movement, which was created by Tarana Burke years ago. Usino also said the panel would aim to also address issues of women and men of color and other marginalized groups often ignored in national conversations.

Gaglione went on to explain the format of the panel, which included prepared questions that would start at the macro-level and move to the micro-level of the issue of sexual assault on Lafayette’s campus. Prepared questions included: Has the #MeToo movement had any legislative effects? Do you believe the #MeToo movement has desensitized sexual assault or raised awareness? Have we seen a change on Lafayette’s campus, how can we enact change? How have marginalized groups been treated by the movement? Do you think the Me Too movement is lasting?

These questions led to more discussion from the panelists, and topics ranged from the racial inequality within the movement, to the Aziz Ansari story of alleged sexual misconduct, to Greek life on Lafayette’s campus.

Johnson said she believes that sorority women are at a much higher risk of being sexually assaulted than non-Greek women. Later in a phone interview PASA member Sam Arnold ’18 cited that within that realm, men in Greek life are more likely to perpetuate sexual assault.

According to a 2007 study cited by CNN, fraternity men are three times more likely to commit rape than other men on college campuses. The study was the third reflecting this result, the article reported.

The latter half of the discussion focused heavily on interactions within Greek life at Lafayette and the issues Greek life presents.

“I think the manner that [the conversation] occurred was really a very forward invitation for Greek fraternities specifically and their sort of ripple effect on our campus in regards to gender violence and misogyny. So I wasn’t expecting it to be that forward of a conversation. However, I do think that those forward conversations are the only way to have a real authentic invitation to change,” Usino said.

Usino said also that the most frequent perpetrators of sexual assault are not the caricatures often imagined, but the man who you know, who holds the door open and helps you study.

Arnold agreed that the conversation focused heavily on Greek life, but for the right reasons.

“I do think that’s a necessary conversation for people to have,” but she wishes people had a larger discussion about social life at Lafayette in general, she said.

Gaglione agrees that the conversations started at the talk were important to the campus and said that reactions both during and after the panel were indicative of its success.

“The number of people who came to the front after to talk to Christina and Jessica after about meeting up to further discuss what can be done on campus was really something I viewed as the biggest success of the talk,” he said.

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  • W

    William L MessickMar 28, 2018 at 8:31 am

    Samantha:

    Are Pards Against Sexual Assault working with the Lafayette College Administrators to improve or create a specific Greek based educational program?

    Lafayette College Alumni Interfraternity and Sorority Board (AISB) has reached out to the College and would also like to see such a program. Perhaps Pards Against Sexual Assault could join with us in this endeaver.

    I repeat my question as a challenge to Lafayette College and “The Lafayette”:

    Are there any studies at Lafayette that support the views expressed in “The Lafayette” reporting that “sorority women are at a much higher risk of being sexually assaulted than non-Greek women” or “Greek life are more likely to perpetuate sexual assault.”

    Bill

    William L. Messick
    Secretary
    Lafayette College AISB

    1806 Aquetong Road
    New Hope, PA 18938

    C- 215-694-7774
    [email protected]

    Reply
  • W

    William L MessickMar 25, 2018 at 11:28 am

    “The Lafayette” article refers to a 2007 study cited by CNN in a 2013 article. “The Lafayette” reporting indicates that the discussion conflated the Greek community at Lafayette with violence against women.

    I am concerned with balance:

    1. Aren’t there any significant studies since 2007 (11 years ago) that deal with the subject matter?
    2. How much of the panel discussion was devoted to the Greek community at Lafayette.
    3. Are there any studies at Lafayette that support the views expressed in “The Lafayette” reporting that “sorority women are at a much higher risk of being sexually assaulted than non-Greek women” or “Greek life are more likely to perpetuate sexual assault.”
    4.3. Given what the Alumni Interfraternity and Sorority Board (AISB), our Greek National organizations, and Lafayette College are doing to educate and train our members, what is the basis for the comment: “ [the conversation] occurred was really a very forward invitation for Greek fraternities specifically and their sort of ripple effect on our campus in regards to gender violence and misogyny.”

    Do you the Administrators and Faculty and Student Leaders believe the forgoing represents the social landscape at Lafayette, and if so, what should The College community be doing?

    Bill

    William L. Messick
    Secretary
    Lafayette College AISB

    1806 Aquetong Road
    New Hope, PA 18938

    C- 215-694-7774

    Reply
    • S

      Samantha ArnoldMar 25, 2018 at 11:03 pm

      Hi William, I am a part of Pards Against Sexual Assault (and a member of a sorority) so I wanted to respond to your comment. The event itself was structured as follows: pre-submitted student questions discussed by our panelists followed by a Q and A session. The pre-submitted questions did not discuss Greek Life, however as we had quite a large number of Greek members attending the event, the Q+A became Greek centered based off of their questions. In terms of studies, The National Crime Victimization survey is conducted annually by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Additionally the Association of American Universities released a study in 2015, here’s the link (https://www.aau.edu/key-issues/aau-climate-survey-sexual-assault-and-sexual-misconduct-2015). These statistics unfortunately do not focus on fraternities, and I had difficulty finding any other study other than the 2007 on on fraternities. That being said, undergraduate women are more likely to experience sexual misconduct and assault, and sexual assaults on college campuses happen most frequently at party settings. Additionally sorority women are at a high risk of being victims of sexual assault https://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/rape-sexual-violence/campus/pages/increased-risk.aspx)

      As someone who is in greek life and has undergone these education programs, I honestly feel like they are quite lacking. Many treat the education as a chore that simply needs to be done, the information is too broad/ unrealistic to understand, and it doesn’t focus on the realities of college life (parties). I believe there needs to be more structured procedure surrounding assault for both fraternities and sororities (what is the internal due process when accused, etc.). The best way to really know what the Greek community needs is for their to be a specific greek based study so the community can respond appropriately. I hope this answered some of your questions!

      Reply