Mandatory rape prevention class proposed for future freshmen

The issue of rape on college campuses is nothing new. One rape occurs every 21 hours on American college campuses, according to www.crisisconnectioninc.org. A new proposal would implement a rape prevention workshop at IU, mandatory for all freshmen and aimed at educating students. \nA proposal has been put forth to Dean of Students Dick McKaig in hopes of starting a workshop to inform students about the issues dealing with rape, said Julie Thomas, Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance faculty adviser and visiting lecturer for gender studies. Thomas said this new rape prevention program would attempt to approach men and women separately with a combined discussion at the end. Trained students, one female and one male, would facilitate the sessions. \n"There were more rapes reported this year than last," Thomas said. "I know there's some speculation that there's just more reports. Well, I don't know that. I don't know that it's not actually going up. There's so much we don't know."\nIn 2003 there were six \nreported rapes, according to the IU Police Department. Four of those occurred on campus, with three of the four taking place in residential facilities. In 2004 there were three reported rapes, one of those occurring on campus in a residential facility. In 2005 there was a significant increase, with 14 rapes reported. Ten of these rapes occurred on campus in residential \nfacilities.\nRight now, the workshop is only intended to be another measure taken in the fight towards rape prevention at IU, Thomas said.\nNigel Pizzini, Men's Coalition founder and Hutton Honors College academic adviser, said the workshop is a step in the right direction. \n"One conversation, one workshop, one 'anything' will never be enough to permanently change attitudes, beliefs or behaviors when everything else surrounding a person supports or perpetuates the very issues one aims to change," Pizzini said in an e-mail. "We propose this workshop as one of several tools in an array of initiatives to address the safety of women and the thoughts and actions of men."\nMale and female students have both been receptive to the plan for the rape prevention program.\nSophomore Zach Holzman said he thinks the workshop could help to decrease rape at IU.\n"It might allow the males on campus to consider their actions before they commit a crime," he said. "I think that it would reduce rates of rape on campus because it would allow students to get more information about the possible consequences of their actions and hopefully it would be enlightening to incoming male and female freshmen."\nFreshman Kara Guest said she believes the program would have been valuable to IU during her first year.\n"I think that the program would be beneficial because lately there seem to have been a lot of allegations of rape," she said. "I think if we would have had the program, it might have given girls and even guys some tips and warning signs that could have prevented these incidents."\nThomas, Pizzini, the FMLA, Friends of Middle Way House, the Women's Student Association, IU Men's Coalition and students have contributed to the workshop idea, Thomas said.\nShe said the actual effect of the program on students and rape rates at IU won't be known until the program has been given a chance. Her hopes remain high, yet realistic, that if the workshop is implemented a vast change will occur on this campus.\n"I'd love to think that rape would be eliminated, though it probably wouldn't," Thomas said. "But I think we could really walk a long way towards that"