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Volume #99 | Issue #8 | Nov. 10, 2014 | depauliaonline.com
Consent the D ends, university issues cease and decist
Blue light districts
By Grant Myatt Managing Editor
Consent the D, the student-led movement aimed at raising awareness about sexual violence and consent, ended abruptly when the group was issued a cease and desist from the university. DePaul’s Office of General Counsel issued a cease and desist letter in response to the infringement on one of DePaul’s licensed logos, DePaul spokeswoman Carol Hughes said. “I’ve spoken to counsel about potential legal issues, and he does not believe that the university has a case,” said Randy Vollrath, a senior and founder of Consent the D. “I spoke with the dean’s office about the cease and desist letter. They were very supportive of me and the fight against sexual violence and in favor of a culture of consent.” He said Consent the D did not use DePaul’s logo or trademark and that their “D” design was original and “substantially different.” Vollrath announced the end of the movement in a video posted to the group’s Facebook page Nov. 4 and that T-shirt production halted as they “worked to address the issue.” According to the group’s ThreadMeUp page, 74 T-shirts were sold at $15.60 each, totaling to about $1,154. Vollrath said 50 percent of the profits will be donated to Rape Victim Advocates. However, with production costs, Vollrath said they expect to send a check for about $307.84. The movement was scheduled to end Nov. 9, and so those who had ordered shirts were not expecting to receive them for a few more weeks, Vollrath said. The movement stirred up conversation among students and others close to DePaul throughout the past weeks. “We know there has been controversy, but we consider the movement a great success,” Vollrath said in the video statement. “From the beginning we were fighting to create awareness of sexual violence and advocate for consent. Considering the attention and support the movement has received, we are happy to see more awareness and advocacy for the cause.” Adina Babaian, a sophomore and member of DePaul Feminist Front, said she knew that the movement would come to an end and figured there would probably be a
See CONSENT, page 5
Illustration by carolyn duff | The dePaulia
Burglaries, thefts lead all crimes on Chicago-area college campuses DePaulia Investigation For a 22-year-old DePaul senior, coming home from the gym to her Lincoln Park apartment on a late afternoon in September, the first sign of trouble was the furniture, normally neatly in place, scattered helter skelter around her bedroom. Then she checked for her engagement ring, left in a box on her bed. “I moved the clothes off my bed and realized the ring was gone. I covered my mouth and screamed a bit,” said Kristin, who did not want her last name used. “Then I realized I needed to be safe first.” Burglars had taken her engagement ring, a laptop and a new television set. One of her roommates, a 21-year-old DePaul senior named Danielle, said the experience left her badly shaken. “It’s such a violating feeling,” she said. For all the recent attention about sex crimes on campus, students at DePaul and other Chicago-area universities are far more likely to be victims of burglary or theft, according to an analysis of campus crime reports
and U.S. Department of Education Burglaries at DePaul have data. decreased by more than half since But crime also varies by school. 2011, according to data submitted Students at DePaul’s Lincoln Park by the Public Safety Department. Campus and at Northwestern Wachowski credited the more than University in Evanston are more 800 security cameras his department susceptible to burglary. At the has installed at the Lincoln Park and University of Illinois Loop campuses. at Chicago, aggravated In 2013, DePaul’s Lincoln But the 31assaults are more Park campus reported 20 year veteran troublesome. Loyola acknowledged certain criminals University Chicago burglaries. target campuses and the University of Chicago lead the college pack in motor throughout the Chicago area. “I call them college career criminals,” vehicle thefts. In 2013, DePaul’s Lincoln Park Wachowski said. “They go from campus reported 20 burglaries. college to college because they know Eighteen of those were non-forced, that students leave stuff lying around, meaning no one broke a window or so it’s kind of easy to take it from them.” Other college police and security pried open a door to steal. DePaul’s Public Safety Director officials agreed that, contrary to Bob Wachowski called those crimes Chicago’s reputation as a violent city of opportunity in which laptops, infested with gangs and guns, college cellphones and other items of value students here have more to fear from are left unattended. “What generally carelessness. happens is somebody will set (their At Loyola’s Department of Campus belongings) down for a few minutes Safety, Special Projects Sergeant Tim in the library or cafeteria. Somebody Cunningham said, “Students believe is going to pick it up and take it from you, I guarantee it,” Wachowski said. See CRIME, page 6