A quote featured in the Lantern article, “Despite Attacks, Students Still Walking Alone”

The Lantern article, “Despite Attacks, Students Still Walk Alone” reported  ten campus area rapes and 12 campus muggings in the Autumn quarter of 1985 alone.¹ The article was about the low utilization rates of the three campus escorting services specifically for women to be escorted by men, a service available as early as 1982.² It is a service not provided by all dormitories, either, and no formal services were provided for students living off-campus.

There are several interesting perspectives accounted for in the Lantern piece. The first point of view showcased is one of an OSU police officer, who is frustrated that students do not utilize the services. He says, “Because there are still going to be people who are taking advantage, and still people who are going to be gullible or careless, or a combination of these features that will allow people to take advantage of them”.¹ The anonymous officer also stated he  did not think the “student populace was that much more compelled to be careful” despite the high rates of attacks that quarter.¹

The next two voices featured were quite different. One student cited in the article expressed a feeling of frustration that she is forced to worry about her safety walking to her car from her night job on campus where the escort services are not offered. Another student, who’s quote is pictured above, reported a sense of disillusionment with the escort services.

She says, “I really don’t think there’s going to be a solution. How do you stop people from wanting  to hurt other people?”¹

Works Cited

1. Bennett, Robin. “Despite Attacks, Students Still Walking Alone.” The Lantern[Columbus] 30 Jan. 1985: 8. Print.

2. Summers, Shawn. “Park Hall Begins Escort Service for Stradley.” The Lantern[Columbus] 3 Feb. 1982: 2. Print.

The 1992 January/February issue of Feminisms did a piece on “radical activism” that took place on OSU campus. The Association of Women Students (AWS) took part on a national Day of Action to encourage congress to pass The Violence Against Women Act, which included “funding for rape facilities and calls for campuses to keep centralized records of sexual assaults” (Romig, 15).  AWS used attention grabbing tactics to get people on campus aware of their cause. AWS members participated in guerrilla theater all around campus—on the Oval, in the Ohio Union, and at the comer of 15th Avenue and N. High St. In their demonstration or skit, a woman would be verbally harassed by a man and she would yell at him to leave her alone. They would then tussle a bit, where eventually the man would pin her to the ground and hit her. Then women from the group would rush over and push the man off, as they chant protest slogans. A member of the group would then explain to the crowd their purpose and cause, urging them to call congress members as they pass out fliers.

AWS members defended their nontraditional “shock value” method, claiming guerrilla theater was a powerful tool in eliciting strong reactions and attention from passerby’s. The article cited that members received mixed responses from people, ranging from cheering

AWS members preform in guerrilla theater on OSU campus

when the man was pulled off; men yelling, “why don’t you protest something worth while?” , and utter indifference.  One group member indicated that indifference was even worse than outright resistance, because at least there was discussion with those who yelled in protest. However, members reported being pleased with the Day of Action, and over 100 universities took part in activism around this day.

Works Cited

Romig, Melissa. “Radical Activism on Campus.” Feminisms [Columbus] Jan.-Feb. 1992, 5th ed., sec. 1: 15-17. Print. http://hdl.handle.net/1811/78015

Speaker at Rally against rape at OSU

In October of 1977, about 500 people gathered on The Ohio State University campus for a WAR sponsored rally in protest against the alleged rape of a lesbian by three men on the Oval that occurred in that same month. The woman did not report to the police to avoid publicity, according to a WAR spokesperson. At the rally, there were speakers from various organizations, including the Columbus chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), Central Ohio Lesbians organization,  The Women’s Action Collective, and Women Against Rape (WAR). Speakers criticized the lack of outspokenness from dorm residents. One speaker criticized the large sums of money being poured into parking lots on campus, yet funds for women’s programs and organizations against rape were scarce. Another speaker demanded an end to victim blaming and putting the responsibility of keeping safe on women. Several speakers spoke to the intolerance and ignorance present on campus towards lesbian and gay individuals, where the perpetrators said they were showing the woman implicated “what men are like”.

Works Cited

Acker, Cynthia J. “‘Rape Is Violence’: 500 Protest at Rape Rally.” The Lantern[Columbus] 25 Oct. 1977, Front Page sec.: 1. Print.

During The Ohio State University’s liberal arts study abroad program to The University of Oxford in the summer of 1989, five women students charged the dean of students and administrative officer of the program, Geoffrey Chapman, with sexual harassment, while one of the five reported rape.  One woman initially reported a rape complaint to the Thames Valley Police, although she later withdrew the complaint.Geoffrey Thomas, Director of Oxford External Studies, who had fired Chapman, reportedly attempted to cover up the incidents, by refusing to turnover a copy of the Oxford sexual harassment policy  when the students involved wanted to formally file a complaint against Chapman.  After all five women reported complaints to Ohio State and Oxford officials, Chapman was fired, and the liberal arts foreign exchange program was cancelled for the next summer.

However, in the following months, students expressed concern that the investigation process was taking too long and that OSU was not proactive enough in dealing with the case, suspecting an attempt to protect the relationship between the two universities. Several students criticized the fact The Lantern referred the case as a “Sex Scandal” in a previous headline, as the rape of the woman is a crime, not sex, and that the “only scandal is that fact OSU has done nothing about it” (Boyd et al. 5). OSU officials attributed any delay to long distance and summer months, the most inactive time of the year for universities. Charles Hermann, acting vice provost of international affairs, wrote a letter to Oxford the November following the incidents inquiring about conducting a formal investigation, but  he deemed the response from Oxford as “unacceptable”. Hermann then called for students to help draft another letter to Oxford, yet students questioned the impact that the next letter being drafted with student’s statements would have after six months since the end of the program, and how inaccessible it would be for Chapman to receive another job in education.

After pressure from students, including one woman who was involved with the rape case, President Jennings then promised to endorse the letter requesting a criminal investigation from Oxford with the students’ testimonials, after Oxford had refused to accept anonymous testimony. Oxford promised to appoint an investigator in the letter, although this did not happen until much later. Jennings appointed two women to investigate how the University handled the case, although they did not have experience with sexual harassment cases.

When Oxford issued its report on the investigation, it contented that the implicated Ohio State student had consensual sex with Chapman because they engaged in “sexual intimacy” on a few occasions, including going skinny dipping together with two other OSU students. The report claimed that since the criminal charges were dropped, “no allegations of rape is now being made by any member of the OSU party”. The student refuted this report. The other four students’ allegations were investigated, where Chapman admitted to incidents of sexual harassment, but he denied the rape charge.

In April of 1990, a 24-hour emergency number is established for student and faculty who are studying abroad and in need of assistance. In January of 1991, The Office of International Affairs announces the establishment of “strict student guidelines” for studying abroad starting the following month. The guidelines include information about “cultural sensitivity”, or the “behaviors, dress, and communication that are unacceptable in foreign countries”.  Also included in the guidelines are how get help if sexual harassment occurs and how to notify OSU.

Students reported to be disappointed with the new guidelines and corresponding workshops, including a student involved in the case. Calling the guidelines “Neanderthal”, she did not think cultural differences had a correlation in addressing sexual harassment abroad. Other students cited that these guidelines blame the victim/survivor. Yet, others contended that the guidelines would help students understand culture and the process in responding to sexual violence.

As in other high profile sexual violence cases, there are clear contradictions in the perceived effectiveness in  addressing these situations from students and administration.

Works Cited

Bennett, David J. “OSU Offers Guidelines for Traveling Abroad.” The Latern [Columbus] 30 July 1990, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Boyd, Laura, Kelley McGrath, and Meghan Shelby. “Letters to the Editor: Students Speak Up.” The Lantern [Columbus] 19 Feb. 1990: 5. Print.

Editorial. “Placing Blame: Officer Should Consider Victims First in Policy.” The Lantern [Columbus] 1 Feb. 1991: 4. Print.

Leib, Kurt L. “Official to Study Scandal.” The Lantern [Columbus] 16 Feb. 1990, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Leib, Kurt L. “OSU Denies Delay of Rape Case.” The Lantern [Columbus] 12 Feb. 1990, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Leib, Kurt L. “Oxford Sex Scandal Continues.” The Lantern [Columbus] 30 Mar. 1990, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Leib, Kurt L. “Reply Comes from Oxford: Investigation Starts When Oxford Gets Student Statements.” The Lantern [Columbus] 14 Feb. 1990, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Leib, Kurt L. “Scandal Confronted: Letter Mailed to Oxford Requesting Formal Investigation into Sex Scandal.” The Lantern [Columbus] 2 Mar. 1990, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Leib, Kurt L. “Students Seek Sex Scandal Invesigation.” The Lantern [Columbus] 2 Feb. 1990: 1. Print.

Leib, Kurt L. “Women to Review Oxford Investigation.” The Lantern [Columbus] 23 Feb. 1990, Front Page sec.: 1. Print.

Maines, Kristi. “British Sex Scandal Sparks Strict Student Guidelines.” The Lantern [Columbus] 31 Jan. 1991, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Maines, Krsti. “OSU Students Unhappy With New Guidelines.” The Lantern [Columbus] 5 Feb. 1991, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Staff, and Associated Press. “Student Maintains Sex Was Unwilling: Oxford Report Inaccurate Says OSU Student.” The Lantern [Columbus] 9 Aug. 1990, Front Page sec.: 1-2. Print.

Zucker, Leslie. “Sex Misconduct Plagues Oxford Study Abroad Program.” The Lantern [Columbus] 17 Aug. 1989: 9. Print.