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nklings
Staples High School
November 13, 2017
Volume 86, Issue 3 inklingsnews.com
INSIDE 1 7 11 17 21
News Opinions Features Arts Sports
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Hollywood sexual harassment lawsuits spotlight issue Daniel Harizman ’19
B
oth motion picture industry icon Harvey Weinstein and film director James Toback have been publicly accused of sexual harassment by dozens of women since Oct. 5, 2017. Weinstein, part time Westport resident and co-founder/former Chief Executive Officer of Miramax film company, has had over 80 women make allegations of rape, harassment or sexual assault against him. Similarly, more than 30 women have come out against Toback, according to Newsweek and the New York Times. “[The Harvey Weinstein scandal] is a serious reminder that sexual harassment/ assault still persists as a part of American culture. It’s disheartening to realize
how many women stay silent after being harassed,” Peri Kessler ’18 said. “I really hope our society will move towards making women and men feel more supported by pressing charges on their harassers/ assailants in the wake of this scandal.” Approximately 54 percent of American women have had “experiences of unwanted sexual advances,” according to a recent study conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post. Of those, about 23 percent said the advances came from an individual who had control over their employment situation. The social media campaign, #metoo, originally created by Tarana Burke in 1997, was revived by victims of sexual harassment as more women came forward with harassment accusations against Weinstein. “I think the [#metoo campaign] is so
important because it really brings awareness stating that men are usually the to this overlooked issue that needs to be individuals in control within heterosexual addressed,” Emerson Kobak ’18, a student relationships at Staples High School. who posted in support of the campaign, said. “A lot of learned behavior of how to “Many people do not act in relationships comes from even know that they “We haven’t taken media and the things we see on have been sexually or online,” Maisonet away the stigma television harassed or assaulted said. “Girls need to be held at because such same respect as boys and from sexual abuse the behavior has become biased and sexist standards need so normalized.” and harassment.” to be abolished. There needs to The Weinstein be more education on what is and Toback acceptable behavior as well as -Edward Milton scandals have creating an environment where generated a discussion among members girls and boys alike can flourish.” of the community at Staples, exploring the Maisonet is one of the presidents reality of sexual relationships involving of Survivors to Thrivers, a Staples students. Maria Maisonet ’19 believes “it’s club that “focuses on educating the a lot more common for girls to be victim community on healthy relationships to rumors or harassment,” additionally and behaviors as well as providing support and aide to those going through harassment or abuse,” Maisonet said. At Staples, along with any other school that receives government funding, sexual harassment is covered under Title IX, an education law which is part of the United States Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX extends further than gender equality between female and male sports; much of its focus surrounds sexual harassment of any form. In the 2016-2017 academic school year at Staples, Assistant Principal Richard Franzis dealt with eight reported cases of sexual harassment. “My job is not to determine whether or not a person is guilty under the law; my job is to try and ascertain what happened, piece it together and prevent any further harassment here at school,” Franzis said. “Coming forward is a hard thing. There are a wide range of emotions with coming forward. It’s very personal.” According to a study conducted by the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice, approximately one in 10 women will have been physically forced to have sexual intercourse by their high school graduation. “[Sexual harassment] is a culture that has existed from the beginning of time. The cliché, the casting couch where the young actress would come in and the powerful producer would take total advantage of them, was just something that existed,” a well-renowned Westport male psychologist, who requested not to be named, said. “Everybody now has a voice, a voice that can reach a lot of people. That’s what has changed things significantly.” As the Staples community pushes forward in the 2017-2018 academic school year, student outreach counselor, Edward Milton, hopes substantial change can be made with regard to the issue of sexual harassment. “We haven’t taken away the stigma from sexual abuse and harassment,” Milton said. “It’s about power and control. Once the stigma begins to disappear, I think people will be able Photos by Charlie Colasurdo ’18 and graphic by Melanie Lust ’19 to address the issue on a larger scale.”
Cribari Bridge undergoes Connecticut Department of Transportation assessment Sophie Driscoll ’19 The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is currently conducting an Environmental Assessment of The William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge, which carries
Route 136 over the Saugatuck River. “This analysis will examine a range of alternatives that address the purpose and need of maintaining a safe and operable bridge,” Priti S. Bhardwaj, Project Manager for the Cribari Bridge Project, said. According to Bhardwaj, the
70 North Ave., Westport, Connecticut, 06880
Environmental Assessment will most likely take more than a year to complete, and no construction plans for the bridge will be formulated until completion. The Cribari Bridge Project was first initiated by CTDOT on May 20, 2015. “The original reason for all this was
some concerns that the piers–the things that the bridge sits on–were deteriorating, and they need to be repaired,” Jim Marpe, Westport First Selectman, said. *Continued on page two
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