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FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS VOL. 105 ISSUE 14 Timber! Facilities workers trim and cut down trees around campus to prevent damage caused by wet limbs. N] Columnist Jon Coon focuses on another side of hip-hop artists. OPI Find out about the music from USF's recent Erasmus benefit, Festival For Freedom. _s e^ Love those short shorts: Foghorn writer Heather Spellacy finds the scenery more interesting than the score at USF rugby match. _SR $m. Check out behind the scenes footage from opening night of this year's Vagina Monologues. FOG Mfe £0 Jfipg TheFoghornOnlinf.com .UARY 1!), 200!) USF Student Arrested, Facing Rape Charges Senior ROTC cadet Ryan Caskey incarcerated, awaiting arraignment LAURA PLANTHOLT StaffWriter Allegations of assault and rape made by four female University of San Francisco students prompted the arrest of 21-year- old USF senior Ryan Caskey last Thursday. Caskey was arrested by the San Francisco Police Department on campus in the early evening and is currently incarcerated at the SF County Jail with an arraignment to be held sometime this week. Each of the reported rape incidents took place in on-campus residence halls over the last several months according to USF Director of Public Safety Dan Law- son. All of the alleged victims were female students and acquaintances of Caskey. One of the female students came to Lawson with her testimony on Feb. 10, and from there Public Safety was able to investigate, conduct interviews with other alleged victims, and make a case to present to SFPD. SFPD was contacted Feb. 11, and after reviewing the case, they took Caskey into custody the following evening. Because of confidentiality required by the justice system, Lawson is not able to release many specific details about the case to the public. Lawson could not clarify when or where the alleged rapes took place, or whether date rape drugs were said to have been used. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Caskey had provided alcohol to the women, to the extent that they were unconscious when the supposed assaults took place. The Chronicle also reported that Caskey was accused of using force, injuring at least one of the females. Lawson emphasized that the nature of the rapes were "acquaintance rapes" as opposed to "stranger rapes," a distinction that should be less fear-inducing to the community. He said, "Many people in the community are fearful when they hear that a rape has occurred. Their understanding is that somebody was waiting behind a bush or climbed in through a window - a complete stranger." Lawson added, "[An acquaintance rape] is not any less severe. But it is important to remember that [Caskey] knew all of the victims, and they knew him." According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 73 percent of rape victims know their assailants. The four alleged victims are currendy receiving counseling for their trauma. Their identities are being protected for their own privacy. Senior politics major Erin-Kate Escobar, who did not think she knew any of the four women, said she felt "so proud" of them for coming forward to testify about what had happened. "I feel empowered by their strength; I don't know if I would have been as strong," she said. Many cases of sexual assault and rape go unreported because the victims don't know if they were really raped, or think they might have partially been at fault. Rape and sexual assaults are among the most under reported crimes; RAINN reports that 60 percent of sexual assaults go unreported. Many students at USF have reacted with an expectable amount of outrage. A group of about 12 concerned students gathered Monday night, just days after the news had broken, to develop a list of requests for the administration to increase awareness and education about sexual assault and rape. The requests focused on educating students about what defines sexual assault. Erika Carlsen, a senior politics major, attended the meeting and said that education about sexual abuse should be sustainable, an integral part of orientation to college. They plan to solicit feedback and concerns from more students at a meeting on Thursday in Parina Lounge at 12:15 p.m.. From there they will draft a letter to the administration that addresses these issues. They have also distributed fliers throughout campus stating, "These assaults are not isolated incidents; they are part of a larger culture of violence and power." Maggie Mullens, a senior sociology major who also attended the meeting, was concerned that more students were not discussing this matter more seriously. "I'm furious that the average student isn't more furious," she said. She was also concerned about the University's policy of being what she called "intentionally vague," only releasing the most basic information to the student body, who she felt had the right to know the whole story. Mullens is not alone in her concern over this. Lawson said a group of resident advisers from Pedro Arrupe Hall had already come to him asking for more details of the case to share with their concerned residents. However, Lawson explained that he had been specifically asked by the SFPD to not release any more information than was absolutely necessary, and he was merely following standard procedure. Caskey was in his fourth year at USF, majoring in politics. In addition to his studies, he was also serving as a cadet in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, where he was one of the top ranked cadets in his class. ROTC Program Assistant Maria Palmo said that ROTC had no comment about Caskey or the incident in general. He has been expelled from the ROTC program since his arrest. Caskey is also on interim suspension from USF, which stipulates that he not at- RAPE: Continued on Page 2 Vagina Monologues Panel Pinpoints Controversial Scene as Cause of Debate Melissa Stihl/Foghorn USF Profs. Nikki Raeburn, Peter Novak and Dean of Students Mary Wardell discussed the controversy surrounding the performance of "The Vagina Monologues" in Presentation Theater. Religious colleges get lots of flack for hosting the performance. CHELSEA STERLING News Editor With colorful paintings depicting various parts of the female body displayed on stage in the Presentation Theater, several key members from the production team of "The Vagina Monologues" hosted a panel discussion that focused on the criticism that the provocative series of speeches prompts. Producer and alumna Julie Henderson introduced guest panel ists Peter Novak, associate dean for the arts and humanities and a performing arts professor, Mary J. Wardell, associate vice president and dean of students and Nikki Raeburn, a sociology professor and breast cancer survivor. Each guest brought a unique perspective- that of a gay person, a single mother and a former student at a Jesuit seminary program. Along with these members of the USF faculty, director Meg O'Connor and cast member Megan Pohl- man, a sophomore psychology major, tackled the topic of why some groups object to the performance that Novak described as a community ritual. "The Vagina Monologues" is a series of speeches that is based on hundreds of interviews of women conducted by feminist activist and advocate Eve Ensler in 1996. Ensler asked these women about their sexual experiences and received spirited answers to her odd questions, like "If your vagina could talk, what would it say?" and "If your vagina could wear clothes, what would it wear?" The monologues surround not only topics concerning female sexuality- masturbation, orgasms, and the body- but, also social concerns such as how we define gender and historic sexual abuses like Japanese "comfort women" during World War II. One critique that the panel addressed is that "The Vagina Monologues" is too exclusive. The tide itself appears to be marketed to women only. Novak, the only male' panelist, said that women's voices need to be heard, and that this takes priority over men's feelings of exclusion. He said, "The show becomes a worldwide phenomenon that is vital and important." Wardell said, "Each woman has multiple narratives to be told." She went on to say that the performance allows students to further expand the dialogue about violence against women. Raeburn was concerned about whether the performance could adequately represent all women's views. The performance attempts to display a wide variety of women; for example, the monologues include single, married, straight and lesbian women. It also integrates the role of women as mothers, spouses, partners and providers. Raeburn pointed out that gender is socially constructed and that modern society determines what is masculine and what is feminine. Pohlman posed a question that illustrated this idea: "What does it mean to be a strong, power- MONOLOGUES: Continued on Page 2 MSA Seeks to Enlighten Others About Islam NICHOLAS MUKHAR StaffWriter USF junior and finance major Laise Popal sat at the head of the table on Thursday night, joined by 10 other members of USF's new Muslim Student Association (MSA). Popal, the new president of the MSA, led an icebreaker discussion at the first meeting of the year during which members told the group something about themselves that only close friends would know. He listened attentively and cracked jokes between comments, and his laid-back style permeated through the room, which gave the meeting a calm and trusting tone as they covered topics ranging from ideas for club events to Palestinians being killed in Gaza. Popal's tranquil demeanor provided no insight to his childhood path that was drastically altered at six months old, when the Afghan native and his family fled their country as the Russian army was invading. Popal's grandfather was an Afghan architect and a target of the Russians, who came to the family's house only to find that the entire family had already fled to New York. They ended up in California a year later. Now Laise Popal has brought his Islamic roots to USF in hopes of creating a movement to spread awareness and clear misconceptions about the culture he was raised in and the faith he lives by. "I want to bring all Muslims and non- Muslims together," said Popal, who is fluent in Farsi. "It doesn't matter if you're Muslim or not, it's [MSA] all about just learning about the faith." Popal's objective is being fulfilled in the small sample of MSA members at the meeting, with three being non-Muslims. MSA member Shelley Saini, an American-born non-Muslim whose family is from India, is an example of the MSA's effort to incorporate people of all faiths. "Indians and Muslims are not supposed to get along," she said. Saini said that in recent years the MSA has had a bad image of be- MUSLIM: Continued on Page 3 International Students Feel Squeezed by U.S. Recession Irigoyen, international student representatives of ASUSF knew of any international students who have left the university recently due to financial difficulty at home, however, students have contacted the university through the USFcares email address asking for financial assistance or flexible payment plans and USF has worked with "about two dozen international students to help them enroll for spring 2009," according to Susan Murphy, senior dean of academic and enrollment services. USF also has an $82,900 emergency grant fund for international students facing financial hardship, however all of those funds have been allocated to students for the year, which is typical even in good economic times, said Murphy. Pei Gim said she knew of many international students who are worried about what the deepening U.S. recession STUDENT: Continued on Page 2 HUNTER PATTERSON StaffWriter When it comes to equality in college financial aid, international students get the short end of the stick, even at USF, with its global social justice mission. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid or college scholarships and must document their ability to pay all four years of full-priced tuition before they are admitted to U.S. colleges. At USF this amounts to more than $180,000, before books, travel and other expenses and means that only the wealthiest foreign students can afford the luxury of a USF education. However, with the current economic downturn hitting the U.S., international students are bracing for a financial crisis at home and many are being told by parents to conserve cash or find an on-campus job. Neither Gizelle Pei Gim or Erick SAN FRANCISCO FOGHORN 2130 FULTON STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118 NEWSROOM 415.422.0122. ADVERTISING 11.).422.20.1,
Object Description
Rating | |
Publication Date | 2009-02-19 |
Volume | 105 |
Issue | 14 |
Newpaper Title | San Francisco Foghorn |
Issue Title | San Francisco Foghorn Volume 105 Issue 14 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Page size (W x L) in inches | 14X22.5 |
Scanner setting -DPI | 300 |
Notable content | 'USF Student Arrested, Facing Rape Charges ' |
Date Scanned | 2015-08-26 |
File Name | index.cpd |
Source | index.cpd |
Language | eng |
tag | foghorn |
Description
Newpaper Title | 2009021910514_01 |
File Name | 2009021910514_01.jpg |
Source | 2009021910514_01.jpg |
Language | eng |
Transcript | FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS VOL. 105 ISSUE 14 Timber! Facilities workers trim and cut down trees around campus to prevent damage caused by wet limbs. N] Columnist Jon Coon focuses on another side of hip-hop artists. OPI Find out about the music from USF's recent Erasmus benefit, Festival For Freedom. _s e^ Love those short shorts: Foghorn writer Heather Spellacy finds the scenery more interesting than the score at USF rugby match. _SR $m. Check out behind the scenes footage from opening night of this year's Vagina Monologues. FOG Mfe £0 Jfipg TheFoghornOnlinf.com .UARY 1!), 200!) USF Student Arrested, Facing Rape Charges Senior ROTC cadet Ryan Caskey incarcerated, awaiting arraignment LAURA PLANTHOLT StaffWriter Allegations of assault and rape made by four female University of San Francisco students prompted the arrest of 21-year- old USF senior Ryan Caskey last Thursday. Caskey was arrested by the San Francisco Police Department on campus in the early evening and is currently incarcerated at the SF County Jail with an arraignment to be held sometime this week. Each of the reported rape incidents took place in on-campus residence halls over the last several months according to USF Director of Public Safety Dan Law- son. All of the alleged victims were female students and acquaintances of Caskey. One of the female students came to Lawson with her testimony on Feb. 10, and from there Public Safety was able to investigate, conduct interviews with other alleged victims, and make a case to present to SFPD. SFPD was contacted Feb. 11, and after reviewing the case, they took Caskey into custody the following evening. Because of confidentiality required by the justice system, Lawson is not able to release many specific details about the case to the public. Lawson could not clarify when or where the alleged rapes took place, or whether date rape drugs were said to have been used. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Caskey had provided alcohol to the women, to the extent that they were unconscious when the supposed assaults took place. The Chronicle also reported that Caskey was accused of using force, injuring at least one of the females. Lawson emphasized that the nature of the rapes were "acquaintance rapes" as opposed to "stranger rapes," a distinction that should be less fear-inducing to the community. He said, "Many people in the community are fearful when they hear that a rape has occurred. Their understanding is that somebody was waiting behind a bush or climbed in through a window - a complete stranger." Lawson added, "[An acquaintance rape] is not any less severe. But it is important to remember that [Caskey] knew all of the victims, and they knew him." According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 73 percent of rape victims know their assailants. The four alleged victims are currendy receiving counseling for their trauma. Their identities are being protected for their own privacy. Senior politics major Erin-Kate Escobar, who did not think she knew any of the four women, said she felt "so proud" of them for coming forward to testify about what had happened. "I feel empowered by their strength; I don't know if I would have been as strong," she said. Many cases of sexual assault and rape go unreported because the victims don't know if they were really raped, or think they might have partially been at fault. Rape and sexual assaults are among the most under reported crimes; RAINN reports that 60 percent of sexual assaults go unreported. Many students at USF have reacted with an expectable amount of outrage. A group of about 12 concerned students gathered Monday night, just days after the news had broken, to develop a list of requests for the administration to increase awareness and education about sexual assault and rape. The requests focused on educating students about what defines sexual assault. Erika Carlsen, a senior politics major, attended the meeting and said that education about sexual abuse should be sustainable, an integral part of orientation to college. They plan to solicit feedback and concerns from more students at a meeting on Thursday in Parina Lounge at 12:15 p.m.. From there they will draft a letter to the administration that addresses these issues. They have also distributed fliers throughout campus stating, "These assaults are not isolated incidents; they are part of a larger culture of violence and power." Maggie Mullens, a senior sociology major who also attended the meeting, was concerned that more students were not discussing this matter more seriously. "I'm furious that the average student isn't more furious," she said. She was also concerned about the University's policy of being what she called "intentionally vague," only releasing the most basic information to the student body, who she felt had the right to know the whole story. Mullens is not alone in her concern over this. Lawson said a group of resident advisers from Pedro Arrupe Hall had already come to him asking for more details of the case to share with their concerned residents. However, Lawson explained that he had been specifically asked by the SFPD to not release any more information than was absolutely necessary, and he was merely following standard procedure. Caskey was in his fourth year at USF, majoring in politics. In addition to his studies, he was also serving as a cadet in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, where he was one of the top ranked cadets in his class. ROTC Program Assistant Maria Palmo said that ROTC had no comment about Caskey or the incident in general. He has been expelled from the ROTC program since his arrest. Caskey is also on interim suspension from USF, which stipulates that he not at- RAPE: Continued on Page 2 Vagina Monologues Panel Pinpoints Controversial Scene as Cause of Debate Melissa Stihl/Foghorn USF Profs. Nikki Raeburn, Peter Novak and Dean of Students Mary Wardell discussed the controversy surrounding the performance of "The Vagina Monologues" in Presentation Theater. Religious colleges get lots of flack for hosting the performance. CHELSEA STERLING News Editor With colorful paintings depicting various parts of the female body displayed on stage in the Presentation Theater, several key members from the production team of "The Vagina Monologues" hosted a panel discussion that focused on the criticism that the provocative series of speeches prompts. Producer and alumna Julie Henderson introduced guest panel ists Peter Novak, associate dean for the arts and humanities and a performing arts professor, Mary J. Wardell, associate vice president and dean of students and Nikki Raeburn, a sociology professor and breast cancer survivor. Each guest brought a unique perspective- that of a gay person, a single mother and a former student at a Jesuit seminary program. Along with these members of the USF faculty, director Meg O'Connor and cast member Megan Pohl- man, a sophomore psychology major, tackled the topic of why some groups object to the performance that Novak described as a community ritual. "The Vagina Monologues" is a series of speeches that is based on hundreds of interviews of women conducted by feminist activist and advocate Eve Ensler in 1996. Ensler asked these women about their sexual experiences and received spirited answers to her odd questions, like "If your vagina could talk, what would it say?" and "If your vagina could wear clothes, what would it wear?" The monologues surround not only topics concerning female sexuality- masturbation, orgasms, and the body- but, also social concerns such as how we define gender and historic sexual abuses like Japanese "comfort women" during World War II. One critique that the panel addressed is that "The Vagina Monologues" is too exclusive. The tide itself appears to be marketed to women only. Novak, the only male' panelist, said that women's voices need to be heard, and that this takes priority over men's feelings of exclusion. He said, "The show becomes a worldwide phenomenon that is vital and important." Wardell said, "Each woman has multiple narratives to be told." She went on to say that the performance allows students to further expand the dialogue about violence against women. Raeburn was concerned about whether the performance could adequately represent all women's views. The performance attempts to display a wide variety of women; for example, the monologues include single, married, straight and lesbian women. It also integrates the role of women as mothers, spouses, partners and providers. Raeburn pointed out that gender is socially constructed and that modern society determines what is masculine and what is feminine. Pohlman posed a question that illustrated this idea: "What does it mean to be a strong, power- MONOLOGUES: Continued on Page 2 MSA Seeks to Enlighten Others About Islam NICHOLAS MUKHAR StaffWriter USF junior and finance major Laise Popal sat at the head of the table on Thursday night, joined by 10 other members of USF's new Muslim Student Association (MSA). Popal, the new president of the MSA, led an icebreaker discussion at the first meeting of the year during which members told the group something about themselves that only close friends would know. He listened attentively and cracked jokes between comments, and his laid-back style permeated through the room, which gave the meeting a calm and trusting tone as they covered topics ranging from ideas for club events to Palestinians being killed in Gaza. Popal's tranquil demeanor provided no insight to his childhood path that was drastically altered at six months old, when the Afghan native and his family fled their country as the Russian army was invading. Popal's grandfather was an Afghan architect and a target of the Russians, who came to the family's house only to find that the entire family had already fled to New York. They ended up in California a year later. Now Laise Popal has brought his Islamic roots to USF in hopes of creating a movement to spread awareness and clear misconceptions about the culture he was raised in and the faith he lives by. "I want to bring all Muslims and non- Muslims together," said Popal, who is fluent in Farsi. "It doesn't matter if you're Muslim or not, it's [MSA] all about just learning about the faith." Popal's objective is being fulfilled in the small sample of MSA members at the meeting, with three being non-Muslims. MSA member Shelley Saini, an American-born non-Muslim whose family is from India, is an example of the MSA's effort to incorporate people of all faiths. "Indians and Muslims are not supposed to get along," she said. Saini said that in recent years the MSA has had a bad image of be- MUSLIM: Continued on Page 3 International Students Feel Squeezed by U.S. Recession Irigoyen, international student representatives of ASUSF knew of any international students who have left the university recently due to financial difficulty at home, however, students have contacted the university through the USFcares email address asking for financial assistance or flexible payment plans and USF has worked with "about two dozen international students to help them enroll for spring 2009," according to Susan Murphy, senior dean of academic and enrollment services. USF also has an $82,900 emergency grant fund for international students facing financial hardship, however all of those funds have been allocated to students for the year, which is typical even in good economic times, said Murphy. Pei Gim said she knew of many international students who are worried about what the deepening U.S. recession STUDENT: Continued on Page 2 HUNTER PATTERSON StaffWriter When it comes to equality in college financial aid, international students get the short end of the stick, even at USF, with its global social justice mission. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid or college scholarships and must document their ability to pay all four years of full-priced tuition before they are admitted to U.S. colleges. At USF this amounts to more than $180,000, before books, travel and other expenses and means that only the wealthiest foreign students can afford the luxury of a USF education. However, with the current economic downturn hitting the U.S., international students are bracing for a financial crisis at home and many are being told by parents to conserve cash or find an on-campus job. Neither Gizelle Pei Gim or Erick SAN FRANCISCO FOGHORN 2130 FULTON STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118 NEWSROOM 415.422.0122. ADVERTISING 11.).422.20.1, |
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