News
4 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, September 18, 2015
ORIENTATION WEEK
Students attend sexual assault talk by survivor Session encourages survivors to be open about their experiences on campus T arini P ahwa Assistant News Editor Two days after arriving at Queen’s, all first-year students attended a talk by educator and activist Rachel Griffin on sexual assault. Dr. Griffin is an associate professor in the department of Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University and a survivor of sexual assault herself. The event, held during Residence Orientation Week took place at the ARC. This event was part of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Working Group’s (SAPRWG) strategy to change the way the university approaches sexual assault. Arig al Shaibah, assistant dean, of student affairs and chair of the SAPRWG, organized the event. Griffin had been giving a talk at York University when al Shaibah — who was in the audience — realized she could be an integral part of Orientation Week at Queen’s. “We were all quite compelled by her presentation when we heard her speak,” al Shaibah said. “She’s a survivor herself, and so the keynote really focused around her own story … issues resonate much better with people when they can relate to a story,” she said. Members of the working group, along with residence dons
and other student advocates, were invited to the talk. The SAPRWG released a set of recommendations early this year, including the establishment of an on-campus sexual assault centre and the creation of a comprehensive sexual assault policy. Alan Harrison, provost and vice-principal (academic), has assembled an implementation team to set timelines and determine resource requirements for SAPRWG’s recommendations. “We’ve also just completed some bystander and first responder training with the dons,” al Shaibah said. Claire Gummo — a student representative on the SAPRWG and the only student member of the implementation team — said Griffin was an excellent speaker. “Her honesty in describing her experience as a survivor forced students to come to terms with the harsh reality of sexual violence,” Gummo, ArtSci ’17, told The Journal via Facebook. “Dr. Griffin encouraged students to foster a campus climate where survivors can be open about their experiences and where there is zero tolerance for sexual violence of any kind.”
JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
Take Back the Night is an annual march protesting sexual violence.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Taking back the night Speakers discuss sexual violence towards Aboriginal women and the meaning of consent J enna Z ucker Staff Writer
easier? I don’t know, but I’d like to find out.” As the crowd marched down “Consent is sexy” was one of the Princess St., they used noisemakers many messages on signs held up on to make sure they were heard. Thursday night at the annual Take They held signs that read: “Not asking for it”, “My short skirt is not Back the Night rally. Approximately 70 people an invitation to rape” and “I fear marched and rallied from going out at night too.” Take Back the Night marches Confederation Park down Princess Street in protest of took place nationwide this week in various cities, including Hamilton, sexual violence. “It’s not something we should Niagara Falls and London. A Queen’s student who have to fight for. Not every woman has been sexually assaulted, but experienced sexual assault also every woman has been taught spoke to The Journal. She requested to fear being sexually assaulted,” to remain anonymous. “I was sexually assaulted two said Nancy Brar, event organizer and Queen’s Law student, in her summers ago and it’s still impacting my day to day well being,” she said. opening remarks. “It’s nice to be in a Organized by The Sexual community Assault Centre in Kingston, the non-judgmental annual event featured a number surrounded by the support of of speakers, including the Sisters friends. Everyone here believes in — With files from Jacob Rosen in Spirit — a campaign aiming to the same thing.” This year’s annual event is raise awareness of violence against Aboriginal women — and Eleanor timely. Last month, a student at Hands, a mother of an Aboriginal New Hampshire’s St. Paul’s prep woman who was assaulted and school was found not guilty of rape murdered along with a number after a lengthy trial. At the trial, a 15-year-old female of victims. “I’m here tonight to ask you student claimed she had been raped to remember my daughter Nicole by an 18-year-old fellow student at and all other murdered women,” the school’s Senior Salute event. The jury in the case found the Hands said to the crowd. “Will finding out who killed accused student not guilty of rape, my daughter make it make it any as they found the 15-year-old
girl’s claim to have said “no” to be too ambiguous. The overall message from participants was that consent is more than the absence of a no, but rather the necessity of a yes. “People aren’t taught not to rape, they’re taught not to be raped,” Nancy Brar, one of the event organizers, said. She said the event is about acknowledging that sexual violence still occurs and that it hasn’t gone away. “It’s still prevalent to the extent that victim blaming still occurs. It’s not fair to deny women’s basic human rights, to deny them to move freely without fear of harassment or sexual assault.” Brar, JD ’16, added that when consent isn’t given, it’s “very clear”. “If you’re in a situation and it’s ambiguous whether or not someone wants to have sexual contact with you, refrain from having sexual contact with that person.” The event brought out victims of sexual violence, supporters of women’s rights and various community groups, including a biker group for abused children. “We’re not just taking back tonight. We’re taking back every night,” Brar said.