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MEGAN MCDONALD
PETER SHAHIN and DANIEL WANG KATIE BURKE
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Stats are",!stats
MADELINE HIGGINS WQ
Continuing the conversation
eaving my 11 a.m. class on Friday
left me feeling comparatively more
reflective than I was tired - a rare
occurrence on a Friday
afternoon. My large
class was assigned a
reading pertaining to
instances of sexual
assault against women
in fraternity houses.
When the study was
brought up in my dis-
cussion on Friday, an RENNIE
intellectual conver- PASQUINELLI
sation was spurred,
composed of a range
of comments and opinions. What caught my
attention in particular was when a boy who
had yet to participate in class dialogue this
semester volunteered his opinion, disagree-
ing with the general consensus of the study
and warning women thatthey should be more
worried about getting raped in downtown
Detroit than they should be in Ann Arbor.
The class, made up mostly of female stu-
dents,hadno specifically articulatedresponse
to this. There seemed to be an agreement
that women should have a heightened fear
of sexual assault in Detroit as opposed to our
campus, and then the class turned the subject
away from the newest participant's comment.
Later, I received an e-mail from my GSI clari-
fying a pretty important concept that wasn't
discussed in class, citing statistics from the
article we were assigned to read: "Women
are more likely to be raped by acquaintances
... places like college parties and bars are far
more dangerous for women." So no, women
do not have to be more afraid of Detroit or any
other city more than Ann Arbor just because
of comparative crime rates.
Obviously not everybody does his or her
reading, but I was surprised that this e-mail
needed to be sent. I was under the impression
that most educated people know that rape/
sexual assault is most common among men
and women who already know each other. I
shared this view with my close male friend.
After the conversation I hadwithhim, I could
guess that he, along with most males, didn't
enjoy discussing the heightened chance
for female sexual assault when with their
male friends.
Oftentimes, males are overly defensive in
regard to rape and sexual assault statistics
that portray them in a negative light.
And for a long time, I thought this was
because of the way these statistics were
being discussed in the media and in academic
spaces. After a consideration of the in-class
discussionthough, I thinkthat logic gets back
at the victim blame game. A woman should
not be blamed for her experience of sexual
assault because she wore less clothing than
she normally does or because she drank too
much alcohol. Similarly, women should not be
blamed for men's over-defensive tactics when
they portray information about rape and
sexual assault. Simply stating that instances
of rape and sexual assault are more likely to
occur amongst friends and not strangers is in
no way an attack on a male, unless he raped or
assaulted somebody.
As is to be expected, there aren't any
statistics that support this opinion, but any
time I have ever engaged in discourse about
the prominence of sexual assault amongst
acquaintances and friends with a self-
identified heterosexual man, it turns into
a one-sided debate. The one-sided part is
the male defending himself against these
statistics, acting as though facts are some sort
of personal attack.
No, these conversations aren't intended to
portray you as a terrible person or potential
rapist. But these conversations are created
to prevent future instances of sexual assault
from happening. Emotional undertones are
inevitable in the presentation of the facts
in a discussion-type conversation about an
emotionally loaded topic. Women shouldn't
be ashamed of expressing feelings when they
discuss instances of rape and assault. Men,
in turn, shouldn't be offended by facts that
sound emotionally charged.
I'm not saying yelling facts about rape and
other forms of sexual violence in a heated and
accusatory tone is the best way to get one's
point across. Actually, that is definitely an
ineffective way of getting any point across. The
difference between having civilized discourse
about important issues like sexual assault
and yelling about them is pretty clear and not
necessary to explain.
So, if these types of conversations are
important to any women out there (which they
should be), it should be easy to decide what is
thebestpathto pursue to maintainan educated
and non-aggressive conversation with a man.
At the same time, don't be afraid to correct
anyone with incorrect and offensive "facts"
about statistics and examples of sexual abuse.
It's important to have conversations about
these topics. Not to single out a particular man,
or an entire sex, but to educate.
- Rennie Pasquinelli can be
reached at renpasq@umich.edu.
Like many other socially
conscious humans on campus, I
made the trek to North Campus last
Friday night to see "Good Kids," a
production sponsored by the Big
Ten Theatre Consortium's New Play
Initiative. The show tells the story of
Chloe, a high school student who is
raped byhighaschool football players.
The rapists document the assault on
social media, but Chloe is drunk and
does not remember the incident.
Through the lens of social media,
the narrator goes back in time and
shows how "that night" unfolded.
The acting was phenomenal and
the play was a polished production.
However, by the end of "Good Kids,"
I felt uneasy about the neglected
pieces of the portrayed narrative,
but I was unable to fully articulate
what I thought was missing. After
an evening of No Thai, "The Office"
and a good night of sleep, I was able
to give a voice to the parts that I
thought "Good Kids" left unsaid.
First and foremost, "Good
Kids" is a University-sponsored
performance. Any form of activism
that is underwritten by any form of
institution is influenced bythe values
and agenda of said institution. The
School of Music, Theatre & Dance
page describes the Big Ten New
Play Initiative as an opportunity
for commissioned work by female
playwrights featuring strong
female leads. However, its first play
is about a survivor of rape. Rape
is one of the most dehumanizing,
degrading and violent actions, which
disproportionally affects women.
In my opinion, the play failed to
show its female lead Chloe as a
strong survivor; she appeared weak,
crumbling under the weight of her
experience. Other characters also
blamed Chloe's friend for leaving
Chloe alone during the party. The
emphasis placed on the vulnerability
and culpability of the female
characters in "Good Kids" is a sexist
depiction, making me question the
supposed "strong female lead."
"Good Kids" is set in a small town
and the characters are high school
students. However, the intended
audience is college students. If the
aim was to be relatable to college stu-
dents, why not use a college setting?
Don't we have enough stories about
rapes on college campuses, including
sexual assault at parties?
Our own campus nightmare
unfolded just last year as the public
discovered former Michigan kicker
Brendan Gibbons' sexual assault.
The aftermath was less than
satisfying. Gibbons was released
from the team at the end of the
season and there was little student
protest of his ability to play while
he was still on the team. More
recently, thousands of students have
signed a petition to fire our current
Athletic Director, David Brandon, in
reaction to the injuries sophomore
quarterback Shane Morris sustained
after an unwise placement back in
the Minnesota game. Students, along
with the University of Michigan
football program, seem to value
the health of a concussed football
player over the rights and wellness
of a survivor of sexual assault. Given
this recent past of sexual assault and
unfair play, the University seems to
distance themselves from college
experiences of sexual assault with
the high school setting in "Good
Kids," which is more removed from
the politics of collegiate football.
The play further distances
itself from the students through
the difficulty of accessing "Good
Kids." First, the play was in North
Campus' Arthur Miller Theater,
instead of the more centrallylocated
and larger Mendelssohn Theater.
Secondly, the ticket price was $10
(which also could be subsidized by
a Passport to the Arts). Thirdly, the
play was poorly advertised. Because
of these barriers to accessing
the play, the crowd consisted of
people in the community who
were already aware of the social
issues surrounding sexual assault.
Furthermore, the latter half of the
performances offered were during
fall break, when many students go
home, take trips, buckle down to
study for midterms or are otherwise
unavailable to see a play.
Beyond the context of the produc-
tion, by using a privileged narrative
of a white, middle-class, skinny, het-
erosexual women, the production
did nothing to highlight more com-
mon stories of sexual assault, which
include identities such as women
of color, LGBTQ*-identifying indi-
viduals, college-aged students and
many others' identities. Below are
three examples of how "Good kids"
erased the narrative of some of
the most frequent and least heard
sexual assaults.
According to the depiction of
Chloe in "Good Kids," women
targeted for rape wear provocative
clothing. I would disagree: You
don't have to be pretty, skinny,
white or wearing revealing clothes
to be raped. In contrast, one in
four women on college campuses
has experienced sexual assault,
and I can guarantee that most
survivors do not fit into all or
even a mix of those privileged
identities. In fact, women of color
are disproportionately represented
in sexual violence, specifically,
African American, Native
American, and mixed-race women.
You don't have to be raped by a
stranger. According to the Rape,
Abuse and Incest National Network,
80 to 90 percent of survivors know
their assailants. The stranger
rape, as Chloe experienced, is not
the majority of cases; women are
raped by family members, friends
and acquaintances.
Only 5 percent of college rapes
are reported. Instead of the social
media blowup presented in "Good
Kids," many survivors suffer in
silence, not wanting to experience
the horrific aftermath of slut-
shaming by community members,
police and their assailants as shown
in "Good Kids."
Statistics show many people on
campus have experienced versions
of "that night," whether they were
assaulted themselves, or they've
heard stories of "that night" from
their friends, family members or
the media. It is very important to
acknowledge survivors' stories and
their silence, their suffering and
their strength. When performing a
single narrative of rape, as in "Good
Kids," it is especially important
to be sensitive to the prevalent
narrative and to avoid perpetuating
misconceptions. Unfortunately,
"Good Kids" demonstrated that the
most frequent narratives are the
narratives left untold.
Madeline Higgins is anLSAsenior.
I
0
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
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Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald,
Victoria Noble, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm,
Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Linh Vu,
Meher Walia, Mary Kate Winn, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
*
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It's time to step up
TO THE DAILY:
Weeks ago, a Michigan State University
student was walking to class and was hit by a
car in the crosswalk. He was thrown onto the
windshield, his body broke the mirror off the
car, and he landed 10 feet away. The driver did
stop but seemed more interested in her broken
mirror than the person she hit. No one helped
this young man or offered to call for help! He
was disoriented, had a headache for three days,
an arm injury and was very sore. The student
has said, "I do really wish that a bystander
would have stepped in when it all happened;
however, everyone just went about going to
class once they saw me up and walking."
That same week, a fellow Big Ten
student was hit by a football player, his
head snapping, and he got up, wobbly, on
his feet. Unfortunately, no one stepped up
immediately to help Michigan quarterback
Shane Morris either, despite thousands of
people advocating for him in the form of
booing to the football staff. I was in the stands,
screaming at the top of my lungs on behalf of
this student.
Both of these Big Ten students deserve
better. As a society, we have become too
complacent and do not step up to help others.
When you see someone get hurt in front of
you, why don't you take action? I know it is
scary to get involved, but someone's life may
be on the line, and you can make a difference.
After a bowl game pep rally years ago, a
car crash happened right in front of the van
I was in with fellow college football fans. Our
van pulled over, and we helped the injured
grandpa and grandson whose car flipped over.
We called 911 while the lady who caused the
crash took off. The grandpa was taken to the
hospital, and his car was totaled. When we
got back in our van, we were all quiet, and
someone said, "That puts this football game
into perspective."
Let's all vow to do the right thing and
step up when action needs to be taken. Ask
if someone needs help or call 911 to have
others assist them. After all, it may be you
one day who needs help, and hopefully
a fellow human being will step up to
assist you!
Lynn Halton
Program Manager at the University of
Michigan Center for Educational Outreach.
've been a germap
long as Ican remem
sively clean my1
and perpetually
use hand sanitizer.
When it comes to
the flu or a cold,
I'm always deathly
afraid that I'll be
the next victim of
their wrath, espe-
cially on campus.
It's safe to say that M
I'm generally the LI
first one to freak
out about infec-
tious diseases. But even
ized the ridiculousnessa
scare in the United Stat
thoroughly disgusted
cans' lack of research
care about other nation
much more danger in rel
epidemic. As I've watch
the news recently, I've:
ens of stories on the two
fell ill with Ebola in T
I sympathize with all u
around the world who h
victims of Ebola and pr
health and safety, I am:
America's disproportion
to Ebola and lack of car
a place where the dise
poses a significant threat
the public's attention to
it was killing thousands
sands of people in Africa
First, to dispel rumor
only be transmitted thr
contact with the bodi
an infected person who
symptoms. That means
or mucous membranes
the vomit, semen,blood,
feces,breastmilk or saliv
who is sick. People ar
contagious when they'r
symptoms. The common
is transmitted much
No cause or alarm
hobe for as through the air, which is why these public tran
nber. I obses- illnesses spread like wildfire through absurd overr
living space schools and offices. In Africa, the In Washi
transmission of Ebola has posed has reache
issues because many West African On Friday, a
people don't trust the health workers Pentagon pa
who are trying to prevent them from causing a da
performing their usual rituals, such a quarantin
as when a family member dies. For and a closir
example, in Guinea, when someone tagon parki
dies, the family expresses love for woman repo
the dead person by hugging them, that she had
AUA touching them and dressing them in Africa, whic
EVINE new clothes. Health and aid workers false. The fa
have been trying to prevent Africans closed down
from performing rituals like this in made nation
I have real- an effort to stop the epidemic. This Africa, aid w
of the Ebola leads to fear, anger and mistrust quell a devas
es and I am among the native peoples. According killed thousa
by Ameri- to anthropologist Almudena Mari another 10,0
and lack of Saez in Africa studying this, there is tingsick intl
s that are in a big mistrust in human relationships In Ameri
lation to this resulting from this dynamic. 10 people il
ted and read InAmerica wehave avery different agencies ha
noticed doz- process for people who exhibit of proporti
nurses that symptoms of Ebola. As you have think about
exas. While probably seen on the news,people are an Americar
f the people effectively quarantined immediately out someone
have become during their contagious period. Our with the dis
ray for their hospital infrastructure is advanced ethnocentris
disturbed by and sterile. Following the incident ers always t
ate response in which a nurse who was caring for centered. Of
e for Africa, a patient with Ebola in Texas fell ill, keep ourselv
ase actually President Barack Obama motioned common se
. Where was that the CDC to now send a rapid washing pro
Ebola when response team as soon as someone is tant to rem
upon thou- diagnosed with Ebola so it can train watching biz
1? local hospitals with a step-by-step highlighting
s, Ebola can protocol which includes the use and America; it
rough direct disposal of protective equipment. same kind of
ly fluids of Furthermore, the White House has Africa. Our
is showing been continuously stressing that rituals and1
broken skin Ebola cannot be spread through the much strong
must touch air, water, food or through casual in Africa.1
urine, sweat, contact with someone who has no money to Af
aofsomeone symptoms. As always, it's important this terriblec
e also only to wash your hands in public spaces, better use of
e exhibiting but there is no reason whatsoever to
n cold or flu stop going to public places, to pull - M
more easily kids out of school or to stop using
sportation. These are
reactions.
Jngton, D.C., the alarm
d comical proportions.
woman threw up in the
arking lot at about 9 a.m.
ay-long scare that forced
e of military members
ng of part of the Pen-
ng lot. Apparently the
orted after she threw up
A recently been to West
ch later turned out to be
ct that this incident both
part of the Pentagon and
al news is disturbing. In
,orkers are still trying to
stating epidemic that has
ands with the fear of still
00 people per week get-
he next couple ofmonths.
ca we've had fewer than
1 with Ebola, but news
ve blown the scare out
on. We didn't start to
or care about Ebola, as
n public, until we found
e in America may be ill
ease. This kind of gross
sm proves why foreign-
hink of America as self-
course it is necessary to
essafe and cleanbyusing
nse and regular hand-
cedures, but it is impor-
nember the facts when
zarre news stories on TV
the danger of Ebola in
simply doesn't pose the
f threat here as it does in
hospital infrastructure,
protective measures are
ger than those that exist
Sending resources and
rica to help them combat
disease would be a much
our effort.
aura Levine can be reached
at mtoval@umich.edu.
41