The Safety and Wellness Committee has created a new page on TrinitySGA.com that we hope will help you all know what Trinity offers by way of staying safe and healthy. If you navigate over to the “Services” tab at TrinitySGA.com, and click on the first link on that page, (or click here) you’ll find a list of the phone numbers/websites/information for stuff like the Campus Safety department, the Health Center, the Sexual Assault Responce Team, the Campus Safety Shuttle, etc.

I think we can all learn a valuable lesson about perseverance from this little guy. Enjoy

Two events this week:

1. The lighting walk is on Tuesday (11/1108) at 6:30pm, starting at Campus Safety. We’ll walk around campus and see what areas are too dark, what lights are burnt out, etc. and any student is welcomed (and encouraged) to attend.

2. Voices Raised in Power is on Wednesday (11/12/08) at 6pm at Gallows Hill. It’s sponsored by SART, SATF, the WGRAC, and others and seeks to “to raise awareness and help prevent sexual assault and rape”.

The Student Safety and Wellness Committee is off to a great start, and looking to have a successful first semester in existence. You can visit our committee page for more details about what we’re doing, but to sum up:

-Writing/Revising a Student Safety Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

-Working to improve sanitation and cleanliness in Mather Dining Hall

-Improve accessibility of information about existing safety/wellness services on campus

-Integrate a safety orientation into the first year program

-Improving handicap accessibility

-Combat eating disorders on campus

Also, the lighting walk will be next Tuesday, November 11th, at 6:30, so please come out and join us for that.

If anyone has any questions or ideas for things you’d like us to address, again, feel free to contact me (Andrea.Wise@trincoll.edu)

The following is a letter that was sent out to the entire student body a few minutes ago:

Our campus is in a critical period right now. The actions, or inactions, that we, as students, take in the coming days will define us in more ways than we know. The issue of racism at Trinity is particularly visible right now, and while it is not a new one, we have an opportunity before us to send a clear message that we stand for compassion and inclusiveness, not for racism and bigotry.

Everyone at Trinity seems to have a different opinion about how to deal with the racism that faces us, and everyone seems to have different ways of coping with it, but let us not allow these technicalities to distract us from the real issue before us. Often times, when we feel hurt, we need to find a source for our anger, and in times like these, we pick a person to wrongly blame. At this time, no one knows who posted the offensive TrinTalk post except the author him or herself, and we hope that you will all dismiss any rumors that you may have heard about its authorship.

Today, Monday, October 27, 2008 we will be standing together, as members of the Trinity College family to show our friends and classmates that we want Trinity to be a truly welcoming and inclusive place. So, please join us at 5:00pm on the Mather Quad (in front of Austin Arts) to stand in solidarity with all those who have been hurt by racist or otherwise offensive statements at our precious institution. Trinity is our college and let’s claim it as such.

Peace,

Rosalia Abreu ‘11
Ibrahim Diallo ‘11
Marston Hefner ‘12
Adam Katcher ‘12
Tomas Kavanagh ‘11
Channon Miller ‘11
Shannon Smith ‘12
Bryan Wedeen ‘12
Andrea Wise ‘11

Monday, Oct. 27th.

5pm.

Mather Quad.

Please join us, members of our beloved Trinity, to show our classmates and friends who have been hurt by acts of racism and bigotry on our precious campus, that we are united together, and that we want Trinity to be a welcoming and accepting place for ALL.

There were three issues with the GPS that are being addressed:

1. The information was refreshing every 30 seconds. It is now refreshing every 15 seconds.

2. When the system goes offline, it displays the most recent image. Right now there’s no way to tell if you’re looking at the location of the shuttle 15 seconds ago, or 10 minutes ago when it went offline. The powers that be are working on it so we’ll keep you all updated.

3. When the shuttle is stopped (driver taking a bathroom break, or something) there’s no indication that it’s stopped. The magical shuttle powers are also working on that.

Also, we’ve asked that the shuttle drivers stop at every stop for 30 seconds (to wait in case someone is waiting inside their building for the shuttle to arrive) before they go onto another stop, so hopefully they’ll start doing that soon.

Please keep me updated with problems/compliments on the shuttle system.

Are you interested in helping to improve safety on campus?

Are you free on Thursdays at 4pm?

The SGA needs 2 additional students to be part of the Safety Advisory Group, with the Director of Strategic Planning, a representative from the Dean of Students, Campus Safety, and the SGA.

If you’re interested, please email me (Andrea.Wise@trincoll.edu) with a brief description about why you’d be valuable on that committee.

I’d like to thank everyone who’s contacted us about issues with the new Campus Shuttle. In particular, the GPS tracking feature is obviously not working very well right now. We’ve also gotten some reports that the shuttles are not stopping and waiting briefly at every stop (so that people waiting in their dorms can see the shuttle arrive, and have time to get outside and catch it). We’re also aware that currently, the designated stops are not marked. This is a new system and we’re still trying to work out all the kinks, so please bear with us and keep the feedback coming!

At tonight’s SGA meeting, we passed a resolution creating a new standing committee, the Student Safety and Wellness Committee. This committee will proactively address anything related to safety and wellness (duh). We’ll be addressing such issues as sexual assault, unauthorized access to dorms, STDs, mental and physical health, lighting, etc. We want to act as a liaison between existing organizations who aim to address some of those issues, and the SGA, as the official voice of the student body.I’d really like to get as many people involved with this as possible, so whether you’re involved with the SGA or not, if this sounds like something you’d be down with, please e-mail me (Andrea.Wise@trincoll.edu). Since this committee was just formed about an hour and a half ago, I don’t yet have a meeting time, but I’ll e-mail any interested members and we’ll find a time that works for everyone.

Additionally, if you’ve got any ideas/concerns/issues you’d like us to address, just let me know and we’ll see to it.

First and foremost, welcome to Trinity! I am sure that by now, you have heard from countless people that you have yet to meet about forms to fill out, and opportunities that await you come August. I am writing to you, however, about a more somber topic that I hope you will take very seriously.

Safety is a very important issue at Trinity, and yet often times, we forget that ultimately it is our responsibility to make smart decisions and to watch out for ourselves. Sexual assault and rape are unfortunately very prevalent on college campuses. Anyone can be the victim of sexual assault, regardless of intelligence, sex or gender identity, race, ethnicity, or size; and prior consensual sexual relationships do not automatically constitute consent. Considering the prevalence of substance-related sexual assault, it is also important to remember that, under Connecticut law, a person inebriated by drugs or alcohol is not legally capable of consenting to sexual contact.

I do not want to frighten you, but I do want to empower you to join our efforts in preventing sexual assault at Trinity.  This past year, PEACH (Peer Educators Advocating Campus Health) and SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) sponsored a movement on campus called the Pledge for Action. Over 1,000 students have already signed the Pledge, which means that they pledge to work to prevent sexual assault, to support victims, and to ask for consent before sexual contact. We want to make Trinity College a safer environment by being open about the issue, by encouraging victims to report incidents, and by holding perpetrators responsible for their actions.

You can also exercise common sense to prevent becoming the victim of a sexual assault, especially should you choose to consume alcohol. The advice that I can offer is no different than what your parents have undoubtedly told you your entire life: don’t take opened drinks from people at parties (most rapes occur by acquaintances, so only accept unopened drinks, even if you recognize the person), don’t leave your drink unattended, and work the buddy system-pick a friend that you intend to stay with all night long and watch out for each other. If you decide to go off somewhere else, make sure to tell someone reliable where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and keep your cell phone on you. Having said all of that, the only person at fault for a sexual assault is the one who does not receive consent, so please don’t guilt yourself out of reporting an assault because you feel that you “had it coming”. Men are the statistical majority of perpetrators in sexual assaults, and as such, hold a lot of power in helping to stop sexual assaults. Guys, be man enough to reject the misogynist elements of our culture that promote sexual degradation and abuse of women (for example, look up the lyrics to Crank Dat Soulja Boy), talk to your friends about what it would be like to either be the victim of rape, or to viewed as a potential rapist, and always ask for consent.

Trinity has a wealth of resources devoted not only to supporting victims of sexual assault, but to preventing its occurrence. Trinity also has a policy of treating the victim of an assault first, so all reports are confidential and you are in control of what action, if any, you want to take against your perpetrator. If you would like to talk to anyone, you can contact either Laura Lockwood (Director of the Women & Gender Resource Action Center), or Martha Burke O’Brien (Director of the Health Center). Laura and Martha are both incredibly approachable and knowledgeable people. You can also contact any member of SART (www. trincoll.edu/StudentLife/HealthSafety/CampusSafety/SART) or the Student Government Association Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Committee.

College is a very exciting time, so go out and have fun-but stay safe, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about anything. I can’t wait to see all of your new faces on campus in the fall!

Sincerely,

Andrea Wise ‘11
Chair, SGA Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Committee

To everyone on SGA, everyone graduating, and everyone returning next year–

This first year of mine at Trinity has been, to say the least, an experience of a lifetime.

Around campus, I’ve met a lot of amazing people who continue to surprise me with their dynamic personalities, and people who continue to inspire me with their intellect, their strength, and their compassion for one another. While Trinity is far from perfect, it is a place that I have come to call home.

This past year, I’ve had the fortunate pleasure of being part of an amazing student organization full of hardworking, dedicated, and passionate people who have come to hold a special place in my heart. The SGA has been an integral component of my freshman year and I am so proud of everything that we have accomplished. I would particularly like to thank our incredible E-board: Andrew Pedro, Brittany English, Elizabeth Frazier, and Jen Abalajon, and our secretary, Jordyn Sims, for all of the hours that they poured into this organization–and so often without due recognition. I admire you all so much.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer. Seniors–good luck in life, and come back to visit from time to time. Everyone else–I can’t wait to see you in the fall.

-Andrea

In response to the recent sexual assault that occurred on Vernon Street, and in response to the widespread problem on this campus about sexual assault and rape, the SGA has just formed a Sexual Assault Committee, of which I will chair. This committee will be meeting every Tuesday at 5pm at the Cave, and I would encourage any student who is outraged and frustrated with this problem to attend those meeting and help us out.

Thank you,

Andrea Wise

Just to let everyone know, Jordyn and I made a formal proposal to the Planning and Budget Council requesting Locknetics on individual bedrooms in Jarvis on Monday. The PBC received the proposal well, and voted to support our request. Today, President Jones has notified us that he has received the PBC’s recommendation, and is in full support. The locks have been ordered and should be installed by move-in time in September!

Hey Everyone–

I’ll make this brief. It appears that the issue of Locknetics on interior bedroom doors comes down to money. Unfortunately, student safety is a non-negotiable issue so the money’s gotta appear somehow. Jordyn Sims and I are the two student representatives on the Trinity College Planning and Budget Council, so we’re taking it upon ourselves to try to get the money budgeted in so that when students move in in September, there will be locks on the doors.

In order to present a strong case, however, we need to know exactly why the students want Locknetics. I know it’s a safety and privacy concern, and I know that we all feel passionately about this, but if you could all comment with your personal reasons, it would make Jordyn and my job of explaining the student’s opinions to the Planning and Budget Council much easier. We’ll do our best, but we need your help.

Jordyn and I are meeting on Monday to discuss this and we’ll present our concerns to the PBC at the next meeting (Feb. 25) so if you want your concerns to be presented, please post them here before Wednesday, Feb. 20th.

Thanks so much, and have a good weekend, everyone!

-Andrea