USG hosts forum on University sexual climate

According to a survey conducted last year by the USG committee on women's issues, eating clubs foster an unhealthy climate for the University's women.

Last night, in response to the survey and to an increasing number of sexual assaults reported to University authorities, the USG hosted a panel discussion titled "Sexual Climate at the 'Street.' "

Eating club officers, peer educators and University administrators participated in the discussion and fielded questions from the audience in the Frist Campus Center multipurpose room.

USG vice-president Brigitte Anderson '02 opened the discussion by reading two anonymous accounts of date rape and sexual aggression, originating from chance encounters with "nice, funny guys" on the 'Street.' One account involved a young woman being raped on a secret staircase in an eating club after an older male slipped gamma hydroxybutyric acid, commonly used as a date rape drug, into her drink.

The other told of a female freshman's traumatic encounter with a friend from her Outdoor Action group after he walked her home from the 'Street.'

Both stories had one common theme — the two women both did not think things like that happened at Princeton.

"Stories like this are all too frequent and more frequent than you'd think in a place like this," said Amada Sandoval, the interim director of the Women's Center. "They make me sick and the only thing we can do is work to change the culture so that casual violence against women does not occur and so that women do not feel silent."

Each member of the panel shared his or her reaction to the stories. The prevailing opinion was that the culture that breeds such situations needs to be changed.

"I was just reminded of how prevalent such stories have been in the last few years. We are challenged here by elements of culture which create situations," University Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson said. "We have a shared and challenging enterprise in this bootcamp for leadership and life. We can't change the culture without peer group pressure."

Panelists agreed that sexual harassment on the 'Street' is a severe problem that needs to be addressed by the entire community. However, opinions differed on the appropriate role of eating club officers in controlling and preventing such behavior.

"[These stories are] disturbing to say the least," University Cottage Club president Graves Tompkins '02 said. "In our dealing with these issues the burden can't fall on one group or service on this campus."

Tompkins said the University needs to extend its safety measures to the 'Street' by placing a Public Safety officer on the corner of Washington Road and Prospect Avenue.

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Terrace Club president Clay Whitehead '02 said that a club officer can set the tone for a club by telling members and guests what behavior will and will not be tolerated. "You have to start from the ground level," he said.

Inter-Club Council adviser Mary Alice Teti '00, along with the other panelists, stressed the importance of education and campus-wide awareness of safety issues.

Teti also explained that the ICC has taken an active role in advising clubs to appoint "designated and recognizable women in whom girls can confide."

As one of these female point people for her club, Tiger Inn social chair Ashley Muldoon '02 said that no one has approached her with any problems so far.

When an audience member contended that Bicker clubs should not rely on "subjective evaluations of what women feel comfortable doing," Teti responded that "sexual games are not a part of the bicker process."

Though organizers of the event said they were pleased with the range of discussion and attention given to gender issues, some members of the audience were left frustrated.

"It's really good that we can continue to raise issues of sexual harassment, but we seem to be going in circles," Brittany Hume '05 said afterward. "The problem lies in that there are so many fragmented groups here on campus that rely on traditions like Bicker, which are hurtful to many women. Even though [the eating clubs] say that they want to improve, there are going to be groups who rely on the sexual bicker process."

Sexual Harassment/Assault, Advising, Resources and Education coordinator Thema Bryant explained that these crimes involve power struggles and the primary objective should be to break the silence of the "survivors among us."

"When we are silent, we are still afraid," she said.