Look At This Fucking Hampster!

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In February of 2012 I was raped on the Hampshire College campus.

TW: sexual assault, rape

Today is December 10, 2013, and I was just informed of the repercussions for the man that raped me nearly 2 years ago.

Unfortunately for me, the rapist, Lale Labuko Zino, is a sweet Hampshire dream child. Thanks to his founding of an organization called Omo Child, he is held in high esteem and largely revered by both faculty and students of the college. This means that during the time I spent on Hampshire campus it was apparently quite unbelievable that such a ~wonderful~ person could do such a thing.

For whatever reason, the notoriety Omo Child, and Lale Labuko Zino himself, could bring to Hampshire College is enough of a reason for community-wide denial and mishandling of the situation.

I attended Hampshire College for only three semesters, dropping out because of the pressure and anxiety induced by the rape itself and the community attitude towards my offender. Recently I had been entertaining the idea of returning to Hampshire to complete my studies, however the idea of attending a school where rape is taken so lightly completely sickens me.

As of today, he has been convicted of sexual assault only; not convicted of sexual harassment, threatening and intimidating behavior, or physical endangerment – three things cannot be separated from rape in any sense. The “punishment” for sexual assault is as follows:

“Lale is no longer permitted to live in campus housing, effective December 17, 2013 (the close of housing for the fall 2013 semester) for the duration of his time as a Hampshire student.

Removal from housing means he may remain an actively enrolled student, but he is only allowed to use the academic resources of the College. He may only use the buildings and resources necessary to complete academic work. He is prohibited from any social gatherings on campus, formal or informal, or any events that are not a requirement of his academic work. Any requests to be on campus for anything other than class, a meeting with his faculty, or academic work (e.g., studying in the library) must be approved in advance.”

I am appalled and offended by Hampshire's policy on rape in the community and can only hope that a rapist allowed to interact with the community in which he committed the atrocious crimes will hurt nobody else.

While this is not the place to share specifics, I am more than willing to discuss my experiences regarding both Lale Labuko Zino and the Hampshire community during this ordeal. Right now I am working towards finding my next steps to assure I am comfortable with the ramifications of my rape on Hampshire’s campus, and for all incidents in the future.

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SIGNAL BOOST: Click here to support In the Shadow of the Jerusalem Wall by Justine Gonzalez-Berg

A wall has two sides, but there are infinite experiences of living near one. Going beyond the “Israeli vs. Palestinian” narrative, we will gather the stories of what it means to live in a land that is divided. We plan to interview elders, parents and children who live in sight of the cement barrier, separating Israel from the West Bank, about how the wall impacts them. Through this lens we will explore various facets of the conflict, including non-violent resistance strategies, youth voices, and the military presence through our photography, blogging, and immersion in the Palestinian and Israeli communities. Our goal is to provide a nuanced perspective of the conflict.  Who are we? We are college students studying Middle Eastern politics and anthropology, writing, and Arabic at Hampshire College. Justine has donepolitical blogging, photography and interned with Critical Connections. Muki is a Sudanese woman, Daniels Scholar and has worked as a research assistant for the Mellon Summer Seminar, writing, experience in ethnographic research, and photography. Our unique set of skills will enable us to effectively spread the stories of Palestinian and Israeli children, parents, soldiers, and activists with the international community.  What’s the objective? We will be interning with the Palestinian News Network (PNN), where we will edit English articles and support independent journalism. Through our work with the PNN, we plan to spend time gathering the stories and perspectives of people living in sight of the separation barrier. All our interviews, research findings, experiences, thoughts and photography will be shared on two blogs. We are currently looking for a pro-justice organization based in Israel to work with for the latter part of our visit, while we gather stories about living on the other side of the wall.  What’s the money for? Since we are volunteering and doing independent research, we need money for airfare, housing, transportation, and food. Every donation goes directly to our living expenses (not program costs). We have estimated we will need $12,000 for the two of us, and have gathered $3,000 in grants & what we’ve saved up to put toward the trip. We are reaching out for community support to raise the remaining amount.  Please follow our stories, art, photography, and podcasts on throughcracks.blogspot.com and/or throughcracksinthewall.tumblr.com! Thank you for your contribution!! 

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  signal boosting for my friend Muki who is part of this amazing project, a queer brown muslim friend of mine from Hampshire College who is amazing! 

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finals cave fire came into our lives as soon as it left

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incidentally the crynals tag is 70% people I recognize, must be a hampshire/marginally smith thing

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  Hampshire College’s President Jonathan Lash flew the campus flag upside-down and at half-mast  as “a two-fold statement: it is a reclamation of mourning, and it is an act of resistance against the symbolic violence of the American flag.”  

He writes, in an email sent to all students and faculty, “The flag and the state which it represents inhibits its citizens from developing cross-national and cross-cultural solidarity by deeming some people worthy of mourning while deeming others terrorists or criminals.”

In his letter to the Hampshire community, he addresses issues of race, nationalism and state-violence.  His act is in part a response to the Boston Bombings, which, he writes, were “an impetus for us all to consider the powerful symbolism of the flag.”  President Jonathan Lash  encourages the Hampshire community to “to turn a critical eye to the presence of the American flag” which he suggests “is mobilized by state forces in such times of mourning in order to justify further violence”.  

“We at Hampshire now ask: why does the state decide when we mourn?”

President Lash continued:

“In times of tragedy, the American public is urged to combat terrorism with
patriotism. The flag is upheld as a seemingly benign rallying point of
unity and pride, but it is also used to cultivate American exceptionalism
and perpetuate racist oppression. The state strategically brings certain
acts of violence into the public consciousness and excludes others to
create a culture wherein continued state violence is condoned.” 

This follows a recent campus-wide forum entitled, “The Flag on Our Front Lawn,” in which students engaged in an open dialogue about the flag’s prominent placing. This also marks a turn in Hampshire history, as it breaks a decades-long streak of administrative complacence with neoliberalism.

For the full letter to the community, click here.  

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Congrats to alums Sasha Alexander Goldberg 04F and Bear Bergman 92F for their inclusion in the inaugural Trans 100 List, celebrating groundbreaking work being done by trans people across the country.

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(Note: this is the conference i have been working to plan as part of my job at school. i would really appreciate y’all getting the word out. we want this year to be packed and amazing!)

ASK 2013: Saturday, March 30, 2013 “Why Can’t I: Exploring Cultural Appropriation”

REGISTRATION IS OPEN Register by MARCH 15, 2013 Hampshire College (Free) Five College ($10 online or $20 on-site) All Five College students, staff, and faculty are welcome.

This year’s ASK conference focuses on cultural appropriation on Hampshire’s campus in the context of our larger society. This theme was born out the frustrations many students of color have when it comes to seeing aspects of their cultural, racial, or religious identities reduced to a costume, a fashion statement, or stripped of their original meaning and symbolic significance. When not consistently addressed, cultural appropriation can feed into the many microaggressions students of color experience while navigating Hampshire as a predominantly white academic and social space. In order to begin a much-needed conversation, the ASK conference committee and Cultural Center staff want to provide a safe space where students, faculty, and interested people can come together and begin to work out grassroots solutions and strategies in a safe environment. The goal of the ASK conference is not to provide finite answers, but allow the identities often marginalized by cultural appropriation a platform to discuss and engage with many intersecting issues related to both cultural appropriation and their identities.

Guiding ideas: Why can’t I wear a Native American headdress if I’m not Native American? Why can’t I wear a bindi if I’m not Desi/Indian? Why is blackface offensive to African diasporic people? Why can’t I say the N-word if I’m not black? Why are these things (and much more) considered cultural appropriation? How is cultural appropriation a form of racism? What is the link between cultural appropriation, cultural genocide, and cultural theft? How can I work to dismantle cultural appropriation as a non-person of color? How can I work to dismantle cultural appropriation between people of color as a person of color? How can I learn the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? Schedule 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: 90-minute interactive workshops with breaks and lunch included. 10 p.m.-1 a.m.: Dance party for conference attendees.

Go to our website for updates on the conference schedule 

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Call for submissions :)

We are conducting an informal survey! We’re interested in knowing how our readers handle their pubic hair. Do you shave? Do you trim? Do you let it grow? Let us know! We will probably be using (anonymous) responses in a future article for Hampshire College’s newspaper, “The Climax.” We will not attach names to responses. Thanks for your help :)

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Welcome!

It was such an honor to share our space with everyone who attended the conference this weekend. It was a joy to share knowledge and to create new bonds and solidarity with folks from all over. We had such a wonderful time, and we couldn’t have pulled this off without all of you.

But now that it’s over, you might be feeling some regret, or perhaps some tender feelings for folks you met, or didn’t meet, but saw or heard. We want you to find each other! Post a connection now!

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Just saying. This is a thing. I think you should do this. I want you all to find each other and love each other.

[lookatthisfuckinghampster]

POST A MISSED CONNECTION NOW!

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Signal boost! We have ten more days to raise $5,500 for the Five College Queer Gender and Sexuality Conference! This can’t happen without yr help. We love you a lot <3

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Do this! There are all sorts of fun and exciting perks if you donate!

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You get sloppy drunk; I stay whiskey neat. My clique should be cancelled—Freaks and Geeks.

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some wine and a snickers ice cream bar :]

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Architect Hugh Stubbins designed the House of World Cultures in Berlin in 1957. A beautiful building, it had to be rebuilt after it collapsed in the 60s. This event inspired the name of German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten — “Collapsing New Buildings.” He also designed Hampshire’s Library, FPH, Cole, and the Merrill and Dakin dormitory buildings.

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maybe cole will collapse and we'll get a hip industrial band out of it

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under "recreation"

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Actually the party of the year. Organized by yrs truly.