THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 • VOL. 123, ISS. 11
THESUNFLOWER.COM
WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.
#WhyIDidn’tReport On average, 23 out of 100 undergraduate women experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation
On average out of those 23, only 4.5 report statistics from rainn.org
One survivor of sexual assault at WSU shares her personal story of why she didn’t report. WARNING: This story talks about rape and sexual assault to a degree that may be triggering or stressful to some individuals. BY ANDREW LINNABARY
S
arah Myose was a freshman at Wichita State when she was raped in Shocker Hall. Now a junior, Myose is still haunted by the memories of the attack. She’ll probably be haunted for the rest of her life, she said. It was the fall semester of 2016. For this freshman, it was all new. She had just moved into Shocker Hall, and knew nobody. In an effort to find friends, she downloaded Tinder and some other dating apps. She wasn’t interested in romance or hookups. She was just looking for friends on campus. Her first attempt to be more social went horribly wrong, she said. Soon after downloading Tinder, she matched with her attacker. Myose described him MYOSE as “really broad” and “really tall.” He was an international student. He seemed like a nice guy. After messaging for a week, he invited her over to his room. He lived on the fifth floor of Shocker Hall — one of the quieter, more secluded areas of the dorm. They made plans to watch some movies, hang out, and get to know each other. She came over, and it wasn’t long before “it escalated into a situation I was very uncomfortable with,” she said. He tried to kiss and touch her, despite her rejecting his advances and saying no. Panic set in. “He was much bigger than I was . . . I told him no multiple times. I told him I didn’t want to have sex.” There was little she could do to keep him away. SEE MYOSE PAGE 4
STUDENT CONDUCT STATEMENT Student Conduct was contacted for this story about Myose’s assault, and about WSU’s handling of sexual assaults in general. Christine Taylor, director of WSU’s new Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, emailed The Sunflower the following statement: “We know it’s often very difficult for a person who is sexually assaulted to come forward and talk about the experience. The approach at Wichita State, at the time of the incident being described, and today, is to respond with compassion and support for any student who reports being sexually assaulted. While we are unable to comment on individual cases out of respect for victims and because of federal privacy laws, WSU takes such reports seriously and focuses first on the well-being of the student. When meeting with a student who is reporting a sexual assault, the conversation is guided by them and they are encouraged to disclose only what they are comfortable reporting. During the conversation with the victim, there may be times when the interviewer seeks clarification. This is not meant to re-victimize the victim. It is to gain a better understanding of what is being said.”
AUG
MORE THAN 50% of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October, or November.
Among undergraduate students, 23.1% OF FEMALES and 5.4% OF MALES experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.
See PAGE 4 for resources available to victims and to review the university’s conduct process for investigating allegations of rape and assault.
COLLEGE WOMEN AGED 18-24 are 3 times more vulnerable to sexual assault than all women.
WSU professors weigh in on Kavanaugh, burden of reporting for survivors BY MATTHEW KELLY
T
he stage is set for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh to testify before the Senate today alongside Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her at a high school party. Since Blasey Ford shared her story publicly last Wednesday, two more women have come forward with allegations of sexual transgressions from Kavanaugh’s past. Kavanaugh denies all three accusations. One woman said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her nonconsensually. The other accused him of sexually aggressive behavior at a high school party where she was “gang raped.” President Trump, who nominated Kavanaugh, has been on the receiving end of sexual misconduct accusations that he adamantly denies. In a tweet last Friday, Trump questioned why Blasey Ford would not immediately report the alleged attack. “I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!” the tweet read. In the wake of Trump’s tweet, #whyIdidn’treport trended on Twitter as survivors of sexual assault shared their many reasons for not reporting attacks. In an email response to The Sunflower, women’s studies professor Jodie Simon said it’s unfair to expect victims of sexual assault to immediately report their attacks. “Trump voiced a very common mythos shared by many in our country about the ‘proper’ or ‘appropriate’ way to respond to trauma and scientific data and psychological studies have repeatedly demonstrated that there is no ‘right way’ to handle victimization,” Simon wrote. “By revictimizing the victim we silence them. And when people in a position of power and authority repeat this harmful stance we only further silence more victims. “And when people in a position of power and authority repeat this harmful stance we only further silence more victims,” Simon wrote. SEE KAVANAUGH PAGE 4
INSIDE
HUMOR IN CATASTROPHE
ONE STEP CLOSER
John Darr, perfume enthusiast, talks fall scents.
“The Search” debuted in the Welsbeacher Theatre.
SGA allocates funds for cameras to start livestreaming meetings again.
CULTURE/OPINION • PAGE 2
CULTURE • PAGE 3
NEWS • PAGE 5
WHAT’S THAT SMELL?
BOUNCE BACK Men’s basketball began full practice Tuesday with 11 newcomers.
SPORTS • PAGE 6