THE WWW.THESUNFLOWER.COM
SUNFLOWER WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-RUN NEWS SOURCE
MONDAY • SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
VOLUME 119, ISSUE 18
News: Performing Arts season begins Page 3 | Sports: Softball fall practices begin Page 4
Rape reported at Shocker Hall
University police are investigating an incident reported on Labor Day By Shelby Reynolds STAFF REPORTER @_shelbyreynolds
A female student reported last Monday that she was raped by a male student at Shocker Hall, according to a report on the Wichita State University police department crime log and confirmed by chief of university police, Sara Morris. According to the crime log, the incident occurred at 11 p.m. Aug. 31 and was reported to university police at 4 a.m. the following morning, on Labor Day. The alleged victim and suspect were known to each other, Morris said. By law, the Clery Act requires “timely warnings” to university students and employees if an incident — such as sex offenses — represents a “serious or continuing threat to students and employees” according to Wichita State’s 2012 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. “This didn’t meet the requirement,” Morris said. “Because both individuals were known and it was an isolated incident, we were able to speak with both parties immediately. “It wasn’t an ongoing threat to the community, but it is under investigation.” Possible charges won’t come to the alleged suspect until university police completes its investigation and presents the case to the Sedgwick County district attorney, Morris said. “It depends on how quickly we can tie stuff up and get questions answered,” she said. “Hopefully
by the end of this week.” The last reported sexual assault on WSU’s campus was a sexual battery case at Wheatshocker Apartments in May 2013, according to the crime log, and its disposition is listed as “under investigation.” According to the university’s student code of conduct — which was updated in July of 2013 — once the university learns of an alleged sexual misconduct, it is obligated to investigate the occurrence and proceed with the conduct process. “Committing acts of sexual misconduct is prohibited,” according to the code of conduct, and that sexual misconduct “will not be tolerated.” A victim of sexual assault is encouraged to report the information to Wichita State’s police department or to the Office of Human Resources and to seek medical attention, according to section 3.07 of university policies and procedures. It is important that evidence be persevered for the investigation of the incident, the policy states. Sanctions for those responsible for rape, according to section 3.06 of WSU’s policies and procedures, will be “reviewed and considered using existing policies and procedures.” Meanwhile, section 8.16 states that sanctions “will be determined to suit each individual case,” and could include expulsion from WSU. University sanctions are separate from actions taken by criminal and civil courts, the section states, and double
jeopardy does not apply. The university offers several services to victims of sexual assault, such as housing room changes, and offices on campus provide counseling services. Last week’s reported alleged rape comes at a time when the University of Kansas is under fire after a Huffington Post article circulated online about a male student who didn’t receive community service as a punishment for raping a female student because it was considered too “punitive.” According to the article, the man was punished with probation and a ban from university housing. The university also ordered him to write a four-page “reflection paper” and to seek counseling. A statement from the male student’s attorney revealed that the woman took a birth control pill the night of the incident and that there had been an existing relationship between the two students, according to the article, which led many KU students to speculate if that’s why the student didn’t receive community service. The hashtag “#aGreatPlaceToBeUnsafe” hit Twitter — a play on words on the university’s motto. KU is now one of 76 higher education institutions under investigation for how it handles sexual violence on campus, the article says, a list that also includes Kansas State University and Washburn University. Check thesunflower.com and Twitter, @sunflowernews, for more updates and coverage as this story continues to unfold.
Resource for victims of sexual assault On campus: 978-3620 Student Health Services 978-3440 Counseling and Testing Service 978-3450 University Police Department 978-7433 Shocker Safe Ride 978-3186 Office of Equal Employment Opportunity 978-3065 Human Resources 978-3498 Campus Ministry 978-3456 Campus Assault Resources and Education Off campus: Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center 263-3002 Crisis Line, www.wichitasac.com (800) 799-7233 National Domestic Violence Hotline Kansas Coalition Against Sexual 1-888-END-VIOLENCE and Domestic Violence 267-SAFE YMCA Women’s Crisis Center Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network, rainn.org DV Free Wichita, dvfreewichita.org Catholic Charities Harbor House STEPSTONE 263-6000 265-1611 Sisters of St. Joseph
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Students, police staff speak up about parking permits By Brittany Ponds STAFF REPORTER @brittany_forev
Wichita State’s university police department began issuing citations Tuesday for students or faculty members who have not purchased the required parking permit. Prior to the citations, police gave reminders to those in violation. “These didn’t work as well as we hoped they would on educating people,” said Sara Morris, chief of university police. From 7 a.m. Tuesday morning to 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, more than 400 citations had been written. Andi Hale, a Shocker Hall resident, was one of the 400. Hale was parked in a 30-minute loading zone in front of Shocker Hall when she received her ticket Thursday. Hale said the citations are unfair. “I was up there for maybe five minutes and came right back downstairs and had a ticket,” she said. Hale is not the only one she knows who has been issued a citation on campus. She said both of her suitemates have received tickets for the same thing. “If there’s a parking space, we should be able to park there,” Hale said. In the future, Hale would like to see the university do away with the permits. She also wants to see more parking on campus for everybody. Morris said if the students do not want to pay the $120 for the permit, to give the shuttles a try. “You may have to give it two or three tries until you get your
SGA streamlines funding process with bill By Cole Yancey STAFF REPORTER @CAYancey21
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
A parking ticket was issued to a student who didn’t have a parking permit in the parking lot near the Ulrich Museum.
routine worked out with how the shuttles run,” Morris said. Morris siad she is strategizing on continuing to educate students on why the permits and shuttle service are important. In the neighborhoods surrounding campus, some students have parked illegally and have upset some of the residents. An irritated graduate student, who wished to remain anonymous, said she has been parking on residential streets for years. “In the four years that I have been here, people have always parked on those streets,” she
said. She comes to class two times a week and thinks it would be silly for her to pay for parking. She spends the majority of her time at the Metroplex, where she is also taking classes. “Now that I’m paying graduate school tuition and don’t have the time to work as much, I don’t have the extra $120 to pay for parking for the two days I’m on campus for classes,” the student said. Morris said she wishes to educate students on city ordinances that apply to parking off
campus. If the location is out of the jurisdiction of university police, some students could receive tickets from the city, which, if not paid, can turn into warrants. Morris said she would like to see students look at their other options and make the right choices. She figures the permits would average out to $12 a month. She compared the cost to being less than an energy drink a day that some students purchase routinely. See PARKING on page 2
Student Government Association treasurer Jihad Al-Khatib began the interview in his clean, new office by shutting the door and asking, “Are you recording?” “Yes.” “Alright, I’ll make sure to speak like a human being.” The interview took place after SGA’s meeting Wednesday night, where the association passed two funding bills and a senate bill that amended the Legislative Journal. The senate bill, which clarified the section of instructions for applying for SGA funding — making them more clear and succinct — was the topic of the interview. Al-Khatib returned to his desk and put an old and a revised copy of the section before him. He spoke about the bill before the change. “The way they had it before was kind of integrated,” Al-Khatib said. “Individual and organization funding were lump-summed together into one category.” Before, the Legislative Journal was not organized to allow someone who was looking for information only pertinent to him to find it without having to digest excess information. Al-Khatib said the overlap and redundancies within the section caused confusion for students and also the budget and finance committee. See SGA on page 2