PERSPECTIVES
The Michigan Daily
Page 5
a-
SAPAC 24-hour phone line needs volunteers
by Jennifer Walker
Most of us know the history of
how the Sexual Assault Prevention
and, Awareness Center came to be
here on campus in February, 1986.
We have heard about the student
protestors demanding action; re-
member hearing about the list of
demands including better lighting,
transportation, workshops on rape
prevention, counseling and support
services for sexual assault survivors
and an office to coordinate these
many activities.
What we sometimes forget is that
the Sexual Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center (SAPAC) has re-
mained true to its early beginnings
of student involvement. Many stu-
dents are working to help stop rape
on campus and to assist the sur-
vivors of rape when they are faced by
this terrible crime.
Since its opening, SAPAC has
worked to expand its programs and
services in order to reach as many
people on campus as possible.
Almost daily, workshops, discussion
groups, and presentations, are going
Jennifer Walker volunteers as a
SAPAC phone counselor.
on on campus to raise awareness of with the various decisions that one
this problem. The counseling pro- has to make after experiencing an as-
gram is also extremely busy - see- sault.
ing and helping survivors and their We have been overwhelmed by the
friends and family members deal number of calls that come in to the
with the effects of an assault. One of phone line - we have received
the goals to provide a multi-faceted about ten times as many calls as we
counseling program for survivors
was realized in October of 1988: A 'The FBI estimates that les
24-hour counseling phone line was
started to serve the entire University ported. The 24-hour phon
community: staff, faculty, and stu- ward ending the silence th
dents. ,
Unfortunately, we live in a society rape.'
where most people do not feel com-
fortable reporting a rape to the po- had been led to expect. People call
lice, or even telling their friends or the crisis line for a variety of rea-
families about it. The FBI estimates sons. Sometimes it is to obtain in-
that less than 10% of rapes are re- formation about area resources such
ported. The 24-hour phone line is as self-defense workshops. Some
another step toward ending the si- want to discuss legal options. Rape
lence that traditionally surrounds survivors, their friends and family
rape. The line provides a safe and call for support and counseling. Our
confidential place to talk and get philosophy is to empower the caller
support. Survivors of sexual assault to discover and choose her/his own
and sexual harassment, as well as options. We don't make decisions for
their friends and family members, a caller--we help her or him make
find in the phone line information, the choices. This includes the issue
assistance, a good ear to listen non- about who to tell and whether or
judgementally, and help in dealing when to make a police report.
In addition to phone counseling,
teams of two crisis workers are
available on a 24 hour basis to go
out to hospitals, police stations, and
other locations to provide face-to-
face support to survivors of sexual
assault.
s than 10% of rapes are re-
ie line is another step to-
tat traditionally surrounds
The crisis line is staffed by
women students, faculty and staff
who volunteer their time. Male
phone counselors are available to
callers who wish to speak with a
man. Volunteers go through 35-40
hours of training before staffing the
phone line. The training includes in-
formation about counseling, crisis
intervention, the legal system, the
courts, the hospitals, as well as ba-
sic information about sexual assault.
During the Fall and Winter terms the
sexual assault phone line works in
conjunction with 76-Guide, the peer
counseling phone line at Counseling
Services.
Volunteering on the line is a chal-
lenging and rewarding experience.
The training is intensive but the
amount of support available from
the SAPAC staff and other phone
counselors during and after training
is great. People who volunteer have
a variety of reasons for doing so, but
common to all of us is the desire to
end the silence surrounding rape and
to combat the myths society holds.
If you are interested in becoming in-
volved with SAPAC's 24 hour
phone line, call our office at 763-
5865 or stop by for more informa-
tion (The Center is located at 3100
Michigan Union). Remember, we
can all work to stop rape on campus
- even if you don't want to volun-
teer for the phone line, there are
many different ways to get involved
in these important issues. Come by
and see us! .
Black athletes: commodities for the 'U'
by Kalyn Johnson court. Not much thought is given to
In Spike Lee's new movie, Do the how they will perform academically;
Right Thing, Lee reminds us that with their rigorous training and
racism is still a prevalent factor in game schedules academic diversity
our society. Here at the University it and excellence is systematically se-
appears as if strides are being taken lected against.
to eliminate racism on campus.
Strides in all directions but one: the
athletic department.
In his book Revolt of the Black.
Athlete:, Dr. Harry Edwards, a pro-
fessor of sociology at the University
of California at Berkeley, maintains
that "the Black athlete in the pre-
dominantly white school was and is
first, foremost, and sometimes only,
an athletic commodity."
Robert E. McCormick and
Maurice Tinsley report in the
Journal of Political Economy that ,
the more successful a school's ath-
letic program the more power the
school has to draw incoming stu-
dents. In essence, the University is,
making money off of its athletes, of
which the majority of whom are Junior Rumeal Robinson plays
Black.. They are used, for all intents guard for the U's basketball team.
and purposes, like pieces of equip- Take the basketball team for cx-
ment. ample. During the season, their daily
Many of the students that are re- schedule roughly consists of morn-
cruited to play sports here are ing practice, afternoon practice that
*brought to Ann Arbor with the idea includes dinner and study tables,
that they will excel on the field or weekend practices, and usually
Kalyn Johnson is a senior in the Tuesday/Thursday games. Hence,
school in Literature, Science and the given that athletes are allowed only
Arts. xk,. : , limnitp4 and mnandatory study, periods,
after a long day of classes and rigor- There are some Black athletes that them to work during the season be-
ous workouts, academic success be- are excelling in academics as well as cause of their training/game schedule
comes far more difficult even for athletics and we need to commend so why not treat them like other stu-
people with extreme discipline. them for their determination and dents who work for the university?
Many of the athletes are brought their stamina. Why is it that there In addition, by paying athletes, the
here on scholarship with the belief seems to be a kind of trade-off? entire concept of NCAA recruiting
that they know what they are up Either you concentrate on athletics violations through illegal monetary
against. But knowing about a situa- and hope to go pro or you give up rewards would have to be reassessed.
tion and actually being in that par- your dreams to be a professional ath- Finally, we have to remember that
ticular situation are two different lete to do well in school? It appears these individuals are bringing a lot of
things. Many people are under the that the coaches/system discourage money to their schools - shouldn't
assumption that because athletes - anything that will interfere with ath- they reap some of the benefits?
of which the majority revenue earn- letics because having lofty academic Currently, without the specially
ers are Black - are given scholar- goals might jeopardize a Black ath- trained athletes there would be few
ships they have a "free" ride through lete's sports career. successful athletic programs. If a
collge.Instadfor lenRiceandschool docs not have a successful
college. Instead, for Glen Rice and Jesse Jackson feels that schools athletic program to draw students in,
others Dr. Edwards reminds us that, should compensate each athlete it will not be able to pick and
"A Black athlete pays dearly with his
monetarily to make up for the time choose the students that come
blood, sweat, tears, and ultimately the student loses academically and to through its doors, according to
with some portion of his manhood, pay for services rendered. He sup- McCormick and Tinsley.
sent his school on the athletic field." ports his theory by saying that any Athletes, especially Black athletes,
How many football and basketball other student who works for the uni- do a lot for the University. Now,
players are getting the kind of educa- versity is paid, so why not pay the maybe something should be done for
tion that will provide them with the athletes? It's nearly impossible for them.
means to get a job outside of the 24:hor.phne fcunel ::''igis available for
sports industry? Everyone wants to:::::: : <::: :::: :>>:::: ::::. ..::
gopro but one in tthousand:peo-:suvivors, famiy, and frien s, "?f :Oit:
pieareeve ththosdlucky." How real-
istic are the coaches with theirtplay If ouned.elpplas.cll
ers when they know that little more
than one percent of their varsity
players will ever sign professional
professional career only averages Sextinl : Assaut Pevett01 ndA artes ene
,yreeayears?