The Sex Edition_ by MTSU Sidelines

The Sex Edition Don't be silly, wrap your willy Maintaining sexual health at MTSU.

Sexism still prevalent in sports Our sport editors' opinion on the subject.

Transgender Students MTSU offers safe place amid conservative south.

Female Professors Underpaid at MTSU, across TBR.

Count to Five

the story of a campus sexual assault.

MT Lambda

provides haven for LGBT+ students, faculty, and allies.

Campus Sexual Assault

it is still happening, it is still underreported

Welcome back, and to those of you who are new here, welcome to MTSU! As this is the first edition of the semester and school year, I’d like to use this space for a mission statement of sorts. We are MTSU’s daily digital news source and monthly news magazine. Sidelines has been around since 1925 (our website is much better now than it was then), providing news, lifestyles and sports stories for the MTSU community. As the university and, well, the world have changed, so has our staff, format and content. Simply put: we are not your mother’s college newspaper. We are fortunate enough to be editorially independent. While we have two wonderful advisers and a college full of faculty who support us, we, the 13 student editors, run what we see fit. We want nothing more than to cover what’s relevant to you, the students. And what’s more relevant than sex? We didn’t exactly write the Kama Sutra and we aren’t inherently encouraging students to jump in the sack, but let’s be real; STIs, unplanned pregnancies, gender inequality and LGBT+ issues affect everyone, including (and maybe especially) college students. So, why on earth wouldn’t we talk about it? Let’s talk about how some writer for Sidelines was so heinous in the 80s that he literally sparked MT Lambda’s existence. Let’s talk about how our female professors

Meet the Crew

A Note from the Editor

Find the megaphone: Search for the logo in our cover every edition this semester!

are paid 88 cents for every dollar their male colleagues make. Let’s talk about how MTSU has about twice the national average unplanned pregnancies despite our exceptional sexual health resources. Let’s talk in this edition, this series, online and in literally everything we do about the things that matter. The best way for us to do this is for you to tell us what you care about. Come to one of our meetings on a Friday at 2 p.m. in the Center for Innovation in Media or email me at editor@mtsusidelines. com and let us know what you think we should run. You have ideas, problems and questions that can steer us toward a meaningful publication; we have people who understand the point of the paper: to cover things relevant to students and, just maybe, incite a few changes.

Editor-in-Chief / Sarah Grace Taylor Managing Editor / Tanner Dedmon News Editor / Amanda Freuler Assistant News Editor / Brinley Hineman Assistant News Editor / Andrew Wigdor Sports Editor / Connor Ulrey Assistant Sports Editor / Tyler Lamb Lifestyles Editor / Olivia Ladd Assistant Lifestyles Editor / Jamie Cooley Design Editor / Samantha Wycoff

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HEY ! Write for us We meet every Friday at 2 p.m. in the Center for Innovation in Media. We are looking for designers, writers, photographers, and videographers. Letters to the editor can be submitted to editor@mtsusidelines.com or managingeditor@mtsusidelines.com

Don't be silly, wrap your willy!

Maintaining sexual health at MTSU By: Amanda Freuler / News Editor Contributions: Olivia Ladd / Lifestyles Editor know is available here.”

n one side of MTSU’s Campus Recreation Center, students entrust their health to barbells and treadmills; on the other side, students are provided with medical care including condoms, birth control and STI testing to protect against health concerns that are less predictable than the freshman 15. In addition to routine health examinations, immunization services and treating common illnesses, MTSU Student Health Services offers both sexual health and women’s health services for students. From these services, students can receive birth control counseling, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and gynecological examinations. Lisa Schrader, Director of Health Promotion, works with Student Health Services to educate students through outreach events and informational presentations. According to Schrader, MTSU’s sexual health services play a significant role in the university’s student health department. “Any given year that we’ve done assessments on it, we kind of hover between 65% and 75% of our students who say they were sexually active,” Schrader said. “It’s a service we want those students to

If you’re going to have sex, be prepared. Understanding the risks and knowing how to prevent them is key. These tips may seem obvious to some people, but Schrader believes that STI’s and accidental pregnancies largely boil down to a lack of knowledge. “I think if a student is coming from Tennessee, odds are they probably didn’t get a whole lot of information on this topic in their middle or high school experience because of the nature of our state,” Schrader explained. “I think it’s really important if we’re going to be adult enough to engage in sexual activities, then we need to be adult enough to do some research on our own, and to have conversations with providers who have accurate information.” According to Schrader, MTSU’s accidental pregnancy rate is about twice the national average while the number of students at MTSU with sexually transmitted infections is comparable to the national college rate. “We’re a little bit higher on bacterial infections and I think that’s related to the fact that our condom use is lower than the national average… [there’s] only about 50% of students who say ‘I always use a condom during vaginal sex,’” Schrader said.

Preventing STI’s

The most commonly reported STI’s at MTSU are human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia and herpes. Chlamydia is bacterial infection that can only be transmitted from infected sexual partners. Both HPV and herpes can be spread through skin contact, not necessarily sexual contact. Schrader explained that preventing HPV and herpes with condoms is more difficult than with chlamydia, but precaution should still be taken. Another precaution that can be taken against HPV is getting the Gardasil vaccine, which is available at the MTSU clinic. MTSU’s clinic does provide testing for STI’s, but students must make an appointment before being tested. Schrader said that STI testing typically involves a combination of a visual examination, as well as taking a urine sample and blood sample. “We also, throughout the year, offer HIV testing for free,” Schrader said. “So even if students aren’t necessarily concerned about risk of other infections, if they have a particular interest in their HIV status…that’s something that can be done without an appointment, just walking in here in health promotions.” Occasionally, free testing for the human

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mtsusidelines.com immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is also done in the Student Union or James Union Building through an oral test for students who would prefer to avoid needles. “With HIV, at least in the United States, the highest positivity rates are among men who have sex with men. So we would always recommend anyone in a male-male sexual relationship to be aware of what their HIV status is,” Schrader said. “We also know that it’s higher in communities of color than it is in other populations. So even if you are not in a same-sex relationship, if you are a female of color or a heterosexual male of color, you may also wish to be tested just because the rates are higher in those communities.” Due to the fact that HIV is spread from blood-to-blood transmission, students with tattoos or an occupation that involves being exposed to blood should get tested for HIV in addition to sexually active students. Based on results from a 2013 survey, almost half of MTSU’s students had one sexual partner in 12 months, almost 20 percent had no sexual partner and about 30 percent said they had two or more during this time frame. A new health assessment is expected to be administered to students in a few weeks so that more current results can be collected. “One thing that’s interesting with college students nationwide is that in the last decade, rates of sexual activity have actually declined,” Schrder said. “So more students are coming into college either never having had sex previously, or just not having as many partners as what we were seeing with students ten years ago.” You don’t have to play the field to contract an STI. Even with fewer partners, students are still at risk of STI’s, especially if they have unprotected sex.

Birth Control

Out of the variety of sexual health services offered, Schrader said that the most popular service students use is birth control counseling. According to statistics from MTSU’s pharmacy, between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, 3,000 birth control prescriptions were filled. Through birth control counseling, students can choose either hormonal or non-hormonal contraceptive options. Hormonal birth controls include birth control pills, the Nuva Ring, arm implants, contraceptive injections also known as Depo Provera, and emergency contraception commonly known as Plan B. The non-hormonal options are male and female condoms or dental dams. Hormonal implants have only been offered as a contraceptive option at the MTSU clinic for about two years, but according to Schrader it’s been gaining popularity among female students. “It’s a type of contraceptive that’s considered a long-acting, reversible contraceptive,” Schrader explained. “[The rod] is inserted [into the arm] by the physician and left in place for up to three years. So if a student knows that they are not wanting to have a child in the next three years, it’s a lot easier than having to remember to take a pill every day or having to come in for a shot every three months.” Regarding emergency contraception pills, Schrader said she commonly hears the misconception from

students that it is the same as the “abortion pill,” which MTSU does not offer. “They’re two different medications. If you happen to already be pregnant and know it, emergency contraception is not going to end that pregnancy,” Schrader said. Students must take the emergency contraception within 96 hours of having sex in order for the medication to be effective, and can purchase this contraception option at MTSU’s pharmacy. “It’s not as effective as other [contraceptives] and it’s more expensive than the others,” Schrader explained, “but absolutely if you need it we want to have it available for you.” Pregnancy tests are also available through MTSU’s clinic, and health providers can give students information on abortion services and nearby resources if needed. Contraceptives are available MTSU’s Health Services through appointment, or free condoms are located in the Health Promotion lobby. Following appointments, MTSU’s pharmacy can f ill prescriptions for hormone-based birth controls and anti-biotics or anti-viral medications. If a student cannot pay for their prescription the same day as their visit, the charge is added to their student account. “Sometimes we get questions, ‘well will my parents see that?’ So [the charge] just shows up as ‘health services charge’…or a benign descriptor, so there’s still confidentiality with it,” Schrader said. Costs of prescription medications vary depending on the student’s insurance policy. For students without health insurance, Schrader said the pharmacy will work with the student to find the cheapest and effective medication option. “I don’t feel like they would get the same amount of guidance at other places in the community,” Schrader said.

think it’s REALLY “Iimportant if we’re going to be adult enough to engage in sexual activities, then we need to be adult enough to do some research on our OWN, and to have conversations with providers who have accurate information.

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Sexism still prevalent in sports By: Connor Ulrey / Sports Editor Tyler Lamb / Assistant Sports Editor

e live in a world where--ev-

erything and we mean everything-- is scrutinized. It’s a time where how something is conveyed is somewhat more important than what it actually means for society. Social media coverage in all aspects is heavily influenced by bravado, the feeling of success. That still finds it’s way to bias, even today, in a time where sex doesn’t determine your success nor should it. A.G. Spalding, well-known in the field of sporting goods, wrote a book in 1911 entitled “America’s National Game”. He is quoted thusly: “A woman may take part in the grandstand, with applause for the brilliant play, with waving kerchief to the hero. But she couldn’t actually play: Baseball is too strenuous for womankind.” This mindset may seem to be a thing of the past, especially with the 1972 enactment of Title IX which protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. However, Spalding’s outmoded reasoning still prevails. Even though Title IX requires that girls be allowed to play on boys’ teams if no girls’ teams exist, this was not the case with Arizona middle-schooler Jasmine Miles in 2013. Miles, 14, was forced to quit middle school baseball after she was told she couldn’t play because she was a girl. Miles contributed to her team as a seventh grader but the following year, she was forced to play on a local youth baseball team and not allowed to play for the school team. Because of Title IX, the school gave her a spot on the softball team, claiming that the two sports were equal. Because they are in fact, not equal, she had no option for playing baseball for her school. Unfortunately for Miles, her youth league only lasted until she turned 15. There are exceptions of girls playing boys’ sports. Here are a couple examples that have garnered much attention in the recent past. In 2014, former Little League World Series pitcher Mo’ne Davis took the world by storm as the first girl to win a game on the mound in the series. She is remembered for throwing a 70 mph fastball, which

at her age was equivalent to a 93 mph ball in the MLB. Davis was awarded with multiple national honors the following year such as the Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award, and the BET Young Stars Award. She threw out the first pitch at Game 4 of the World Series, appeared on numerous talk shows, and even starred in a Spike Lee directed documentary called “I Throw Like a Girl“. Stories like this, while not as viral, are prevalent all around the U.S. Another example, taking place locally, is former Cannon County High School soccer standout Livia Walker who is now playing for Tennessee Wesleyan University. Walker is not known for playing soccer, rather her ‘claim to fame’ is for being the ‘girl who played

“

Even if the woman athletes are skilled enough to compete with the males, hardly ever are they allowed to participate in male-dominated sports.

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wfootball’ in high school. At 18 years old, Walker played 10 games of football as well as signing to play college soccer. One of those games was reported heavily by multiple media outlets, and one was covered by simply listing her name and the school she is attending now in the local newspaper. According to an eligibility report by the TSSAA, Walker was one of 14 girls that played high school football in the state in 2015. Studies from National Federation of State High School Associations show that out of 1,085,272 high school football players that played in 2015, only 1,964 were girls. While only totaling less than half a percent, the total number of girls playing high school football is likely higher than most realize. Even if female athletes are skilled enough to compete with the males, hardly ever are they allowed to participate in male-dominated sports. And while the women who are allowed are given much media coverage, what about the women playing in their own sports? How well does the media cover women’s soccer, softball, the WNBA When events like the Olympics put female athletes on par with their male counterparts there seems to be a void when the closing ceremony ends the games. The Summer Olympics were a time of domination The 17 day celebration of everything from rowing to basketball eclipses the essence of being patriotic

of your homeland but was clouded in misinformation and misplaced bias. At the height of world sport coverage shouldn’t take a backseat to who or what is covered, but it does and that’s apparent. Think about this year’s Olympics games and what was most beloved. The Final Five dominated the gymnastics portion, with Simone Biles leading the charge and i mpressing a generation of young gymnasts. Katie Ledecky out did her 2012 games, stealing the show in every event, most notably winning the 800-meter free by over 11 seconds. The names continued to build, from the final chapter of Michael Phelps in the pool to the final gold under Coach K in basketball. In all of that it’s hard to believe that some if not all was clouded by coverage. The Ryan Lochte situation hit that home the hardest, dominating outlets for days leading to the end of the games and even after. Going on simultaneously, the U.S. women swept the 100-meter hurdles for the first time in Olympic history, but it seemed to be lost in that. Whether that’s due to the newsworthiness of a Lochte story brimming with lies and foreign bafflement or whether it’s the ideal of a dominant male athlete at the forefront remains to be seen. Multiple outlets throughout the games caught flack for headlines that could’ve easily been avoided. Most notably, the Chicago Tribune was in the news for all the wrong reasons writing “Wife of a Bears’ lineman wins a bronze medal today in Olympic games”. To their audience the Tribune assumed nothing wrong in their writing, a paper dedicated to Chicago news and sports, but leaving any mention or recognition of Mitch Unrein’s wife in the headline caught fire with places like Buzzfeed and Mashable jumping on it almost instantly. Breaking down that coverage, and coverage in general, is it a lack of self-awareness, coverage legitimately based on clicks, or is there an actual case for discrimination/bias? There’s arguments for all three buried inside each lede. Coverage comes at a price and media outlets know it. Covering sports comes at the cost of clicks and what brings in revenue moving forward. The lack of self-awareness at times comes from that mindset of driving in the readership and what’s going to separate the read from the unread. One can also argue that there is a case for bias in the media when it comes to sports, assuming what’s going to drive a publication rather than pushing for more. Coaches for lower sports will tell you that even if they’re supremely successful, coverage struggles. Time will move forward and the same questions will be asked, whether a change will come can’t be known or assumed. Coverage lives and dies with readership but as time moves forward the lines between sports will blur or that’s the hope of most. Coverage isn’t determined to be elitist. It isn’t determined to contrive ponderances of what these athletes are truly worth. It isn’t defined by the gender, nor the importance, of one person but the actions of many. Readers speak louder than all else, that’s what blurs those lines.

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transgender students MTSU offers safe place amid conservative south

By: Brinley Hineman / Assistant News Editor

ollowing the North Carolina bathroom debate and Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner’s transition to cultural icon Caitlin Jenner, the transgender community has been brought to the forefront in recent years. For transgender men and women living in the southeast, the “Bible belt”, life can be difficult. However, alumna Morgan Hunlen found an accepting and safe place where she could be herself and grow in her new identity at Middle Tennessee State University. Hunlen, a 2016 graduate who majored in Aerospace with a minor in Japanese, began her undergraduate journey at MTSU as a male, recognizing later in her college career that she identified as a woman. “I didn’t really know what was happening until college,” Hunlen explains. “Being trans was never something I had a concept of.” While in high school, Hunlen realized that she wanted to “fit in with the girls” and be more feminine. At the time, she thought this made her gay. “I didn’t know what to call myself.” It wasn’t until college that Hunlen found the term she had been searching for for years: transgender. After attending a conference at Vanderbilt University and listening to a panel of transgender people speak of their transitions, Hunlen realized she had found a group of like-minded individuals; she had found a safe space. After leaving the conference, Hunlen began to accept that she was a “trans girl.” Inspired by this newfound grasp of who she was,

Hunlen became involved with three organizations that she notes as “pivotal” for her transition: To Write Love on Her Arms, an organization that promotes mental health awareness and suicide prevention; Students Active for Feminism and Equality; and MT LAMBDA, a student group that promotes a safe and secure environment for LGBT+ individuals. “Getting involved in feminism was actually really important for me. It gave me the terms and ideas about gender fluidity,” Hunlen says. Hunlen credits MT LAMBDA with giving her the confidence to be herself. The members of LAMBDA encouraged Hunlen to be proactive and volunteer with other gender questioning youth. The organization armed her with the tools she needed to become an advocate for transgender rights. “It allowed me to interact with the world and learn about myself,” Hunlen said. “You can’t really talk to people about what they’re going through if you don’t know what you’re going through yourself.” In an effort to make the campus feel more inclusive towards transgender students, MTSU offers six all-gender restrooms located in the Student Union Building, James Union Building, Peck Hall and College of Education Building. Located in the Campus Recreation Center is an all-gender changing room equipped with a toilet, sink, shower and locker. “MTSU has gone out of their way to make this campus as good as it can be for trans people,” Hunlen says. Although MTSU currently does not have a written policy for transgender and gender-nonconforming

students, Housing and Residential Life is willing to work with each student to ensure their housing needs are adequately met, striving to make their programs as inclusive as possible. The university also offers professional counseling services equipped with trained counselors with experience aiding LGBT+ individuals. Hunlen stresses the importance of safety to youth who question personal gender identity. When viewing almost any study, transgender people are significantly more likely to attempt suicide than their gender-conforming peers. Hunlen admits that transitioning can be “scary at times,” but the end result is worth it. “I think that happiness is something worth pursuing.” She encourages all individuals, gender identity aside, to not fear self-exploration. As an adult professional, Hunlen was weary. She considers herself a “trailblazer” in a field typically dominated by men. She notes that she could become the first transgender African-American pilot in the United States. A win for pilots across the board however occurred earlier this year in January. For the first time, transgender pilots do not have to list their gender identity as a “Gender Dysphoria” with the Federal Aviation Association. Although Hunlen recognizes the legislative roadblocks in Tennessee that directly affect transgender rights, she remains optimistic. “Tennessee isn’t a very good place to be trans, but things change,” Hunlen said. “I feel like there are a lot of dedicated citizens and advocates in Tennessee looking out for trans people.”

By: Sarah Grace Taylor / Editor-in-Chief

emale professors at MTSU and across the state are paid significantly less than their male counterparts and are less likely to advance in rank. With the help of MTSU data journalism professor Ken Blake, Sidelines surveyed the most recent (March 2016) Tennessee Board of Regents salary numbers for MTSU assistant, associate and full professors, finding a clear difference in the salaries and staff positions of professors based on gender, despite comparable tenure rates. Out of our random sample of 200 MTSU professors,the mean salary for men was $80,940.43, while the mean salary for women was $71,265.59. The sample suggests that women at MTSU make 88 cents for every dollar that their male counterparts earn. While nearly equal quantities of men and women get tenure at MTSU, far more men are full professors. Professors were divided by professor ranking, from lowest to highest, as either assistant, associate or full professor. Of female professors in the sample, only 37 percent were full professors, while over 55 percent of males were full professors. While MTSU’s 12 percent pay gap is significant, it is still better than the TBR average. By pulling a random sample of assistant, associate and full professors from East Tennessee State University, University of Memphis, Tennessee Technological University, Tennessee State University and Austin Peay State University, we found that on average, across the other five TBR universities, female professors make 84 percent of what their male counterparts earn. Across other TBR schools, we found that female professors make a mean salary between $64,307.49 and $73,929.80 while their male colleagues make a mean salary between $77,363.12 and $87,037.22. The pay divide among TBR universities outside of MTSU could be linked to professor ranking even more easily. In the same sample of TBR professors, we see that only 29 percent of female professors are full professors while 44 percent of their male counterparts are full professors. Methodology: All numbers reflect the latest (March 2016) numbers from the Tennessee Board of Regent salary database. All salaries from the database of employees at MTSU with the title professor, full professor, associate professor, assistant professor, asst. professor or assoc. professor were listed. A random selection of 200 professors was then made. Each of the 200 professors were identified by gender using either faculty photos or pronouns used by students on Koofers. Once sorted by gender, professors were divided into either “assistant,” “associate” or “full” ranking based on their title in the TBR database. The mean salaries were calculated based on the salaries of all professors of the relevant gender in the sample of 200. The same was then done to all professors in the database from the remaining TBR schools (East Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, Austin Peay State University, Tennessee Technological University and University of Memphis) to find the TBR numbers.

mtsusidelines.com

(MTSU)

(TBR)

09.21.16

By: Ashley Coker / Contributing Writer

sit in the back of a packed 100-person lecture hall. I look at the women around me. I count them off in fives. One in five women who have been enrolled in college since 2011 have been sexually assaulted, according to a 2015 Washington Post-Kaiser poll. That means I am sharing this room with 10 other female survivors, give or take. I wonder if any of them are also counting. When I think about my assault, I often think about all the people who tried, in vain, to prevent it. I think about my mother and her constant “stranger danger” warnings. I think about my father and the cotton candy pink sword he gave me when I brought my first boyfriend home. I think about my high school health teacher and his spiel on avoiding alcohol and not staying out past midnight. I think about my college orientation leader and the safety questions she taught us to ask each other at parties. I think about my roommate and the “all is well” text I sent her an hour before I was assaulted. My friends were throwing a small, post-midterm party in fall 2015. We lingered in the living room of an old house less than a mile from the campus where I spent the first three years of my college career. I immediately handed over my car keys. I had known these people for years, and the few I hadn’t seemed harmless enough. All should have been well.

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I tried to move or scream or do anything at all, but I couldn’t. The connection between my brain and my body failed. I laid still, frozen. As a junior in college, I fancied myself something of a personal safety expert. I followed all the “rules” on personal safety: I poured my own drinks and never left them unattended, made sure someone always knew where I was and who I was with, and if I intended to be behind closed doors with someone, I told my friends. I thought that was enough. It had always been enough. But one Friday last October, it wasn’t. I laid down on the living room couch as the night lost steam and designated drivers rounded up their charges. My best friend handed me a blanket. Her boyfriend flipped the light off, and they went to bed. The only other person staying the night, a man I hadn’t formally met before but had seen around campus, settled into a spare bedroom. The house was quiet. My biggest worry was sleeping through my 8 a.m. alarm. I was someplace between waking and sleeping when

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I felt someone pulling me up. I opened my eyes and saw the guy staying in the spare bedroom. His hand wrapped my wrist, but the grip wasn’t threatening. He asked me why I was sleeping on the couch as he guided my half-asleep and still intoxicated body to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and pulled me down beside him. He wrapped his arm around my waist. He asked if it was OK, I said yes, and I felt safe. After all, he asked. But then his hand slipped into my jeans. My breath caught in my throat. I told him to stop. He didn’t. I tried to move or scream or do anything at all, but I couldn’t. The connection between my brain and my body failed. I laid still, frozen. I stared at a spot on the wall where the beige paint was peeling and whispered, “I can’t do this,” over and over and over. For 25 minutes, those were the only words I could will my mouth to form as he moved on top of me.

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mtsusidelines.com And then he got up and walked out without saying a word. I heard his car start outside. I stayed completely still and stared at that naked spot on the wall until my alarm blared the next morning. I don’t remember so much as blinking. I didn’t feel anything. My best friend walked out of her bedroom as I was pouring my coffee. We made eye contact, and suddenly I felt everything. I felt angry and ashamed and dirty. I felt like I could never look anyone I loved in the eye and be okay again. I steadied my shaking hands around my coffee mug and recounted the story to her through hot, angry tears. I don’t know what I expected her to say, but I know I didn’t expect her to justify his actions. I sat silent as she told me about his recent break-up, told me how he was having “a hard time” and how I was acting like “a bit of a tease” the night before. It was clear that I wasn’t going to find support there. I drove back to campus, still wearing my clothes from the night before. Someone asked me if I had “a little too much fun last night,” and I laughed. My head spun with the voices of my mother (he was a virtual stranger, after all) and my father (“if anyone ever tries to hurt you, you better fight back”) and my high school health teacher (I was drunk and it was way past midnight) and my college orientation leader (I didn’t even remember what the safety questions were, much less insist my friends use them) and my best friend (“you were being a bit of a tease.”) I decided not to report my assault. I decided not to let my friends and family know I failed. I knew the only people to blame for rape were rapists. I knew it was never the victim’s fault. Still, I convinced myself that this was a lifetime of ignoring everyone’s advice coming back to haunt me. I convinced myself that my story wasn’t valid because I was drinking. Because I didn’t scream. Because I let him lead me to that bedroom. Because I didn’t follow the list of prevention tips I had been taught. I tried not to think about that night and coped as best I could. But, despite my best efforts, what he did to me began to control me. I not only threw away the clothes I was wearing, but every pair of jeans I owned. They reminded me of the sound of his fingernails on denim. I stopped going to classes knowing there was a chance I could run into him every day because the campus was so small. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I was barely functional. I was missing most of my classes and avoiding my friends. I knew I needed help, but I was still too ashamed to tell anyone I was close to, so I went to counseling. I think it saved my life. I know it saved my sanity. I learned coping mechanisms. I stopped looking at my body as the thing that betrayed me when I needed it most, stopped seeing his hands when I looked at my thighs in the mirror. I started wearing jeans again. It took a long time, but I finally stopped believing it was my fault. I was cautious about who I told and how much I told them. It took me nine months to tell anyone but my therapist the whole story. I am still learning to take my life back. I switched schools and came to MTSU. I’m doing well, but I will never be the same girl that walked into that party because I know I’m vulnerable. I freeze even when good guys grab my hand too abruptly. I get nervous when my friends stay out late. I don’t go to parties. I count to five in class.

From left: Rick, contest winner Jada, and Mauricio

It’s great to be a member of Heritage South. Just ask Jada, who won our Beyoncé Ticket Giveaway at MTSU’s Meet Murfreesboro event. Enjoy your stage-side seats, Jada!

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MT Lambda provides haven for LGBT+ students, faculty and allies By: Tanner Dedmon / Managing Editor

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mtsusidelines.com

oasting the title of the oldest LGBT+ college campus organization in Tennessee, MT Lambda has been serving MTSU students and faculty for 28 years. Formed as a response to homophobic and derogatory articles written by a Sidelines student writer in 1988, Lambda has proven to be a bastion for any student — whether they are a member of the LGBT+ community or not — who seeks information, like-minded individuals or simply a place to talk t hrough their issues. Timothy Bodey, a senior psy chology major, is one such example of a student who found a home working with the organization. After participating in a similar group at East Tennessee State University, Bodey quickly became involved with Lambda upon attending MTSU. After serving last year as the organization’s vice president, he currently resides as Lambda’s president. “I had fun doing it, and it was a great way to make friends,” said Bodey when asked how he first became involved. “Actually, the first friend I made [at MTSU] was at Lambda.” Another testament to the safe environment maintained by Lambda, Justin Fox, a junior double majoring in psychology and criminal justice administration who serves as the Lambda Public Relations Officer,

photo courtesy of MT Lambda

reaffirmed Bodey’s thoughts. “It's been a wonderful experience really, a very accepting community that is supported well by the university,” Fox said. Aligning with MT Lambda’s mission to be inclusive of all individuals wishing to participate in or learn more about the LGBT+ community, Bodey and the other officers make tremendous efforts to make others feel welcome by sacrificing privacy and personal information. While he prefers not to restrict himself with labels, Bodey openly shares that he is HIV positive, an illness he says many fail to learn about simply because they don’t know anyone who has it. “I put myself out there because I want people to ask questions,” he said. “The only way any sort of myth or stigma is going to get dispelled is if people ask questions.” Bodey’s story is just one of many that makes up the welcoming community created by Lambda. With an open-door policy, Lambda invites any student to visit room 320G in the Student Union during their office hours to discuss any issue whether it be LGBT+-related or not. Though not permitted to provide counseling or health services, Lambda officers are always willing to take whatever measures they can to help. “During our posted office hours, if someone wants to come up here and talk about anything, you know, just life in general, stresses of school, a particular issue they’re having with a teacher or another student, anything at all, we’re here to talk to them,” said Bodey. “And if action needs to be taken, we’ll do whatever we can to facilitate it and make it easier for the student.” Outside of their student-to-student interactions, Lambda works with MTSU faculty and administration to provide a more inclusive and thoughtful environment for students in the LGBT+ community. As laws and language regarding the LGBT+ community continuously

change, Lambda has proven to be the go-to source for answering questions that may In recent years, Lambda has also been instrumental in advancing campus policies for LGBT+ individuals. Through their efforts, the campus’ non-discrimination policy was amended to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the list of protected qualities, though both changes took several years to come to fruition. More recently, Lambda has successfully cooperated with MTSU to change the signage for gender-neutral bathrooms on campus to be more considerate and inclusive of all orientations and identities. In regards to their interactions with the school, Bodey assured that MTSU was extremely willing to work with them. He referenced the June 12 Orlando shooting that resulted in 49 deaths and over 50 more wounded, an attack that marks the largest incident of violence against the LGBT+ community in U.S. history. The school approached Lambda shortly after and offered to help in any way they could. The biggest result of this is the first MTSU Transgender Day of Remembrance event that will take place in the Student Union Commons on Nov. 19, one day before the calendar date dedicated to memorializing those killed as a result of transphobia and bringing attention to the violence the community still faces. Regarding discrimination issues that LGBT+ individuals experience on college campuses, Bodey was pleased to say that, to their knowledge, such cases are rare at MTSU. He mentioned the incident at the University of Tennessee that took place in early September where the campus’ Pride Center had its flag defaced and a derogatory note left behind by the vandals. “We don’t see anything like that on this campus, which is amazing,” he said. Going into the Fall 2016 semester, Lambda has set goals to improve relations with fellow student organizations. The aforementioned Transgender Day of Remembrance involved coordination with the MTSU Intercultural & Diversity Affairs Department, and they hope to collaborate with more groups in future events. In regards to the student body, in initiative to produce more informational pamphlets and host more tabling events will hopefully educate those willing to learn more about the organization. For those who want to get involved, students and faculty are encouraged to contact Lambda at MTLambda@mtsu.edu, approach the officers during their posted office hours or attend the weekly meetings every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in room 119 of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building. A $40 membership fee will grant members a Lambda T-shirt, voting rights in organized events and access to members-only events, but the fee is not required to be involved with the group. Both those within the LGBT+ community and allied individuals are welcome to join so long as they abide by the guidelines and objectives outlined by Lambda.

“The only way any sort of myth or stigma is going to get dispelled is if people ask questions.”

09.21.16

mtsusidelines.com

Analysis: Campus Sexual assault is still happening, is still underreported Story by: Sara Snody

“The Best Rape Prevention: Tell college women to stop getting so wasted.” No, that’s not the start of a sarcastic and grim joke. That’s actually the title of a Slate article from 2013 written by Atlantic contributing editor Emily Yoffe. “Women who have had a number of sexual partners before and/or since entering college are more likely to experience sexual assault.” No, that’s not a satirical statistic meant to point out the ludicrous rhetoric of some rape prevention programs. That really is the ludicrous rhetoric used by humanitarian

collaboration program Pact5 on their Risk Factors for Sexual Assault page. So, why do we allow these programs and ideals to transfer some of the responsibility from the rapist on to the victim? Former Middle Tennessee State University student Elizabeth Chattin didn’t expect to be affected by sexual assault when she transferred to MTSU from Lipscomb University her junior year. However, in 2015, the 22-year-old film major was pressured into a sexual encounter she did not fully consent to. “I was saying to the guy ‘Not tonight,’ but I didn’t know how to get him off of me,” said Chattin. “Growing up with abstinence-only programs in school, I never had that issue addressed. It was difficult for me to know what to do in that situation.” Although she knew the man who assaulted her, Chattin chose not to report the rape, something she says that she

photo by Samantha Hearn / Sidelines Archive

regrets now. Only 20 percent of female student victims, ages 18-24, report to law enforcement, according to statistics from the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), an organization that runs the National Sexual Assault Hotline and seeks to advise victims as well as state and federal politicians on the subject. “I never talked to any professionals about what happened to me,” said Chattin. “I think I was too scared. And I blamed myself.” According to reports released to Sidelines by the MTSU Police Department, all sexual assault reports from 2014 bear the status of “SUSPENDED,” meaning that the cases were dropped. Two of the reports explicitly stated that the victim either had not reported at the time or did not wish to report the rape at all. Underreported rape is a dilemma that college campuses face nation-wide, according to RAINN statistics. On campuses especially, the shame and stigma of rape is one of the many barriers between the survivors and the help that they need. If a student accused of sexual assault is not expelled or forced to change their class schedule, survivors like Chattin may frequently encounter the person who assaulted them while attending their own classes. The fear that no action will be taken against their rapists is just one of the reason some survivors keep it a secret. National studies have shown that trajectories ofsurvivor’s mental health outcomes may be influenced in positive or negative ways depending upon the nature of the disclosure experience. Faculty and staff, including

mtsusidelines.com resident assistants, should know how to properly respond to disclosures of rape. Although Chattin never reported her rape, she remains frustrated by stories of victims who did report the incident, only to be told they must accept part of the blame. On average, there are 288,820 survivors (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States, RAINN reports, and 17.7 million women in the U.S. had experienced sexual assault by 1998. Statistics are cold and unforgiving. But the truth is that people who do not report sexual assault and who do not seek aftercare are almost guaranteed to deal with at least some symptoms of PTSD. According to RAINN, at least a third of female rape victims contemplate suicide. “Not only are your emotions impacted, but [sexual assault] rewires your brain,” said Sharon Travis, who works with the Community Outreach and Education program for Nashville’s Sexual Assault Center. Nashville’s SAC is the only center in Middle Tennessee exclusively dedicated to providing counseling to child and adult sexual assault victims. Not only do they accept individuals with an inability to pay, another hurdle survivors may face, but they also have a 24-hour crisis support line 1(800)-879-1999. “Survivors of rape can gain the power to control their body’s response to triggers, if they put the work in,” said Travis. “When people reach out to counseling services following a traumatic event, the trajectory of their life and mental health improves.” Unlike national resources that tend to focus solely on the issue of female sexual assault, local organizations in Nashville and Murfreesboro don’t like to leave men out of the conversation. “This is not a women’s issue, this is a society issue. Male victims tend to not disclose because of pressure from society,” said Cathy Gurley, executive director of You Have the Power (Know How to Use It), a victims-rights organization based in Nashville. For an organization like YHTP, education and survivor involvement in panels and discussions is vital to reducing the number of sexual assaults on college campuses, especially acquaintance rape. According to Gurley, when the organization, founded by former First Lady of Tennessee Andrea Conte, makes a public presentation including survivor testimony, someone always comes forward to disclose an assault. “As soon as we’re all more aware, the sooner we can help each other walk through this,” said Gurley. In the end, knowing what is and isn’t consent, and how to give and receive it, goes a long way in giving survivors of sexual assault the tools they need to move on. Not the blame game that some organizations like to play with their prevention programs. "Sure there may have been ways for me to get out of my situation, but in the end I still said ‘No,’ and he convinced me otherwise,” said Chattin. “To me that it still taking advantage of somebody.”

09.21.16

mtsusidelines.com

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09.21.16

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