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

Please, someone tell me.

Let me preface this post by saying that I love Trinity. I really do. I’m proud to be involved in various scopes of campus life here. But I can’t figure out why I love Trinity. I really feel like I shouldn’t. I know that a lot of people are going to tell me that if I feel this way, I should transfer. And maybe they’re right. But maybe I just feel like Trinity has so much potential for greatness that I would rather attempt to contribute to its betterment than close my eyes, run away, and leave it in my dust.

First of all, what is this social scene? What kind of institution has such homogenous social activites. Partying. Drinking and going to the Frats. That’s “going out” on a Saturday night (and Friday, and Thursday, and Wednesday….) at Trinity. I am by no means saying that partying is bad, but why is it that it’s the only organized nightlife here. Vassar College has the Mug–a college run nightclub with DJs, dancing, food, poetry, and alcohol–but the alcohol is not central to the existance. Anyone can go to the Mug. Not just attractive girls and guys who bring attractive girls. I’ve spoken to Professors and other students about this, and one Prof even told me that when his female freshman students come to him and tell him that they were not let into a frat because they weren’t “cute enough” that he wants to “nuke” the frats. It’s true. If the fraternies are going to dominate the social culture, they should be open to everyone. I was talking to another student about this, and he told me that at another school (can’t remember which one) the frat parties are advertised and everyone is encouraged to attend. Why isn’t it that way at Trinity?

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I want to remind everyone that the Presidential Elections are coming up–and, depending on what state you’re registered in, the primaries are even closer. For many of us, this is the first election that we get to participate in, and I’m so super stocked about it.

If you aren’t registered, yet, do it! It’s so easy. Just type into google “voting registration [insert your states name here]” and you’ll find it. You’ll be able to find the form online, so just print it out, fill it out, and mail it in.

I really feel like, even though the system is flawed, you have a responsibility to vote, so that, at the bare minimum, you can be entitled to complain about the government if you so choose. It really annoys me to hear adults piss and moan about how they hate the government, when they didn’t vote. If you’re going to hand over the decision to others, don’t complain when they don’t vote your way.

On a similar note, I know that the electoral college is flawed, so you don’t technically ever get to vote for President, and your vote is relatively insignificant, but I really want to urge people to ignore the polls, and vote for the candidate that you feel would be best for the country. In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with the candidates is that the ‘electable’ candidates don’t achieve that status with their policies, but with their strategies. There are still a few candidates out there who just present their ideas for the White House, and if you listen to them, they make sense. I won’t name names because I’m not trying to tell you who to vote for but sometimes the best candidate isn’t the most publicized. Read the rest of this entry »