October 6, 2015

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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

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Volume 109, Issue 8 | the-standard.org The Standard/The Standard Sports

More than 100 years in print

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Weekend protests across Springfield Sexual Assault reported

In both cases this semester, the victim knew the person By Emily Joshu Staff Reporter @EmilyJoshu

Ryan Welch/THE  STANDARD

Protesters meet peacefully outside of Zan nightclub

Students gather to protest local nightclub’s alleged discrimination By Sydni Moore Staff Reporter @sydnimmoore

Emily McTavish/THE  STANDARD

Many gathered to protest the new Springfield city ordinance. “I’ve been told all kinds of things from students,” he said. “One girl told me her shoes had been too bright of a color. Another girl had been turned down when her clothing was too loose. Another girl — because her clothing was too tight.” Florence said all that had expressed problems with Zan were, in fact, black students. MSU students Mary Keathley and Marleena Ghattas, however, wore simple black leggings, T-shirts and sneakers the night of the protest. Both girls got into the club with “no problem at all,” said Keathley. Neither Keathley nor Ghattas are black. Meanwhile, a small mass of students came together just outside the nightclub. Over 50 students protested around Zan’s entrance, bearing signs they hoped would send a message. “People were expecting a riot,” Florence said. “It was so peaceful.” Some passersby reacted by flipping them off or yelling. The manager at Zan even made an appearance at the entrance himself. “He said, ‘Hey guys!’ and he smiled at

us, mocking us,” Florence said. Florence was still proud of how the protesters responded. “Everyone acted with so much dignity,” Florence said. “Not a single one of them said anything back.” As for the dress code, Florence is still scratching his head. The dress code regulation on Zan’s website reads, “Dress to impress. Fashionable attire is appreciated. No hats, saggy clothing, flipflops, or jerseys. Otherwise, dress code is at management’s discretion.” “It’s vague. It’s up to their discretion,” said Florence. “It’s a license to discriminate.” A similar story was published two years ago in The Standard in 2013. Florence wishes more action had been taken sooner. “People need to stand up for other people,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t look the same as they do.” The management of Zan declined to be interviewed or make any comment for this story.

Citizens hold Springfield’s first “SlutWalk”

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Panel discusses how all black lives matter

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Rape culture continues to be a hot-button topic in today’s society. One group in Springfield has decided to take a stand against it. Springfield Skeptics, a member-led community, organized the first “SlutWalk” in Springfield on Oct. 2. “SlutWalk” is a transnational movement assembled to protest rape culture and victim blaming. “We want people to know that rape is never the victim’s fault,” Destiny Hodge, a junior psychology major and one of the organizers of the event, said. The “SlutWalk” movement originated in Toronto, Ontario in 2011. Two Toronto police officers were addressing campus rape at York University when one of the officers, Constable Michael Sanguinetti, made a comment that alluded to blaming the victim.

“I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this –– however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to avoid being victimized,” Sanguinetti said, according to the Toronto Star. Sanguinetti issued an apology, also according to the Toronto Star, but it didn’t stop citizens in Toronto from organizing on April 3, 2011, in what became the first-ever “SlutWalk.” In Springfield, activists took to downtown on Friday evening, embarking on a quarter-mile walk that started and ended at Park Central Square. Participants also displayed signs with slogans such as “No means no,” and “Real men get consent.” Other signs simply said “SLUT.” “However we dress. Wherever we go. Yes means yes. No means no,” activists chanted as they walked. Men and women of various ages attended “SlutWalk,” and students from Missouri State University also attended the event.

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Wohlenhaus: Enjoying the October Fest

“This is an important cause that I wanted to support,” Madison Autens, a senior mass media and digital film production major, said. “I strongly believe that rape culture needs to be eradicated from our society.” “There’s no reason for women to be blamed at all,” Michelle Hayes, a senior professional writing major, said. “Rapists should be put away for their crimes. We shouldn’t (be) blamed for being raped.” Statistics from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network show 293,000 Americans are victims of sexual assault each year, one person every 107 seconds. Sixtyeight percent of those assaults go unreported to law enforcement. Approximately fourfifths of sexual assaults are committed by someone who is known by the victim, with 47 percent being a friend or an acquaintance. Hodge said that Springfield Skeptics are planning to organize another “SlutWalk,” which could take place as early as December.

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By Mike Ursery Staff Reporter @MikeUrsery

Manhattan Short Film Festival comes to Missouri State

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It was a spring night when Dylyn Florence took his dog for a walk when a friend approached him outside of Zan. The friend told him that the bouncer had denied him entrance to the nightclub because he had not been “dressed to impress.” “The guy was wearing a white, polo button-down,” Florence said. “Long-sleeved, tucked in, jeans and nice shoes.” Florence’s friend is African American. A week later, two more of Florence’s friends, Teric Lewis and Charles Partee, also black, were turned down at the entrance of Zan. This time, no one had been given a reason. Florence questioned the dress code. He had been suspicious of racial discrimination at Zan before, but at this point, he decided that something needed to be done. More recently, after the Facebook page titled “Bears say NO to Zan” was created, Florence began passing out flyers on campus. He also invited anyone who felt like they had been victims of discrimination to meet at the PSU to fill out city discriminatory forms. Through his efforts, he began to hear more and more stories.

According to a crime alert from the Missouri State University Safety and Transportation Department, the second campus sexual assault was reported on the evening of Sept. 25 to the Residence Life Staff. The report stated that a female student was sexually assaulted by a male student in his residence hall room on Aug. 26, and the female student waited to report the situation. “In alignment with the Clery Act, the university reports incidents of sexual assault, regardless of the time between the occurrence of the incident and when it was reported,” Suzanne Shaw, vice president of marketing and communications, said. Both students involved already knew each other beforehand, according to the report. Though this occurred within days of the sexual assault incident that was reported in Woods House on Aug. 30, the two incidents are not related. This current report is being investigated by the Springfield Police Department, and no charges have been filed yet. “A detective has been assigned, but nothing has been released,” Lt. Grant Dorrell, spokesman for Springfield Police Department, said. In regards to the campus and residence hall safety, certain measures are already in place within the residence halls, such as visitation policies for the majority of living areas. The more traditional residence halls that are community style, such as Freddy, Woods and Wells, have a 24/2 visitation policy. Hammons House, where the second incident took place, recently adopted a 24/7 visitation policy, as well as coed floors. “Students are going to tell you they want 24/7 all the time, and that they can handle that,” Gary Stewart, director of residence life, housing and dining services, said. “That’s not always the case. We try to keep the 24/2 in the more traditional halls where you have first-year students who haven’t been out on their own and are at a spot in their college career where they probably need some limitations.” Guests are also required to register at the residence hall front desks if they are staying past midnight. There are still improvements that need to be implemented in order to prevent more situations like this from occurring. This begins with education on the matter. “That means talking about sexual assault, understanding what sexual misconduct is, knowing what consent is and isn’t, and committing to intervening in situations when we see or sense something is wrong,” Dr. Thomas Lane, Dean of Students, said. Education and awareness methods that are already in place include the mandatory, online HAVEN program for new and transfer students, the “Consent is Sexy” campaign in residence halls and GEP units on Title IX. In terms of future programs, innocent bystander programs such as Step Up are being proposed. “[It is] important knowing how to effectively step in and stop someone engaging in bad behavior before it crosses the line to sexual assault,” Lane said. “Students should look forward to increased bystander intervention campus training opportunities and participate in those sessions when offered.” Stewart urged students to be responsible for how they conduct themselves, especially in the presence of alcohol and situations that feel uncomfortable. Doors should always be locked, and it is best to attend parties in groups rather than alone. “Don’t just be a bystander; take an active part in looking out for each other,” Stewart said.

Volleyball Bears remain undefeated in MVC play


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October 6, 2015 by The Standard at Missouri State University - Issuu