#stonehillcollege

[applesandbanonos]

So proud to be involved in this project, How To Wake Up. Congratulations to the creative team, artists, and models that contributed to this work and for organizing tonight’s reception - it’s been a long time coming ❤️ @am.robinson #howtowakeup #timesup #metoo #carolecalogallery #stonehillcollege (at Stonehill College)

[applesandbanonos]

So proud to be involved in this project, How To Wake Up. Congratulations to the creative team, artists, and models that contributed to this work and for organizing tonight’s reception - it’s been a long time coming ❤️ @am.robinson #howtowakeup #timesup #metoo #carolecalogallery #stonehillcollege (at Stonehill College)

[devlomedia]

Mr. Tel A Photo on the job. @greenesdg #devlomedia #stonehillcollege (at Stonehill College)

[seancollinsphoto]

Chucked out #stonehillcollege #graduation #chucks #converse #clicknflash

[applesandbanonos]

Half Marathon, 5k and 10k. New England running at its best.

Live music, running, and beer.  These are a few of my favorite things...

[applesandbanonos]

Running Log, Part 99

Thursday, April 17, 2014 at 3:15PM

Distance: 10.71 miles

Total time: 1 hour and 53 minutes

Average speed: 10:34 min/mile

Max speed: 6:34 min/mile

Weather: 37 degrees, cloudy

Lately I have been getting a little anxious about the half marathon.  I wasn't running as much as I thought I would by this time.  I had kinda gotten to the point where I was accepted the fact that I'd probably have to walk part of the halfy.  But now that done what I've done, I'm not worried at all.  I know I probably could've run a halfy yesterday but I didn't want to overexert myself.  I was worried I'd feel super sore the rest of the weekend, but I woke up this morning feeling pretty good.  I'm kind of shocked at how much I've grown as a runner.  

I think it helps that I've found my comfort zone.  Yesterday, for example, I ran at my own pace, and there weren't as many runners on the path.  I didn't feel like I was being watched or monitored.  I could speed up or slow down as I needed to.  Running along the water was beautiful (understatement). It was all very reminiscent of when I started running last year around my hometown, or along Lake Winnipesaukee.  As I approach my 100th run, I look forward to all of the places I'll run to in the future.

So the halfy is in 16 days, and I'm feeling great about it.  I've also signed up for a 10K in July sponsored by Narragansett Brewery, which will be awesome.  There's going to be a music festival, running, and beer - I love all of those things!.  Plus it's being held at Stonehill, my alma mater!  So my friend Sean and I are doing it, and we've made a Facebook event inviting all of our friends to join.  It's been cool seeing how many people are a part of this little running community.  Even to just have people read this blog and send uplifting message, it's all been so motivational.  So thank you for reading these posts and for all of the support.  I wasn't sure what would come of all this when I started running last May, but I'm so happy to see how much I've grown as a runner and as a person.

Let's do this thing.

[itisreallyeasytobeafeminist]

A TEP Original

College Rape Culture: How to Break the Cycle

A letter from two alumni to their alma mater’s community.

To Whom It May Concern:

Stonehill College has been receiving a lot of attention in the media regarding recent sexual assault incidents. On November 23, the Stonehill Campus Police Department notified the campus to be on alert, as it was reported that two unidentified men had sexually assaulted a female student on campus. It wasn’t until mid-December that The Enterprise reported on the assault, releasing two sketches of the alleged perpetrators.  

On December 21, the student body received an email from Pauline Dobrowski, the Vice President for Student Affairs, in which she emphasized the importance of campus safety and outlined the resources offered to students. A few weeks later in late January, a female student reported that she had been sexually assaulted on December 7.  Dobrowski emailed the student body again, notifying them of this report. She stated that, “this incident is in no way connected to the previously reported case last semester.”  At this time, The Enterprise also reported about this incident in an article titled “Third Rape Reported at Stonehill College.” This article also mentioned that there had been another rape on campus in October in which no charges were pressed. This was the first time that the media mentioned this incident. Both the October and December 7 incidents involved only Stonehill students and were deemed unrelated to each other.

Amidst all these reports, The Enterprise and CBS Boston used quotes from a small range of the student population: three female First-Year students. Their sentiments implied that the incidents made them feel uncomfortable, and one student said that she would even consider transferring from the school.   

The issue is that, during our four years at Stonehill, we saw, heard, and experienced first-hand accounts of sexual misconduct in a culture that manifests itself all too often in college settings: a male student commenting on how he would surely sleep with a certain girl that night because she is a “slut” and “easy.” Another leading a stumbling and hazy-eyed girl from a party to his room, only to be stopped just in time by her best friend. A female student admitting she’s too afraid to report an assault because of her rapist’s prominent social standing on campus. These are only a few of the countless real-life incidents that happen regularly at Stonehill and other institutes of higher education, in a culture that defines rape as something both instigated by and to be solved by only women.

Despite our disappointment in the media’s portrayal of these rapes as isolated incidents, we applaud the Stonehill student body and administration’s willingness to start a conversation. We were pleased to hear that the community was invited to voice their concerns on recent events at an Open Forum, and that the administration addressed relevant issues such as social norming on campus, the college’s policy on alcohol consumption, and visitor registration. Current student Erin Williams ’16 wrote an open letter in which she states that the recent incidents are not representative of the Stonehill community and that students should not be punished for the actions of the assailants. Williams asks, “Wouldn’t it be better not to blame alcohol or women, but to teach our society that rape is inexcusable no matter the circumstances?” 

As former students and on-campus residents, it is comforting to know that the safety and well being of the community is a priority to both the administration and our peers--especially when dealing with an issue that is often difficult to talk about. However, after reading the listservs, speaking to our friends at Stonehill, and combing through the media coverage, we’ve found some statements problematic. It’s infuriating that the media is portraying sexual assault at Stonehill as something new. It’s unfortunate that it took a rape involving two unidentified perpetrators to bring attention to two other sexual assaults that happened at Stonehill this year, let alone the issue of rape on college campuses. It’s disappointing that in her letter, Williams focused so much on how these sexual assaults affect minor student privileges. We are missing the big picture.

It’s not about comparing ourselves to other college campuses that have it “worse.” It’s not about asking for more alternatives to drinking. It’s not about regulating who can or cannot stay overnight on campus. It’s about making sure Stonehill fosters an environment where rape is unacceptable. Currently, Stonehill offers the “No Zebras & More” violence prevention education program to incoming First-Years during their student orientation, as well as “Ace’s Wingman: Bringing in the Bystander” intervention training for student leaders, though all students are encouraged to participate. These programs are steps in the right direction, but more often than not, students don’t view these programs as relevant to them until it hits close to home. Once someone reports a sexual assault at Stonehill, the administration takes it very seriously and is quick to support the student in every way possible. However, we need to evaluate why sexual assault happens so often in the first place, why so many victims fail to report it, and why the community at large is unaware that it is a recurring issue.

Right now, the sexual assault education programs that Stonehill offers are largely optional. By making these programs optional, Stonehill is sending the message that preventing and educating students about sexual assault is not a priority. In our opinion, a clear solution would be creating a safe space to have open discussions on sexual assault and teach students to be able to identify what that looks like at Stonehill. Incoming First-Year students should be required to participate in the Ace’s Wingman program, and there should be an emphasis on small-group discussions rather than merely viewing a PowerPoint presentation. By allowing students to engage in conversation, it increases the probability that they will walk away with the resources to break down dangerous social norms that currently allow rape to keep happening. This could mean either stepping in to help a friend, being familiar with the benefits of reporting an assault, or changing the language we use.

We should all be held responsible if we truly want this problem to end. We need to stop playing the blame game, and hold a mirror to ourselves instead. This is an issue that affects everyone, not just female students. We want to see everyone be a part of the change because we know our alma mater is better than this. Talk to your professors about this. Talk to your colleagues. Brainstorm solutions with your coworkers, your family, your suitemates. There are solutions, but they can only come to fruition if everyone in the community takes a proactive stance.

Regards,

Kalee Burrows ’13

Silvana Vivas ‘13

The Empowerment Project

[itisreallyeasytobeafeminist]

A TEP Original: I Will Break You in Half

A commentary on the language of rape culture. Written by Anonymous.

Like many students at Stonehill College (a small, Catholic liberal arts college in Massachusetts), I recently attended the annual winter mixer. Overall, it was much like any other dance I’ve experienced in the past four years I’ve attended the school. However, the most memorable incident of this evening, for me, was an encounter I experienced just before leaving, near the exit of the gymnasium where the mixer was held.

A guy standing nearby, who I had never met, made eye contact with my friend and myself and asked, “You want to fuck?” 

When we said no, he and his friend walked toward us and repeated the question.

  His friend added, “I will break you in half.”

We continued to assert that they should leave us alone. The guy who informed me that he would “break me in half” invaded my space, pointing close to my eye, telling me that my eyelashes were fake. Soon, my friend and I were surrounded by three men who continued to approach us closer, asking us to have sex and talking about each of their “sizes.” Finally, because the mixer had ended and everyone was leaving, a male officer asked us all to leave the building. Only then did the group of men walk away from us.

With officers nearby, we were in a safe place. But what would have happened in any other context? Would they have left?

As my friend and I finally left the building, one of the aforementioned men was outside with his arm around another girl—who was saying, “It’s never going to happen.” Eventually, he did leave her alone.

Campus police have been notified about all of this, and have taken quick, efficient action in response because, institutionally, Stonehill makes serious efforts to prevent and counteract sexual harassment and violence. However, the administration’s attitude does not encompass the mindset of all members of the community, and this is why I feel it is necessary to write about this. I write because this snatch of dialogue is symptomatic of a larger culture, which extends far beyond my college and which continues to produce instances of sexual harassment and assault, including rape. The men who surrounded my friend and myself may never read this—I don’t know—but I must articulate this to them in the name of everyone who has been sexually harassed.

No matter how drunk you are, you need to have a basic notion of respect and human decency.

They did not ask us for our names. They did not consider that our lives were anything more than a capacity for motion—physical sensations born for their own orgasms.

  When you look at a person, see more than skin. See more than eyelashes. See a story, see a mind, and see capacity for will. See potential for dissent. Violent persistence will not change a mind; make peace and go. See a soul.

No one’s mother should ever have to find a cause to say, “On the news it said there was a third rape at your school. You better never walk alone,” or, “Please, if you’re going to write an article, make it anonymous.”

We should not have to live in fear. Students shouldn’t have to plan walks around sunlight and friends’ schedules. We should feel comfortable traveling wherever we need to go, as we work hard to make a difference in our community. For whom? For everyone, even for the guys who say they will break us in half.

We discuss rape culture at orientations, in student forums, on social media, in gender studies courses, with our friends, and with our families. We often hear, “Drink responsibly. No means no.” These mantras address certain problems, but they don’t get to the heart of the greatest issue: we always need to acknowledge people as complex, living individuals who deserve love and respect. No amount of alcohol should cause anyone to forget that.