University challenged to become safe for all

Sarah Isom Center wants to increase knowledge of recent campus incidents

Keith Wright
DM Staff writer

During the first week of class a number of fliers were hung throughout campus that challenged the university community to take additional action regarding a number of incidents that occurred last semester. The fliers have appeared in both the Oxford Eagle and The Daily Mississippian. The Sarah Isom Center Steering Committee, concerned with several safety issues that occurred last semester, were responsible for both.

The steering committee cited hazing, parking lot assaults, and accusations of date rape as examples of incidents that have lead to feelings of anxiety among students.

"This broadside came about because of all of the things that happened last semester. We are frustrated, we know that students are frustrated, and we know that administration is frustrated," said acting Director of the Sarah Isom Center Sheila Skemp.

"It is hard to act if you don't know for sure what happened. I'm sure that students think that faculty doesn't care and that everything just gets swept under the rug. I do think they feel a sense of cynicism and I don't blame them."

The steering committee, which is comprised of faculty, one graduate student, and will soon add one undergraduate student, hopes to provide encouragement, expertise, and the resources to help students do what needs to be done. The committee is a university sanctioned committee that operates the activities of the Sarah Isom Center.

The group's flier issued a series of New Year's challenges to administrators, faculty, students, fraternities and sororities. The group asked the administration for clear lines of communication regarding violent or inappropriate behavior, as well as a loud and public reutterance regarding their commitment to a campus that is safe for everyone.

"In the past the university has been much less willing to publicize anything negative about the university," noted Skemp, who is also a history professor at Ole Miss. "We have an administration now that is a little less reluctant to air the dirty linen and to realize that we need to have a campus that is safer and more hospitable to everybody on campus and not just a few. How you go about achieving that goal is something else again and I don't think that students have a sense of empowerment, they don't have a sense that they can do anything about it. They don't have a sense that the university is really doing anything about it and as a result I think that cynicism breeds apathy and as a result nothing happens."

In December rumors flew about the possible use of rohypnol as a date rape drug after five unconscious women had to be taken from a fraternity party to the hospital.

"Knowledge about these issues really contributes to the safety of the students in the long run," explained Skemp. "Because they will know what is going on, they'll maybe think a little bit about avoiding situations in which these things could happen. People need to know that assaults can happen to smart people and to nice people, and if we just sweep them under the rug then people are going to walk through the world thinking everything is fine until something like this happens to them."

Thomas Wallace, acting vice chancellor for Student Life, notes that policies which strictly forbid violence and sexual harassment are uniformly enforced at Ole Miss. He notes that the university also tries to prevent problems from reaching the stage where someone has been hurt and discipline is required.

"We spend a great deal of time through student programming going into the residence halls, going into the fraternities and other organizations, and explaining to them the importance of being mature responsible students. We do a lot of educating around the issue of sexual harassment and other issues that involve college-aged students."

Skemp believes that university officials are making a concerted effort to insure everyone's safety. However, assurance that the administration has not forgotten about incidents such as those that happened last fall is important to avoid situations in which people feel like things are swept under the carpet.

"I know that they are getting pressure from the other end," she said. "People are saying that these types of things never used to happen at the University of Mississippi. Well, of course they did. It's just that we did not know about it at all in the 'old days.'"

According to Wallace, the university is not able to make statements on charges of rohypnol use until the students that were involved in the alleged incident appear before the Committee on Student Organizations. After that, information about the entire case will be released.

"We have dealt with the situation in a manner that is methodical, maybe not as swiftly as some would want it, but you have to understand that you are dealing with people's lives, and you certainly don't want to present something to the public that is false," explained Wallace.

"As apprehensive as some people may be regarding this matter, when it's presented I have no problem presenting to the public what our findings are regarding it. We have done this in the past and we will continue doing so in the future."

Wallace notes that the university is deeply committed to a safe campus for everyone.

"What we are concerned about is looking at it in a way that we continue to educate, but we also have a rewards system, and a system that asks for standards, and if you can't meet those standards then you can't exist on this campus in the manner in which we want you representing the University of Mississippi."

The steering committee's recommendations included challenges for the Greek community. Fraternities were asked to "be the first to guarantee that your parties are 'rape free' zones and that those attending your social functions will be safe."

The committee was not implying that fraternities are inherent 'rape zones.' One person likened the designation to stickers or plaques that some households display, which say "gay-friendly home." Such stickers help to make members of the gay community feel safe and welcome in a cultural climate that is often violent towards gay people.

The committee also challenged sororities to "reconsider the practice of requiring pledges to attend social functions at fraternities that have not made a public pledge against date rape and date rape drugs."

Alex Gresham, assistant dean of students for Greek Life, said that obviously these organizations are not encouraging sexual assault.

"When an incident like those that occurred last fall happens, the many contributions that fraternities make to society are not what the fraternity is remembered for."

To counter this, Gresham is encouraging fraternities to promote the positive aspects of Greek organizations. For example, members of Phi Gamma Xi are raising money for the Center for Domestic Violence. Gresham also encourages fraternities and sororities to bring in speakers that educate members on a wide variety of topics related to college students.

The Panhellenic council is cosponsoring a presentation by Dr. Fowlkes of Baptist Memorial Hospital on the topic of date rape, which will be held during Women's Awareness Week in March. The Intrafraternal Council will help publicize the event.

"The challenges to fraternities and sororities are very important," noted Skemp. "They are not the only ones that have these problems by any means, but because they are organized, they have the best chance at solving them.

"If fraternity men took it upon themselves to monitor themselves, and if sororities took it upon themselves not to have social occasions with fraternities that didn't monitor themselves, and certainly didn't require pledges to go to events in which things like this could happen to them, that would be a great beginning. That is something that the administration would not be nearly as effective in bringing about as student initiative would be."

Courtney Hays, President of the Panhellenic Council, noted that she "never knew of anyone who experienced date rape or date rape drugs.

"I've heard that it is a problem, but to my knowledge it has not affected people that I know. I feel safe going to parties. They have Cobra Security, ID checking and guest lists for added security."

Still, Gresham felt that the recommendations about rape-free zones, if enacted, would be " a positive step." According to the Isom Center, having a campus that is a safe space for everyone requires everyone's involvement.

Family Crisis Services is currently accepting applications for volunteers. Students can create forums that question what it is about our culture that supports the idea that it is acceptable to get women "wasted" in order to have sex with them.

Faculty can open their doors and their classrooms for students who want to discuss and act out against these incidents.

Administrators can facilitate a regular flow of information about the types of incidents that occurred last semester, lest anyone get the notion that date rape is a permissible activity at Ole Miss.

Skemp said that the Isom Center is currently working to form a sexual assault response team who would be available for students to talk to should they experience a rape or a sexual assault of any kind.