Massachusetts Daily Collegian: Sexual Assault Special Issue, April 7, 2016

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Thursday, April 7, 2016

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Editor’s note: UMass remains under active investigation University is subject of Examining the issue of two Title IX inquiries sexual assault

By PatriCia leBoeuf Collegian Staff

By Mark Chiarelli and anthony Chiusano Collegian Staff

Sexual assault is an issue that plagues universities across the United States, and the University of Massachusetts is no exception.

Students of all genders, races and sexualities are deeply impacted by this subject on campuses today. Overall, it’s estimated that one in five women and one in 16 men are raped while in college, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Furthermore, it was reported that 46.4 percent of lesbians, 74.9 percent of bisexual women, 40.2 percent of gay men and 47.4 percent of bisexual men reported sexual assault during their lifetimes.

In just over the last year, five individuals have stood trial in connection to two separate instances of rape of two former UMass students in 2012 and 2013. Adam Liccardi, Caleb Womack, Justin King and Emmanuel Bile Jr. all were found guilty for an October 2012 gang rape in Pierpont Residential Hall, while former UMass student Patrick Durocher was sentenced to three to five years in prison in February for the 2013 rape and assault of a fellow student on the Campus Center lawn.

For these reasons, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian has devoted today’s edition to discussing this difficult topic of sexual assault at UMass and college campuses nationwide in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Today’s special issue aims to bring this local and national problem to the forefront of coverage to highlight the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses.

Many incidents of sexual violence go unreported for a myriad of reasons.

Survivors may choose not to report, may not be aware of the resources available, or may not feel safe reporting at school, to name a few. It’s important to recognize that no two survivor narratives are the same.

This edition includes profiles on numerous organizations dedicated to providing support networks and working for survivors’ rights, and the University’s response to its ongoing Title IX investigations and handling of sexual assault cases. It also includes an interview with the authors of “We Believe You” – a book highlighting the experiences of more than 30 survivors see

NOTE on page 3

The average Title IX investigation takes about a year and a half, according to Saundra K. Shuster, partner at the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management who specializes in Title IX compliance.

While these investigation periods can vary, the University of Massachusetts has the longestrunning Title IX investigation on record, initially opened on June

30, 2011.

The investigation at UMass is one of sexual violence, according to records from the U.S. Department of Education, while another sexual violence investigation was opened on Sept. 24, 2015.

As part of its investigatory process, the department’s Office for Civil Rights examines university culture and reviews responses to complaints of sexual violence over a period of years, not just the facts related to the individual complaint, according to a statement from the Office for Civil Rights.

OCR has jurisdiction over a complaint under Title IX if the complaint alleges, or OCR can infer, an allegation of discrimination based on sex – including any form of sexual assault – by an institution receiving federal financial assistance, according to the office’s Case Processing Manual.

Schuster consulted with the UMass system regarding Title IX compliance for about 10 months, from 2014 to June 2015.

“I was basically auditing all the schools in the system,” said Shuster, adding she reviewed policies and audited procedures,

“tweak(ing) a little here and there.” “(University officials) wanted to make sure they were representing best practices within the entire UMass system,” she said. “They have been extremely responsive.” see

TITLE IX on page 3

UM admin. discuss Title IX directives By stuart foster and Brendan deady Collegian Staff

SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN

Priya Ghosh, president of the Coalition to End Rape Culture, leads a march across campus in December 2015.

CERC pushes to increase rights for survivors of sexual assault

By Ben keefe Collegian Correspondent

F

or more than three years, the Coalition to End Rape Culture at the University of Massachusetts says it has provided a safe and supportive environment for survivors of sexual assault, while rallying for survivor’s rights.

The Registered Student Organization, first formed in December 2012 in response to a rape on campus in the Pierpont

Residential Building, is now trying to ensure that UMass implements the group’s Survivor’s Bill of Rights, a document that would expand the rights held by survivors and alleged victims of sexual assault at UMass.

CERC President Priya Ghosh outlined the organization’s three objectives, saying, “Our first is to support all survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Our second is to educate the campus community. Our third is to advo-

cate for institutional change on a policy level.”

As part of the organization’s third objective, CERC developed the Survivor’s Bill of Rights.

“We wrote the Survivor’s Bill of Rights with umbrella organizations like Carry That Weight, Know Your IX and the United States Student Association,” Ghosh said of the bill’s creation.

“There was an original framesee

CERC on page 4

Administrators at the University of Massachusetts say they are attempting to comply with Title IX regulations by providing survivors of sexual assault with a variety of resources and options.

Enku Gelaye, vice chancellor of student affairs and campus life, and Becky Lockwood, Center for Women and Community associate director, said UMass, which is currently the subject of two open Title IX investigations, emphasizes the confidentiality of victims and the reporting of sexual violence when dealing with these incidents.

“The intention is to create more and more a seamless approach,” said Gelaye in a late September interview with the Daily Collegian. “Beyond what the federal or state governments are telling us to do we want to make sure that our approaches are resonating.”

Lockwood said the UMass Title IX Office works closely with the Dean of Students Office, which she said will often inform students reporting sexual violence about the options available to them.

While students can pursue a criminal or conduct report through the University, Lockwood said it was optional to do so for survivors of sexual assault at UMass.

“There’s two different kinds of reports,” she said. “Someone who has been the victim of sexual assault can get resources without going through a conduct process or a legal process. We’re really focused on the survivors of viosee

ADMINISTRATORS on page 4

Campus forum eyes diversity, equity and inclusion Roughly 50 students attended discussion Wednesday evening

By Marie MaCCune Collegian Staff

Campus administrators spoke to an audience of roughly 50 people during the “Campus Forum: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” event Wednesday night. Members of the University of Massachusetts community were invited to ask questions and voice concerns.

Andy Mangels, associate vice chancellor of finance and budget director, provided a PowerPoint presentation, going over the University’s financial status heading to Fiscal Year 17.

According to Mangels, there are three major cost drivers for UMass: financial aid, debt service and salary increases. All three have been on the rise for the past decade, and are expected to continue to grow.

For FY16, the entire UMass system

received $532 million in funding from the Commonwealth. The Amherst campus received $253 million of that, which accounts for about 22 percent of its total operating budget. An additional 28 percent of its operating budget is funded by tuition and fees. The other half comes from a variety of sources including grants, donations and sales.

“All of us are sensitive to the cost of education,” Mangels said.

Mangles also explained that Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed a one percent budget increase from the University, which would result in about $2.5 million in extra funding.

UMass is currently facing a $14 million deficit in a worst-case scenario, according to Mangels. This would mean that the legislature would choose not to increase the University’s funding beyond the governor’s proposal.

UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy has requested that all campus areas submit reduced budgets in preparation for this possibility, Mangels said.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives is set to release its budget next Wednesday.

Following his presentation, Mangels was asked about the University’s choice to fund a $21 million restoration of the Old Chapel over other projects.

Subbaswamy stepped in to answer for Mangels saying, “The state has been really negligent in maintaining buildings in public education.” As a result, Subbaswamy said the University chose to pay for these renovations itself.

Subbaswamy gave examples of old buildings such as Morrill Science Center, Bartlett Hall and Hills House, explaining that the longer the University waits to renovate older buildings on campus, the higher the costs rise.

Sïonan Barrett, president of the UMass Student Government Association, asked about plans for building a new student union.

Mangels said that the administration is “currently digesting information from the student experience master plan survey”

and knows that a new student union is a “high priority” for both students and the University.

Mangels added the University is looking at the costs of bringing the Hatch up to code.

The chancellor emphasized that Massachusetts is far behind other states in terms of higher education investments, saying “for 30 years there’s been really nothing spent on this campus.”

“UMass borrows more than any other public campus,” he continued. “And we’re at a debt limit so we can no longer borrow.”

Shelly Perdomo, interim assistant vice chancellor for advocacy, inclusion and support programs and chair of the Diversity Strategic Planning Steering Committee, provided the audience with updates regarding the committee. She primarily focused on the developing plans for a campus climate survey to better gauge the student experience at UMass. see

FORUM on page 3

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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, April 7, 2016

CALENDAR

WEEK END

FRIDAY DOCUMENTING PUNK Keynote speaker Michael Stewart Foley presents a colloqium on the documentation of punk music from 1 to 6 p.m. in Campus Center Room 163.

LANGUAGE AND AFRICAN POLITIES IN THE LONGUE DURÉE A roundtable panel featuring Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Ousseina Alidou and Rowland Abiodun. In Isenberg Room 210 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

SATURDAY CAPE VERDEAN AWARENESS NIGHT: “PODEROSA” A showcase of the Cape Verdean culture and a tribute to the women who shape it at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom.

18TH ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ FESTIVAL The Festival includes Big Bands, Combos, and Vocal Jazz ensembles from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center’s Bezanson Recital Hall.

SUNDAY ST. BALDRICK’S SHAVE-A-THON The UMass Police Department will QU O this T EtoO F money to fight host raise Tchildhood H E DAY cancer at 11 a.m. in The Hangar Pub and Grill.

SOFTBALL UMass softball takes on Saint Joseph’s at 12 p.m. in the Sortino Field Softball Complex.

DailyCollegian.com

UMass hosts state representative debate in Thompson Hall Wed. Candidates discussed University funding

By Patricia LeBoeuf Collegian Staff

The University of Massachusetts hosted a debate between the six candidates for state representative in the democratic primary for the third Hampshire state house district Wednesday night in Thompson Hall.

Candidates include Vira Douangmany Cage, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Sarah la Cour, Bonnie McCracken, Eric Nakajima and Lawrence O’Brien. Current representative Ellen Story announced she would not seek re-election in January after representing the district since her election in 1992.

The third Hampshire district includes the towns of Amherst, Pelham and part of Granby.

All the candidates have past experience in local politics. Two of the candidates — Goldstein-Rose, a senior at Brown University, and O’Brien, a current social studies teacher at Belchertown High School – are former Amherst School Committee members.

Douangmany Cage currently serves on the committee.

La Cour is the executive director of the Amherst Business Improvement District while Nakajima is the former director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and currently serves as an advisor to the Institute. McCracken is a current member of the Democratic State Committee.

The debate started with two-minute opening statements from each candidate, in which they discussed their public service backgrounds and political priorities.

O’Brien emphasized his role as a candidate with a proven track record of progressive efforts. He discussed a number of policies including increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, making community colleges free and preventing charter schools from taking money from dis-

DANIEL MALDONADO/COLLEGIAN

State representative candidates Vira Douangmany Cage, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Sarah la Cour, Bonnie McCracken, Eric Nakajima and Lawrence O’Brien participated in a debate Wednesday night in Thompson Hall. trict schools.

Nakajima discussed his history in student activism as a student trustee at UMass and McCracken emphasized her history fighting against illegal foreclosures in Massachusetts and her advocacy for women’s rights.

In balancing the needs of her family, community and working life, La Cour said she brings a breadth of experience to public office.

Douangmany Cage, who came to the United States from Laos as a refugee, also talked about her life experiences and how they inform her work, pointing out that her husband owns a small business and her stepson is graduating from the Amherst public school system this year.

Solomon-Rose said “systemic issues” need to be at the forefront of political focus.

Dean Robinson, an associate professor of political science at UMass, moderated the debate. He asked questions about the economy, healthcare and education policy.

All the candidates said they support a potential state “millionaire’s tax,” which would increase the tax on incomes over $1 million by four percent.

Multiple candidates also discussed the needs of local businesses.

“There’s no reason why

local business should be shuttered,” Douangmany Cage said.

McCracken said she empathizes with the challenges of small businesses having to reinvent themselves in a changing economy as a small business owner herself. She said job growth efforts need to impact the Pioneer Valley region, not just Amherst.

Goldstein-Rose emphasized his vision of Amherst as a center for clean energy.

“We can be the place that events these (technologies),” he said.

La Cour also said she sees the economy as moving to innovation and entrepreneurship.

“We need to train the workforce for the jobs that are out there,” she said.

Nakajima said income inequality, the cost and affordability of housing and student indebtedness are important economic issues.

“The Commonwealth also needs a progressive tax of some kind to accomplish economic goals,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien, la Cour and Nakajima all said they advocate increased state funding for the University to at least the previous 50 percent levels.

In contrast, Douangmany Cage said public education should be free, while O’Brien stated he advocated freezing tuition and fees.

O’Brien described UMass as a public institution that has now been privatized.

McCracken also said transportation is an obstacle for students to access college, as she pointed out that the bus system can take about an hour to get to Greenfield Community College.

Robinson asked the candidates about their thoughts on charter schools. All the candidates agreed that charter school operations should be re-examined, especially in the area of public accountability.

McCracken and la Cour both emphasized that charter schools must remain an option, as children have different learning styles that may not be accommodated in traditional schooling.

The candidates held similar views in support of single-payer healthcare, reducing healthcare costs, a carbon tax and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The audience asked candidates about supporting legislation regarding postpartum depression screening and treatment, clean energy, preservation of the Pioneer Valley’s nature while pursuing growth strategies and what activism efforts they were involved in as students.

Patricia LeBoeuf can be reached at patricialebo@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @leboeuf_trisha.

Holocaust survivor speaks Wed. on importance of tolerance at UMass Chana Pfeifen recalls childhood memories

By Dan curtin Collegian Correspondent Students and members of the Amherst community packed the Curry Hicks Cage gymnasium to hear the stories and experiences of Holocaust survivor Chana Pfeifen Wednesday night.

Pfeifen sat beside her granddaughter, University of Massachusetts freshman Maxine Wiesenfeld, as she talked about her experience of being forced out of her home at the age of 10, and her journey through ghettos, transit camps and concentration camps.

The event was organized

by UMass Hillel in partnership with the UMass Amherst Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, the Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies and the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, according to the event’s Facebook page.

Before Pfeifen’s talk, Ben Casper, a junior biology major and member of the Hillel community, explained the importance of hearing the experiences of Holocaust survivors in person.

“It’s important for us to

hear what happened and be able to pass it on,” Casper said. “We’re the last generation that’s going to get to hear it.”

Pfeifen told stories of loved family members that were beaten, tortured and murdered by the Nazi regime. She shared stories of family members that died during the Holocaust and spoke of its importance. “(It’s the survivors’) duty to tell the story,” Pfeifen said. “It’s hard to talk about, it’s so sad.”

The Holocaust resulted in the extermination of approximately six million Jews and impacted the lives of countless others.

Pfeifen spoke of the atrocities that she and the other survivors witnessed.

“Nobody should have the experiences of us survivors,” she said.

Although some of the events Pfeifen spoke of happened more than 70 years ago, the pain of recalling her experiences could be openly seen and felt. Pfeifen’s granddaughter supported her during the most painful testimonies.

Pfeifen also spoke of her life after the war and how she had to rebuild from scratch, including stories of her time in the Israeli

SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN

Chana Pfeifen, accompanied by her granddaughter Maxine Wiesenfeld, spoke about her experiences during the Holocaust Wednesday in the Curry Hicks Cage.

Air Force, resettling her life in America and having to raise her two sons herself in the Bronx after the death of her husband.

Even though Pfeifen experienced and witnessed suffering on such a massive scale and in such a personal manner, she is thankful for her family and that she was able to help in the building of the Jewish and Democratic state of Israel.

Pfeifen spoke with great pride of her children and grandchildren. She also encouraged the importance of an education and respecting each other’s different religious views.

Pfeifen finished by urging the mostly student-filled audience to be accepting of one another and to treat people with

kindness and respect. An injustice against one group of people is an injustice against all people, she said.

Keren Radbil, a sophomore natural resource major and member of the Hillel community, spoke of the importance of attending such events, especially after last month, when several anti-Semitic incidents occurred on UMass’ campus.

“The Holocaust is a prime example of hatred not being stopped,” Radbil said. “It’s on our shoulders to make sure something like this never ever happens again.”

Dan Curtin can be reached at dcurtin@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @dmcurtin96.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

Thursday, April 7, 2016

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Organizations support survivors in Hampshire County Center for Women and Community Safe Passage serves as resource for serves survivors of sexual assault domestic, sexual assault victims

By Marie Maccune Collegian Staff

Nestled b e t we e n Franklin Dining Commons and Orchard Hill, the Center for Women and Community sits in the New Africa House at the University of Massachusetts.

The CWC serves not just the UMass community but Hampshire County as a whole in its work providing “education, leadership opportunities, advocacy and support services that address the cause and impact of sexism and recognize the multiple oppressions experienced by women,” according to its website.

These services include counseling and rape crisis support.

The CWC follows an empowerment-based model, according to Becky Lockwood, associate director of counseling and rape crisis services for the Center. Lockwood explained that the CWC sees its role as providing information to a survivor of sexual assault and then supporting the survivor’s choice.

Lockwood provided the example of a survivor calling the Center’s 24-hour hotline to demonstrate what steps the CWC takes next to support survivors.

“First, we assess their safety – both physical and mental,” Lockwood said.

From there, crisis counselors provide information to survivors about their support options. This can include helping the survivor develop a safety plan, seek medical attention or make a criminal complaint.

TITLE IX

if a criminal complaint is something they would like to pursue. Civilian advocates can also sit with the survivor during interviews with police, district attorney’s office and court.

In terms of counseling services, the CWC offers confidential peer counseling for up to 10 appointments and a variety of support groups.

According to Lockwood, Massachusetts requires confidential rape crisis counselors to meet certain standards. These include training in basic legal skills, safety planning, medical evidence collection and “understanding sexual violence in the context of the culture.”

According to their website, these services are for “survivors of all genders and gender identities and expressions.” The CWC can also help refer survivors to long-term counseling providers and emergency housing and food assistance.

Improving the culture “We live in a culture where sexual assault is permissible,” Lockwood said. However, she has seen an improvement with more national attention being brought to the issue.

She said this has enabled “real, positive change.”

At UMass, Lockwood said that the “Dean’s office has really tried to make themselves available (to survivors),” and that the University does a good job making sure the charged see

CWC on page 4

By ShelBy aShline Collegian Staff

For almost 40 years, Safe Passage in Northampton has worked to make a difference in the lives of victims of domestic violence through support, advocacy and programs to change the culture surrounding domestic assault.

Marianne Winters, executive director of Safe Passage since 2011, said the organization first emerged in 1977 under the multilingual name “Necessities/Necessidades.”

“It started as an all-volunteer effort in a time when people in general didn’t recognize that domestic violence was happening,” said Winters in a phone interview, adding that victims would have felt deeply isolated. “There just wasn’t a lot of understanding of the issues back then.”

However, with the rise of the feminist movement, Winters said an increasing number of people took action in hopes of preventing violence against women and supporting those whose lives had already been impacted by violence.

“When we think about the ways that social services respond to domestic violence now, it wasn’t like that at all 40 years ago,” said Diane Curtis, president of Safe Passage’s board of directors. Curtis also happens to be the director of pre-law advising and a senior lecturer of political science at the University of Massachusetts.

Curtis described secret hotlines that victims could call for support and safe houses that were run out of volunteers’ homes.

Eventually, Winters said, as part of the grassroots

movement that was happening around the country, the volunteers rented a space for an official safe house.

“It is the one place that anyone can call and come if they have any experiences themselves or with someone they know who’s experienced domestic violence,” Winters said of Safe Passage, which has grown to become the primary domestic violence agency in Hampshire County.

She added the organization is there to help people who question if their relationship is healthy, all the way up to those who fear for their lives.

Most people, Curtis said, are familiar with the shelter itself but less so with Safe Passage’s other programs.

“The whole idea (of the shelter) is to help people stay and shelter somewhere confidential and outside of their local area in order to keep them and their children safe,” she said.

The shelter houses six families at a time and sheltered 50 families in the 2014 fiscal year, according to Safe Passage’s website.

Safe Passage also offers legal advocacy for domestic violence victims, community support groups, individual counseling, an assistance hotline, children’s programs and the Say Something Prevention Program.

“One of the fantastic things about (the Say Something Prevention Program) is it works with small groups of people,” Curtis said. “We call them LABs: Learn, Act, Be. It’s a four-week session to help people learn how they can intervene in potentially violent situations well before it escalates to violence.”

Curtis said the program, which began two years ago, is about training individuals to recognize the cues that could predict violence while also “working on changing the culture around assault and domestic violence in the local area.”

According to Winters, sexual assault is considered one of the risk factors.

“We know from research that when we hear that sexual assault is a part of domestic violence, it could be an indicator of a higher risk of violence, or even a greater risk of homicide or attempted homicide,” said Winters, citing research by Jacquelyn Campbell.

Curtis said Derek Doughty, a member of the Safe Passage board of directors who also works in both the UMass Dean of Students Office and the athletic department, is working to expand the program to UMass.

Safe Passage also works closely with the Center for Women and Community at UMass, the area’s primary resource for sexual assault victims, Winters said, as sexual assault is often “part of the dynamic of domestic violence.”

While Safe Passage does not have programs specifically aimed for sexual assault victims, Winters said the organization’s counselors are trained to handle both issues as there is “a lot of overlap” between the two.

A lot of Safe Passage volunteers are members of the UMass community. Curtis said faculty and students frequently participate in the annual Hot Chocolate Run, see

SAFE PASSAGE on page 4

continued from page 1

Although Schuster said she doesn’t know what caused the long investigation of UMass, Schuster said OCR’s Boston Office was most likely overwhelmed by investigations, due to the number of universities in the area.

Along with increased complaints, the number of staff at OCR today is almost 15 percent below the number from 10 years ago, according to OCR’s report to the president and secretary of education for FY 20132014.

In a 2014 press release sent out after UMass’ inclusion on a list of universities under investigation by the Office for Civil Rights, the University said that the 2011 investigation was initiated via a “proactive compliance review” and that UMass was not the subject of a Title IX complaint.

FORUM

Survivors who seek medical attention and want evidence to be collected can be examined by a confidential Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

This can be performed at University Health Services but also any area hospital, Lockwood said.

A sexual assault forensic evidence collection is free in the state of Massachusetts and can be performed within the first 120 hours after the assault occurred.

The CWC has medical advocates on call throughout any time at every day in the year. These advocates understand the forensic evidence collection process that goes into a rape kit and are considered confidential crisis counselors who provide the survivor with support throughout the process, Lockwood said. Advocates can be requested directly by the student or contacted by UHS or hospital.

According to the CWC’s website, these advocates can also “accompany (survivors) to initial appointments with primary care providers and family planning programs.”

The CWC also offers civilian advocates for survivors who report the assault to police. According to Lockwood, the CWC has advocates that work directly with the UMass Police Department, Amherst Police Department and Nor thampton Police Department.

These advocates can explain to a survivor what the legal process looks like and help a survivor decide

According to a statement from the Chancellor’s office emailed to the campus community on Sept. 22, 2011, the campus was chosen for the review under Title IX by the Boston OCR in part because of its stature as the largest public university in New England, and as a public flagship university.

The Department of Education no longer publicly identifies whether investigations were initiated through a complaint or a compliance review, said a Department of Education spokesperson in an email.

The department does not allow spokespeople to be quoted by name.

“We found that there was confusion over which was more important – a complaint-driven probe or a compliance review,” the spokesperson said. “They’re both important.”

UMass spokesperson Ed Blaguszewski said in an email that “the case opened on Sept. 24, 2015 by the Office for Civil Rights involves a former student accused of violating the Code of Student Conduct who has filed a complaint alleging that the process leading to a sanction imposed by the University was discriminatory.”

As of March 9, 2016, there are 217 sexual violence investigations at 173 postsecondary institutions, including 15 in Massachusetts.

Title IX coordinator Debora D. Ferreira said in an email that the second investigation is based on a complaint. The first investigation was a compliance review, she said.

Compliance reviews are not random audits of schools; rather, schools are selected based on various

sources of information, including statistical data, news reports and information from students, parents, community organizations and advocacy groups, the Department of Education spokesman said in an email.

“Reviews are initiated based on a considered and targeted decision that investigation is necessary in order to remedy possible violations of rights,” he said.

The compliance review regulations provide OCR with broad discretion to determine the issues for investigation and the number and frequency of the investigations, according to the OCR manual.

Both compliance reviews and complaint-driven investigations can include narrower allegations pertaining to individuals, as well as issues related to school

policies and practices that impact the student body, school or school system as a whole, according to a statement from OCR. Neither a compliance review nor a complaint-driven investigation by itself indicates that the school is violating or has violated any federal law, according to the statement.

Compliance reviews and complaint-driven investigations are investigated the same way.

Typically, investigations involve reviewing large amounts of documents.

Investigations also look at policies and non-discrimination statements, Schuster said.

Since 2011’s “Dear Colleague” letter was released by the Office for Civil Rights, there has been a greater awareness of rem-

effort,” Perdomo said. The data collected in the survey will inform the student experience master plan.

In response to a question posed by senior nutrition major Bria Gadsden concerning the disparity between living areas, Enku Gelaye, vice chancellor of student affairs and student life, said part of the master plan is looking at the costs of renovating Southwest Residential Area.

“We know that where you live really matters,” said Gelaye, adding that the administration knows the “disparity impacts our students.”

Subbaswamy was quick

Patricia LeBoeuf can be reached at patricialebo@umass.edu.

NOTE

continued from page 1

The committee is expected to present plans to the chancellor in May. According to Perdomo, the committee is currently looking at three different methods of implementing the survey.

The first, she said would be done entirely internally. The second option involves hiring an external consulting firm with expertise in campus climate to control the whole process. She called the third method a “hybrid” of the first two, involving internal and external participation.

A major challenge in conducting the survey would be “getting folks to buy in to this important

edies available to victims, including those under Title IX, Schuster said.

The letter was released to remind schools of the existence of Title IX and their accountability if they did not meet their obligations under the law, Schuster said.

She added that schools must submit to Title IX investigations and that they are not voluntary.

OCR can cut funding to a university for failure to comply with its orders and refer cases to the Department of Justice when a school refuses to initiate compliance efforts, she said.

“It’s never a lawsuit that you want your name attached to,” Schuster said.

to add that “having a plan is not the same as having the finances for it,” in terms of renovating forms.

Gadsden later told the Massachusetts Daily Collegian that she has lived in Southwest for the past two years. She said she came to the forum because “diversity is very important and having these meetings are great, however there’s not a lot of students here and I wanted to come and represent them.”

SGA president-elect Anthony Vitale echoed Gadsden’s sentiment, telling the Collegian that getting more students to these forums is a priority for him.

continued

from page 1

JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN

Enku Gelaye, vice chancellor of student affairs and campus life, speaks during a campus forum Wednesday night in Integrative Learning Center room N151.

Vitale added that he “appreciates the administration working alongside the students.”

Marie MacCune can be reached at mmaccune@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @MarieMacCune.

who have come forward – and the impact statement submitted by the survivor who was assaulted by Durocher.

Many UMass students have direct or indirect experiences with sexual assault.

We hope today’s issue will provide our readers crucial information that draws attention to the pressing matter of sexual violence on both our campus and college campuses across the country.

Mark Chiarelli is the Collegian Editor in Chief and can be reached at editor@dailycollegian.com. Anthony Chiusano is the Managing Editor and can be reached at managingeditor@ dailycollegian.com.

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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, April 7, 2016

CWC

SAFE PASSAGE

continued from page 3

do to support survivors? “ B e l i eve them,” Lockwood answered.

She believes that there needs to be many more conversations about what consent looks like. She added that this includes tackling the problem of victim blaming.

“There is a lot of ignorance around if alcohol is involved,” Lockwood said.

“If someone can’t stand up on their own, if someone’s speech is slurred, if someone is vomiting because they had so much to drink – they can’t consent.

“We need to challenge the idea that sex is a commodity, you know, like it doesn’t involve another person,” she added.

“There’s this thinking that, ‘I don’t care if someone can consent.’ I’ve heard on this campus that yes just means try harder.” student gets their due process.

She added: “The pro-

cess is really good, it’s really consistent.”

But what can students

ADMINISTRATORS lence.”

Gelaye agreed, adding that UMass has a responsibility to inform a survivor reporting to the University about all of the options available to them.

The privacy of survivors reporting to UMass is also of significant importance, according to Gelaye, so much so that it influences the way in which the University updates its students and community about recent acts of sexual violence.

“Anything we send out that could identify the victim-survivor is highly confi-

DailyCollegian.com

Marie MacCune can be reached at mmaccune@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @MarieMacCune.

continued from page 3

which features a 3K walk and two 5K runs throughout Northampton to raise money for Safe Passage.

“What is unique about Safe Passage is our local community has really started sustaining our efforts,” Winters said.

While 40 percent of the organization’s $1.5 million yearly budget comes from the Department of Children and Families, the remaining 60 percent comes from donations, including what is raised during the Hot Chocolate Run, according to Winters.

The 2015 Hot Chocolate Run, which attracted 6,000 participants, raised $485,000 for the organization.

Sisters on the Runway’s sixth annual fashion show, which is on April 17, also benefits the organization. During the annual UMass Amherst Community Campaign, which allows faculty to donate to any charitable organization through payroll deductions, a large number of faculty choose to donate to Safe Passage, Curtis said.

“I think it’s fantastic there’s so many connections between

UMass and Safe Passage,” Curtis said. “There’s so many students and staff and faculty that really care about this issue and who give so gener-

ously to Safe Passage.”

of 2016, which will supplement MyStudentBody as a unique, UMass-specific program.

“It kind of uses a graphic novel format,” Lockwood said. “The development was tested over with groups of students so the nice thing in developing a course on campus is that it reflects the campus community.

“There’s assessment built into it, so we hope we can use that data and change the course if it’s needed,” she added.

Gelaye said the way the

University handles these cases when there are two conflicting narratives by the accuser and the accused is handled by due process standards, as is necessitated by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

UMass students accused of sexual assault can review evidence, know what they are being charged for and can bring a lawyer or an advocate to the process as part of the due process, Gelaye said.

Lockwood said the individuals trained to review

these conduct cases are highly trained and prepared to address these cases.

“Maybe there are schools that are making it up as they go along but that’s not the case here,” she said. “As an 18 or 19-year-old you could get summonsed for jury duty and not have any training.

Our conduct board goes through extensive training.”

Shelby Ashline can be reached at sashline@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @shelby_ashline.

continued from page 1

dential,” she said. “It could send a message that you may not want to report because the University may send out a community notice that will allow others to hone in on your identity.”

Lockwood added that sending out too many email updates about sexual assaults at UMass could have a saturating effect and cause students to stop looking at them, in addition to risking triggering survivors.

Gelaye said the University still reported each incident of sexual violence it heard

of, and that the information for them can be found in the annual Clery reports and on the UMass Police Department website.

UMass currently uses MyStudentBody, an online program, to teach incoming freshmen and transfer students about sexual violence and consent.

In addition, Lockwood said the University would begin implementing an interactive online class, Your Intervention Strategies. about active bystander training on Moodle in the summer

CERC

Stuart Foster can be reached at stuartfoster@umass.edu or followed on Twitter @Stuart_C_Foster. Brendan Deady can be reached at bdeady@ umass.edu.

continued from page 1

work and we wrote it specifically for UMass.”

According to CERC, the Survivor’s Bill of Rights serves as a comprehensive set of principles and practices that recognize and expand the rights and resources for survivors of sexual, genderbased and intimate partner violence.

Some of the key rights that the document protects are: a survivor’s right to opt out of receiving W’s on their transcript if they need to withdraw from classes; protection of their tuition/financial aid packages; recouped finances for all costs incurred due to sexual assault; transparent and speedy reporting processes; training for faculty, staff and students concerning sexual violence; academic accommodations; and distribution of information about sexual assault to students in an easily accessible manner.

According to CERC, policies and resources available to survivors are underpublicized, inaccessible and often do not address survivors’ needs.

Next week, CERC will further push for the implementation of the Survivor’s Bill of Rights during the organization’s Week of Action, which will take place from April 11-15.

“This year, our two main goals are to hold a speaker’s panel or teach-in, which will be Friday April 15, and have a social media campaign,” said Ghosh, a junior public health and health sciences major. “We will also be having a white board campaign talking about the Survivor Bill of Rights and why we feel survivor’s rights are so necessary on this campus.”

CERC core team members recently met with Enku Gelaye, vice chancellor of student affairs, as well as UMass Title IX Coordinator Débora Ferreira in order to introduce the Survivor’s Bill

of Rights. One of the goals CERC set was implementing a website that would have all the information regarding resources for survivors and showing policies that were in place at UMass.

The group was successful in this endeavor.

“In September, (the administration) came through and they created a Title IX website that they are constantly updating and that’s a really comprehensive resource,” Ghosh said.

Additionally, UMass updated the My Rights section of the Title IX website in late March to include points paraphrased from the Survivor’s Bill of Rights.

CERC’s fight for the Survivor’s Bill of Rights, however, isn’t over yet.

“We are really trying to get the Survivor’s Bill of Rights implemented in its entirety at least on the UMass Amherst campus, but hopefully on all five UMass campuses,” said CERC Vice President Olivia Murphy, a sophomore women’s and gender studies major.

Ghosh said she is looking forward to an organized speaker’s panel, which will be held during the Week of Action on April 15. Although the location is undetermined, Ghosh said it will either take place in the Cape Cod Lounge in the Student Union or in an academic building on campus.

“We are reaching out to a number of folks: professors, students, local leaders (and) statewide leaders to speak at the speaker’s panel,” she said.

The focus of the speaker’s panel will be on public policy, gender-based violence and what experiences speakers have had pushing policy forward.

CERC strategy coordinator Melissa Myers, a sophomore social thought and political economy and

journalism double major, is working to plan the Week of Action and organize administration talks.

“We’ve been working with (the administration) a lot,” Myers said. “They are very willing to work with us and we’re all cooperating together, which is great.”

For students who are interested in getting involved, CERC presents several ways that allow both survivors and allies to join. Ghosh said the group meets each Monday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Campus Center basement with the room number being announced each week via email and social media.

The first half of meetings involves updating each other about their status and a discussion of a specific topic or media, while the second half deals with planning future events.

“We encourage people of all gender identities and sexualities, races, etc. (to come),” Murphy said. “You don’t have to be a survivor to join, but you do need to be an ally of survivors. Stop by, check out a meeting. I think it is a really affirming space and I really hope to see people there.”

In addition to weekly meetings and bi-annual open mics, CERC also holds survivor safe spaces.

“We have bi-weekly survivor hangout spaces which are coordinated through our survivor support coordinator Tiffany Ramirez,” Ghosh said. “She will email out a Doodle Poll on social media and people can anonymously write down what times work for them.

She added: “People color, make art, drink tea, talk about things related to their personal life or not and just (get to) be around other people who have similar experiences.”

Ben Keefe can be reached at benjaminkeefe@umass.edu.

Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, April 7, 2016

“We need to stop assuming that trauma builds character.” - Alice Wilder

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

I N T E RV I E W

Activists and survivors speak out in ‘We Believe You’ Book presents spectrum of voices and narratives

By NathaN FroNtiero

A

Collegian Staff

nnie E. Clark and Andrea L. Pino want to break two harmful paradigms – the endemic of sexual assault on college and university campuses and mainstream media’s flawed pursuit of a “perfect survivor” narrative.

Clark and Pino – whose survivor stories and activism are prominently featured in recent documentary “The Hunting Ground” – noticed the media often latches onto sensationalized headlines, disregarding survivors as people in the process.

Their new book, “We Believe You: Survivors of Campus Sexual Assault Speak Out,” presents a spectrum of survivor narratives.

Scheduled for release on April 12 in tandem with Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the book demonstrates a multifaceted act of solidarity.

The book’s 36 contributors – Clark and Pino included – form a community of accounts of “trauma, healing and everyday activism” that spans race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation and family and collegiate backgrounds. Together, their voices speak to the complicated realities of survivorhood.

In an interview with The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, Clark and Pino discussed the development and motivations behind “We Believe You” and emphasized the importance of representing the nuances of survivors’ stories.

“What we wanted to do is come up with a book that showed a wide array of experiences, of identities, and (make) sure that people felt reflected in what was actually happening,” Clark said.

“We just wanted it to be in their own voices.”

In “A Note on Representation,” a section in the book’s final pages, Pino writes: “These constricting (media) narratives exclude women of color, whose likelihood of surviving (and not surviving) violence are very high; they exclude the experiences of boys and men whose experiences are silenced by a culture that promotes toxic masculinity; they exclude the daily realities of transgender women, who are the least likely to survive violence.”

Pino stressed in the interview that she and Clark wanted to tell stories that had not previously been told by the media, to include the “messy details” and address who survivors wanted to be in college as well as their current ambitions.

“I think it’s actually one of the main reasons why our society is so unable to comprehend how pervasive assault is, and that’s because we don’t think the face of assault could be us, or could be our kids, or could be our partners, because we simply don’t hear who they were and who they are now.”

“Some people either can’t come forward or don’t want to or feel safe doing so, and nobody should ever have to, but we wanted to have a book where it could either be used as an academic teaching tool or if a survivor could pick it up, turn to a page and feel less alone,” Clark said.

Clark noted her and Pino’s intentions “to show who people were before and after” and that sexual assault isn’t the one thing that defines a person.

“You don’t have to be talking about your story on CNN to be an activist,” Clark said. “You can teach your son about consent or you can just take care of yourself, and there are just different ways to survive and there’s not one right way to heal, and I think that comes across very strongly in the book,” Clark said.

JEFF LIPSKY

Co-authors Andrea L. Pino (left) and Annie E. Clark (right) wanted ‘We Believe You’ to show a breadth of experiences and identities to emphasize that survivorhood is a complicated reality.

‘Part of this conversation’ On Jan. 16, 2013, Clark and Pino joined other students and a former administrator from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to file a federal complaint against the institution for mishandling sexual assault cases.

That summer, Clark, Pino and fellow survivor activists Sofie Karasek, Kristin Brown, Danielle Dirks and Caroline Heldman cofounded End Rape on Campus, a non-profit organization dedicated to “(ending) campus violence through direct support for survivors and their communities; prevention through education; and policy reform at the campus, local, state and federal levels.”

Clark and Pino also point out the importance of everyday activism in “We Believe You,” saying media tends to amplify more stories like theirs rather than less visible narratives.

“We wanted to highlight that everyone has a role in helping end violence, and that there really is a bravery that comes from whatever type of healing and work individuals want to do,” Pino said. “And just because you’re not sharing your story publicly to the entire world doesn’t mean that you’re not brave and doesn’t mean that you’re not a part of this battle.”

At the 88th Academy Awards this past February, Pino, Clark and many other survivors – including 12 from “We Believe You” – joined Lady Gaga onstage for her performance of “Til It Happens To You,” a Best Original Song nominee from “The Hunting Ground.”

“There was something about being on that stage where everyone realized, ‘Wow, I am part of this, I am part of this movement, I am part of this conversation,’” Pino said. “Because for a very long time, they felt like if they were silent, or if they weren’t telling the entire world what happened to them, they couldn’t be part of the battle, and they are.”

Clark spoke to the need for a broader cultural shift and made an important distinction about the labor necessary to enact it.

“It really shouldn’t be on the backs of people in this book to change the culture – of course they’re a part of it by sharing their stories – but it shouldn’t be on the backs of survivors, and we really need allies,” she said.

that rally around perpetrators, unfortunately,” Pino said.

“We always tell anyone who asks us what they should do is three things: tell a survivor that you believe them, that it’s not their fault, and that they are not alone,” Pino said. “If parents were to believe their children when they come forward, if partners were to believe their partners when they come forward, if administrators were to empower (students) in seeking justice, I think this would happen much less.”

Pino also underlined the unfortunate imbalance of support between survivors and accused assailants, noting that there is a greater deterrent for coming forward as a survivor than there is for committing a crime of sexual violence.

“Because there’s a community of support for those that are accused, they get away with it.

They get away with it because there isn’t a community that tries to challenge their actions,” she said.

The first section of “We Believe You,” titled “Before,” concludes with a list of over 160 colleges and universities that “are or have been under federal investigation for possible Title IX violations as of Dec. 31, 2015.” Among those included are Amherst

not on the list. It’s about the fact that this is a problem happening on every campus,” Pino said.

“There’s a lot of institutions where the same things that are happening in these areas – students don’t know that they have Title IX or Clery, any of these legal tools at their disposal, so it’s not necessarily that it’s not happening, it’s that somebody hasn’t called them out yet,” Clark added.

Clark further explained that various factors within many types of institutions inhibit justice for survivors, including cases where they intentionally cover up sexual assault or where they are simply uneducated, leading to saying “the wrong things” to survivors.

“I think that we need to hold those institutions accountable for educating people but also for intentionally covering things up,” Clark said. “And I think there is an institutional need to say that the school is safe, to protect its reputation, and unfortunately sexual assault occurs everywhere, but no one school wants to be labeled the school that is unsafe.”

Clark added that until there is a leader or president on respective campuses who “owns up” to say, “Yes, this is happening on my campus, here’s what we’re doing about it,” there will still be blame shifting and low numbers

“We wanted to highlight that everyone has a role in helping end violence, and that there really is a bravery that comes from whatever type of healing and work individuals want to do. And just because you’re not sharing your story publicly to the entire world doesn’t mean that you’re not brave and doesn’t mean that you’re not a part of this battle.”

Andrea L. Pino, Co-author of ‘We Believe You’

College, Hampshire College and the University of Massachusetts, which is home to the longest unresolved Title IX sexual violence investigation in the country.

Clark and Pino pointed out that a school’s absence from the list does not confirm its safety, noting sexual violence pervades schools nationwide.

“One of the things that we see time and time again is just the Showing belief way the media hyper-focuses on Both Clark and Pino stressed certain schools, and because of the fundamental and necessary that you lead the general public movement that the book’s title to say, ‘Well, not my campus,’ or addresses: toward genuinely ‘My campus isn’t on the list,’ or, believing survivors of sexual ‘My campus is doing a great job, I haven’t heard anything about it.’ assault.

“We have a lot of communities But it’s not about what campus is

of reports.

Pino reemphasized the importance of bringing a wider group of narratives to the foreground given the major institutional obstacles that survivors frequently face.

A ‘flexible’ process

sample snippets of multiple passages in the book to juxtapose varying perspectives on subjects such as friends, assailants and anger.

Clark described the book’s progression as “a very flexible process,” and explained the importance of some of its structural elements.

“We wanted it to be very real and also show that contributors are multidimensional people,” Clark said. “There are lots of happy parts, there’s some even funny parts, and allowing people to express that, I think, is important. And so I think the way it’s broken up was very intentional, but it’s also something where you could pick it up and only read one part of it, so you don’t have to read it in a linear way.

“I think the choruses also say something, because often within that – whether it be betrayal or relationships after or whatever – they’re often contradictory,” Clark added. “There’s not one right way to respond to trauma, it’s right for that person. And so there’s a very intentional lack of judgment… We wanted to get it all in there because it does represent the entirety of what people are going through.”

In addition to validating survivor narratives, the book also adamantly rejects the problematic practice of romanticizing violence as fodder for others’ inspiration. A selected quote from Alice Wilder – a survivor who, like Clark and Pino, attended UNC – reads as follows: “We need to stop assuming that trauma builds character.

Sometimes it does. But it also builds fear. It builds pain. It suffocates and it paralyzes. I didn’t return from challenges as a stronger person. The bottom line is that it shouldn’t have happened.

I know it makes other people feel better to imagine that my trauma has made me stronger, but here’s the thing: this experience belongs to me, not them.”

In light of the need for moving forward with combating rape culture, Pino returned to her and Clark’s central ethos for “We Believe You.” “We really think that this book can transform the conversation because for the first time, it’s being told by survivors,” Pino said. “Their entire story, not edited for print, not edited for a certain news cycle, but really who they are and who they want the world to know about.”

“We Believe You” separates survivors’ stories into sections, exploring sobering moments from their lives before and after their assault. Contributors – some named, some anonymous – express themselves through a mosaic of narrative essays, anecdotes, poems and artwork. Nathan Frontiero can be reached at Interspersed throughout the text nfrontiero@umass.edu and followed on are several “choruses” which Twitter @NathanFrontiero.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

Thursday, April 7, 2016

6

MUSIC

Powerful songs directly comment on rape culture Lyrical critiques of sexual violence

to be able to scream,” and her delivery shifts from relaxed to aggressive in the span of a few lines, adjusting to fit the morphing environment around her. By the time you get to the end, Nguyen has built herself into a towering beast, reveling in her assailant’s new diminutive form with a calm “Now I perch above you, meticulous bird of prey.”

By Will Doolittle Collegian Staff

With a message so powerful that Joe Biden had to introduce it at this year’s Oscars, Lady Gaga’s “Til It Happens to You” potently addressed the prevalent issue of sexual assault and delegitimization of survivors’ voices.

While its purpose as a tiein for “The Hunting Ground,” a 2015 documentary about rape culture on college campuses, likely hit close to home for UMass students, “Til It Happens To You” is just one in a canon of recent songs addressing this topic. Here are a few more recent songs that analyze rape culture in many different forms.

tUnE-yArDs – “Manchild”

Braids – “Miniskirt” Among the largely noninclusive narratives in Eve Ensler’s episodic play “The Vagina Monologues,” one piece that captures a more universal experience of women remains: “My Short Skirt,” which discusses the belittling idea that a survivor’s clothes could provoke their assault.

Braids’ “Miniskirt” revisits the ideas of “My Short Skirt” years later, and while it’s depressing to see how little has changed, an impassioned voice addressing the issue is always welcome.

“It’s like I’m wearing red and if I am you feel you’ve the right to touch me, ’cause ‘I asked for it,’” singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston snarls, after contrasting the sexually-shaming female

OFFICIAL THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN FACEBOOK PAGE

A number of artists, including Thao Nguyen (pictured above) have recorded songs that offer compelling insight and analysis regarding this pervasive issue. pejoratives (“slut,” “bitch,” “whore”) with their comparatively light male counterparts (“womanizer,” “Casanova,” “lothario”).

Musically, “Miniskirt” is a bait-and-switch, spending a minute and a half building up to what sounds like the most epic EDM drop of all time only to pull back and fall into an understated shuffling rhythm. Its underlying message, however, still rings as clear as when Ensler and women before her addressed it: Your skirt is your own.

Empress Of – “Kitty Kat” In 2014, a viral video of a

young woman being repeatedly catcalled as she walked through the streets of New York garnered both praise and criticism. Regardless of framing, visceral reactions among female viewers seemed indicative of the prevalence and trauma of such unwanted advances.

Empress Of ’s Lorely Rodriguez shared a similar experience for Yours Truly, commenting “I was so mad but I couldn’t say anything back at that moment. What would be the point?”

The product of Rodriguez’s pent-up anger is “Kitty Kat,” whose scorching percussion and firehose synthesizers reflect the inner anger of

having to ignore such comeons for your own dignity and safety.

“Don’t kitty-kitty-kat me like I’m just your pussy,” Rodriguez demands in scorn of her own degradation, chunks of distorted sound swirling around her. It’s a loud platform for a quiet anger, but like the woman in the video, who at one point is silently pursued for five minutes, it boils down to Rodriguez’s chorus chant: “Let me walk away.”

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – “Meticulous Bird” As a sociology and women’s

Merrill Garbus’s songs as tUnE-yArDs have always discussed a wide range of social issues, and “Manchild” is a full dressing-down of expected submission of women. In an imagined but probably all-too-familiar interaction, Garbus criticizes the fragility of masculinity (“Oh there were some times among the times when I could stand to do this little jig with you…

It’s time to meet it head on”) after skewering apparent male hyper-sexuality (“Oh little manchild look at your pants/An accident happens each time we dance”).

Premature ejaculation references aside, “Manchild” is blunt commentary. Its opening melodic repetitions, which reference the common, “Yes means yes, no means no” slogan of consent campaigns, even position it as something of an anti-“Blurred Lines.” Menchildren don’t “know she wants it,” and whether or not she actually does is none of their business.

studies major whose last album was inspired by her time doing prison rights advocacy, Thao Nguyen seems like just the person to write an anti-sexual assault piece. “Meticulous Bird,” the climax of this year’s excellent “A Man Alive” album, is that takedown, and Nguyen’s boldest foray into spoken word yet. “It’s about various abuses of power,” said Nguyen of the song. “I wanted to maintain whatever level of activism I can maintain.”

Nguyen’s typical degree of ambiguity and metaphor is cleared for the repetitions of “I find the scene of the crime, I take my body back,” William Doolittle can be reached at a lyric she “wanted whoever wdoolitt@umass.edu.

FILM REVIEW

‘Felt’ condemns misogyny in flawed but visceral narrative

By Nate taskiN Collegian Staff

The rape-revenge film occupies a curious – and odious – place in feminist film criticism. Popular in the ‘70s, when second-wave feminism was at its height, the genre always seemed so close to a breakthrough in its examination of patriarchal paradigms.

Yet time and time again, it fell short of its potential, and chose instead to revel in its exploitive nature as it perpetuated the ugly mentalities that it should have deconstructed.

What distinguishes “Felt” is that it is not so much a rape-revenge film as a rape culture-revenge film.

The 2014 film follows Amy (Amy Everson), an artist still in recovering from a past sexual assault. As she begins to unravel and her behavior grows increasingly erratic, she alienates her friends and loved ones. Her one outlet that she can find solace in lies in her provocative art, which experiments in identity and genderfluidity.

Amy’s art acts as a vessel to transport her outside of the discomfort of her own skin.

She dons a felted “man-suit,” complete with a massive, fashioned-on penis and scrotum. In her hallowed sanctuary, she stalks the woods and mimics an angry, impotent predator. Through means both creative and grotesque, Amy aims to reclaim her own

sense of power in the wake of her attack, and does so in a way that imitates the systems that led it to occur, and all the carnal savagery that the notion entails.

As the movie progresses, Amy grows more and more unhinged, and to watch her gradual mental disintegration is a deeply unsettling affair.

Viewers feel their own sense of agency stripped away from them as they watch as Amy engages in escalating levels of self-harm. Violent, invasive cycles of violation happen over and over again and we are powerless to stop it. All we can do is spectate and feel complicit in this structural evil.

“Felt” is the type of movie that might provoke the misguided cry of “not all men.”

Every man that Amy interacts with, to some extent, is creepy or condemnable.

Whether they aggressively stalk her, objectify her through smarmy comments or betray their own entitlement when their false niceties fail to deceive her, all of them are born from the same poisonous system.

Given the fact that her artistic tendencies border dangerously close to the irritatingly quirky, Amy’s character could’ve become an annoyance in less capable hands. Her portrayal by Amy Everson – an artist in real life who designed the twisted genitalia accessories Amy wears

– is nothing short of superb.

Everson, who co-wrote the script with director Jason Banker, carries a presence both powerful and vulnerable. “Magnetic” is an overused label for good acting, yet there are few better words to describe Everson’s performance. Possessed with a voice reminiscent of a knife as it scrapes a stone, she finds the pitch-perfect balance between intensity and charm, and finds strength even when she is at her most broken.

With masterful cinematography, “Felt” inverts traditional notions of the male gaze. In a beautiful, naturalistic style, the camera hovers over the sleazy figures that populate the various bars, restaurants and streets that Amy walks down. We see their ugliness and their chauvinism, and they become almost apelike in their brutish simplicity. In summation, the camera objectifies the objectifers.

Hazy and uncomfortable, the film’s editing made me feel like I was lost in free-fall.

Scenes flow from one to the next like a patchwork of disconnected memories stitched together as part of one of Amy’s art projects. Subjected to moments both creepily surreal and disarmingly phantasmagoric, a dream-like state of serenity threatens to take hold.

Nevertheless, any moment of calmness is counterbalanced by the deep sense of

JASON BANKER/AMPLIFY

‘Felt’ delivers an unabashed evisceration of rape culture that lands despite some missteps near the film’s ending. nausea that rests within the pits of our stomachs.

Something nightmarish is about to happen, and the knowledge that this insidious kindle is about to explode only furthers the dread.

If there are missteps, they occur when Banker and Everson choose to veer away from subtlety. Toward the film’s conclusion, Amy delivers a lengthy monologue about the difficulties of being a woman in the modern world, where she must endure microaggressions and outright hostility.

It’s a fine speech, yet unnecessarily didactic. We already see how this misogynistic world operates through the film’s subtext. We see it in small body gestures and offhand remarks. The film’s masterful visual language enables it so that we understand Amy’s perspective without it having to be said outright, so to deliver the film’s thesis in this clunky manner seems a little superfluous.

Moreover, given the insurmountable tension that “Felt” creates, the climax feels a

little too quick and clean. We know that something terrible is about happen, yet when the payoff takes place, Banker and Everson show too much restraint.

Still, “Felt” acts as a fascinating portrait of a type of all-too commonplace horror that rarely gets such a proper evisceration. It commits a violent critique of a toxic culture that manifests in ways both obvious and difficult to perceive.

Nate Taskin can be reached at ntaskin@umass.edu.

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, April 7, 2016

“Time to heal our women, be real to our women.” - Tupac

Editorial@DailyCollegian.com

Victim of recent UMass rape trial discusses the lasting physical, emotional impacts she copes with Editor’s note: The following is a Victim Impact Statement that was read aloud in court following the conclusion of Patrick Durocher’s rape trial in February. Durocher was sentenced to three to five years in prison on Feb. 19, and the following impact statement was submitted to the Collegian for publication by the victim. The name that appears in the statement is a pseudonym, as the Massachusetts Daily Collegian does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. Two years, five months and two days later, the man who sexually assaulted me was convicted. Patrick Durocher was found guilty on two accounts – rape and assault and battery. At his sentencing, I was given the opportunity to read a Victim Impact Statement to the court.

A Victim Impact Statement is the sole time and place that the criminal justice system allows for the victim to discuss how the crime has affected them: personally, physically, mentally, socially or however it may be. Victims can choose to read their statement to the court themselves or have it read for them by the prosecutor.

I chose to attend the court session and read my statement myself. My family came with me for support, and aside from my testimony, this was one of the most distressing, difficult, yet rewarding experiences I have had to face.

It was an uncomfortable experience. Also present in the courtroom was the accused, his family, friends, his legal team, the prosecution, the judge and her staff, journalists, other lawyers and of course my parents. To stand up and speak about how my life has been ruined, how I have struggled and how I have been deflated by sexual assault in front of this group of people was one of the most intimidating things I have ever done. It is not often

that we reveal our suffering and insecurities plainly and explicitly before an audience. To do so publicly, and before the very person who has caused so much suffering, was unsettling and somewhat humiliating.

However, I chose to read my statement myself because I wanted my words to be my own. I didn’t want them coming out of someone else’s mouth. I didn’t want them read out loud by someone who has not lived through what I have these past two years, who has not been subject to sexual assault, who could not know what I am trying to convey. While this experience does not define who I am, it has played a large part in shaping who I am today. I have gone through ups and downs and I wanted to use this chance to speak out on my behalf and share through my own words, just how much this one event has impacted my life.

trying to be the best version of myself that I could be. That was the 19-year-old Jane.

Then I was raped. To this day it is still hard for me to even utter those words.

I never thought it would happen to me. Not me, not Jane. After the initial shock and realization set in, after all the medical exams, after the endless meetings with the police, giving statements and taking photographs; I thought that was it. I thought it was over.

I put it out of my mind – only speaking of “the incident,” as I began to refer to it, when I had to. But that wasn’t it – it wasn’t over.

Being raped has impacted my life in every possible way. I am now a shell of my former self, a mere speck

Jessica Kriegsfeld thing to happen; for my purposes, this “something” is sex. With our modern hookup culture that’s prevalent on many universities nationwide, consent is often misconstrued.

At a typical weekend gathering on or off campus, people approach each other, and sometimes they are attracted to each other.

H o w e v e r, our culture seems to blur the definition of consent to make it implicit instead of explicit. In other words, people use implied consent as an unwarranted green light to proceed sexually.

This implied consent is flawed. Every person reads expressions differently.

For example, outwardly displaying your palms means

Emotional impact After a few weeks at home, once I was able to heal and spend some time with my family, I headed back to school, ready to go back to living my normal life.

I thought by just ignoring what had happened and not talking about the attack, it would go away. How I dealt with it was by not dealing it. But it wasn’t that easy.

Because I was keeping all my emotions in, never talking about anything at all, I

have that same level of selfcomfort, especially when I was out in social situations.

I began to lean toward exercise and eating to regain control over my body I had lost that night; I thought that through constant exercise and healthy eating I could feel better and confident in myself again. But what started out as simply healthy habits apart of my daily routine slowly became obsessive. Obsessive to the point where I developed a serious eating disorder I still struggle with today and even more severe body image issues.

Last February, when I was a mere 98 pounds, I still thought I was too big, not good enough. Even to this day, when I look in the mirror I don’t like what I see. I am not comfortable in my own skin and this is something that won’t just go away. What little self-confidence and value I hold myself to is something that when I was attacked was truly taken from me. An everyday struggle I don’t know when I will be released from.

And trust. My trust in people is all but destroyed.

It is hard for me to believe people are genuine, that they have honest intentions. I have constant doubts about people; my faith in the honest man is lost and it takes a lot to let someone in. For a long time I was ashamed and embarrassed of what happened.

I just figured people would pity me, look down on me or think less of me, and I didn’t want any of that.

I didn’t want to open up to people and talk to them about my daily internal struggles, out of fear of being a burden. I didn’t want people to feel like they had to listen. But I also feel like when people don’t know this happened to me, they don’t truly know me.

They can’t understand why I am the way I am and why

“Being raped has impacted my life in every possible way. I am now a shell of my former self, a mere speck of the brave girl that used to be Jane. And while I may put on a front of being a happy, goofy, strong, self-assured girl, it is merely a front.”

A stolen identity My name is Jane. I used to know what that meant.

But today it’s solely my name. The character and personality that it used to possess no longer exists; that identity was stolen from me. And in the cruelest of ways.

I was a happy-go-lucky 19-year-old, a social butterfly, a confident girl – a sister, a daughter, a friend, an athlete and a student.

I was strong, independent and always saw the glass as half full. I was a full-time college student entering my sophomore year, excited to continue my education and work toward earning my degree, so that one day I could have the job of my dreams. I knew that I only had three more years of college left, so I had better keep putting forth my best effort so I could set myself up for a bright future. I was

of the brave girl that used to be Jane. And while I may put on a front of being a happy, goofy, strong, selfassured girl, it is merely a front. My way of life, my self-esteem, self-confidence, self-respect and dignity had been stripped away from me. And while I didn’t see it as it was happening, now looking back on the past couple of years of my life, it has become so clear that the 19-year-old Jane no longer exists.

Physical impact When I woke up that Monday morning in the hospital, I didn’t recognize or feel like myself. I was bruised, sore, and weak; I was physically aching all over. I felt violated, dirty and empty. Not only from being attacked, but also from the extensive physical examination the attack required me to go through.

All the prodding and open access to my body left me feeling so humiliated and

The flaws in implied consent The term consent is officially defined as actively agreeing or allowing some-

violated. Leaving school and going home for a couple weeks seemed like the only option; I was uncomfortable and embarrassed walking around in public, as the attack was visibly written all over my body.

performing the “stop” gesture in North America.

However, the same signal is a highly insulting gesture in Greece. Similarly, a touch on the arm can mean three different ideas to three different people. Is that person cold? Embarrassed?

Anxious? There is no answer because it is based on each individual person and his or her interpretation.

If these gestures can be so subjective, how can we

instances where people change their minds or circumstances where individuals are not capable of making decisions in their current state of mind.

Whatever the case, individuals must honor the other’s rights to make his or her choice and not misconstrue what qualifies as consent.

Any uncommunicated, yet physical sexualizing gesture can easily be misinterpreted as intimidation and pressure.

Consent that is the result of intimidation is not consent at all. It seems redundant, but the easiest way to make sure all proceeding actions are consensual is to never assume and to always make sure the verbal consent is there – every step of the way.

“If these gestures can be so subjective, how can we use implied body language consent to agree to sex? The simple answer is that we can’t.”

use implied body language consent to agree to sex? The simple answer is that we can’t. Body language is not a form of consent – physical cues cannot be taken as consent. Consent cannot be implied, it must be clearly, verbally communicated.

Sometimes people say Jessica Kriegsfeld is a Collegian yes and sometimes people contributor and can be reached at say no. Then there are jkriegsfeld@umass.edu.

began to redirect my stress and anger onto other people and other things; the smallest things set me off and my mood would change at the tip of a hat.

I became very sensitive; I was either angry or sad all the time and I slowly started to lose sight of myself. My friends and family became worried. I was acting very differently and out of character; they knew something was wrong.

I wasn’t happy at school.

I went home every chance I got, just so I could get away.

It felt safe. It was the perfect excuse to not have to go out or put myself in an uncomfortable, unknown social setting.

It took me a while to come to terms with, but I eventually realized I was depressed. I went to therapy here and there, but even still, I was so unhappy and angry all the time and I couldn’t seem to shake it.

My self-image and self-confidence was shot. I didn’t

I do the things I do and act the way I act. There is such a fine line and it’s hard to tell when it’s OK to trust and let people in again. For me to open up and put myself out there and let people in to the real me, is hard especially when trust almost doesn’t exist to me anymore. And it’s all a result of the night I was attacked.

But in the end, it has not all been bleak. I have found ways to cope and I have had the extraordinary good fortune to have the unwavering support and love from my family and friends who have always stood by me.

I have had excellent professional help and support, too.

However, the impacts of sexual assault continue to affect me years later on a daily basis. And not even just me, but my family and friends too. By no means has it been easy for any one of them to not only see my struggle through these last two and a half years, but also for them to see just how cruel of a place the world can really be.

Not a day goes by when what was done to me does not interfere with my life or limit the life I lead in some way. Sexual assault has cost me profoundly, in many ways, and has created a different life from the one I would have had, had I not been assaulted.

I have lost so much and many of those losses cut right to the core of who I am and can never be undone.

With all of this in mind, and in light of the verdict, I can only hope and pray his sentence reflects the crime he committed, that any time he spends put away for his actions will allow for reflection and understanding that what happened is not okay. And I hope that for all parties involved, both his family and my own, today can be a new start and we can all begin to heal.

Sexual assault not just a heterosexual issue When most people think comforting either: 68 perof sexual assault, they cent of sexual assaults are think of a man assaulting not reported to police and 98 percent of rapists will Devyn Giannetti never see prison time.

With April being Sexual a woman. But this gen- Assault Awareness Month, eralization of a serious this reminds us that issue can be problematic. through a combination of Sexual assault is not just myths and stigma, sexual a “straight people” issue: assault in the LGBT comMany lesbian, gay, bisexual munity is often rendered and transgender individu- invisible or completely disals deal with extreme cases of sexual assault throughout their lifetimes.

The general statistics surrounding sexual assault missed, even though there are alarming in and of are statistics from the CDC themselves.

According that show the rate of sexual to the Rape, Abuse and assault for LGBT individuIncest National Network, als is higher than the sexevery 107 seconds, anoth- ual assault rate for heteroer American is sexually sexual individuals. assaulted. Each year, there According to the are approximately 293,000 National Intimate Partner victims of sexual assault. and Sexual Violence The statistics on report- Survey, bisexual women ing sexual assault are not are disproportionally

impacted by sexual assault, experiencing a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of physical violence, stalking and/or rape by an intimate partner and rape by any perpetrator when compared to heterosexual women. Approximately one in five bisexual women (22 percent), and nearly one in 10 heterosexual women (nine percent), have been raped by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

In these studies, the percenta g e of LGBT individuals who have been sexually assaulted is higher than for heterosexuals. But the most shocking of all is the struggles transgender people must go through.

According to the Office for Victims of Crime, one in two transgender individuals are sexually abused or

“I’m tired of hearing about violence being committed against transgender people and I’m tired of hearing about members of the community being ridiculed for their sexuality, something only they can decide.”

see

LGBT on page 8

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

continued from page 7

can implement prevention approaches that promote acceptance and recognition of healthy, respectful relationships, no matter what sexuality you identify as. LGBT should be included in national, state and local violence research, and we can refer victims and survivors to culturally-appropriate accessible services.

Survivors within the LGBT community deserve just as much attention and resources for help and safety within their community and their struggles should not be forgotten when thinking about sexual assault.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, feel free to call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800656-HOPE (4673). Help is out there.

Devyn Giannetti is a Collegian contributor and can be reached at dgiannetti@umass.edu.

8

UMass CWC Rape Counseling Services: Myths and misconceptions

LGBT

assaulted at some point in their lives.

This shows that the majority of transgender people are struggling with the aftermath of sexual assault and fear of potential repeat victimization.

Then why is it that LGBT people, especially transgender individuals, experience such higher rates of sexual assault?

And more importantly, why do their struggles often go unnoticed when looking at the issue of sexual assault.

I’m tired of hearing about violence being committed against transgender people and I’m tired of hearing about members of the community being ridiculed for their sexuality, something only they can decide.

Whether straight or gay, transgender or bisexual, we all deserve the same level of respect. And no one deserves to be hurt in any relationship.

Some of these sexual assaults in the LGBT community can be prevented. We

Thursday, April 7, 2016

I spent every Wednesday calls to the police, we’re “letevening this past semester ting the bad guys get away.” taking classes at the Center This is simply not true.

We’re bound by our code Edridge D’Souza of confidentiality, and taking that decision away from for Women and Community. the caller would be a massive There, I received training to ethical violation. Our callers become a counselor advo- come to us when they feel cate, a volunteer who helps vulnerable, and taking the manage the 24-hour rape cri- power of choice away from sis hotline and assists sur- them is not an effective way vivors of rape and sexual to handle it. assault with medical and Misconception legal advice. I’ve been on call No. 2: Who the hotline before, but haven’t received is designed for any calls yet. However, from Some students may my semester of training, which included lectures, believe they might not be real-life cases, roleplays and “qualified” to use our hotadvocate guest speakers, I line. This misconception did manage to learn a good might be because they’re in a deal about sexual assault relationship with their abuscounseling and prevention. er, because they’re male or I was actually surprised because their assault was a through my journey to learn long time ago, so they think how many misconceptions I they’re not eligible for our had beforehand. By listing services.

But in fact, the CWC is some of these, the University of Massachusetts commu- Hampshire County’s Rape nity might gain a greater Crisis Center and is open to awareness of how to prevent all people who are experiencing emotional trauma due to or deal with sexual assault. rape and sexual assault.

Misconception No. 1: This is a pretty far-reachThe role of a CA ing definition because it lets First and foremost, the us provide help to as many role of a CA is to support people as possible. We serve the caller. We’re not here to men and women, incarcerscrutinize details or try to ated people as well as colplay detective. That’s the law lege students. We serve all enforcement’s job. of Hampshire Country. The My job as a CA is to pro- bottom line is that no one vide assistance to anyone who needs counseling for who is in need of help or sup- sexual trauma should ever port. Additionally, we don’t be turned away. force callers to do anything; Misconception No. 3: we simply provide emotional Rape counseling is just assistance and help them for liberal arts students know their options so that When I walked into my they are empowered to make their decisions for them- first CA class, I thought I might be the odd one out. selves.

At our meetings, we’ve From the group introducdiscussed the sentiment in tions, it seemed that almost our communities that, by not everyone else in the room automatically reporting all was a woman or a WGSS/

Sociology student. As a male biochemistry major, I was somewhat uneasy about how this experience would go and how easily it would be for me to relate.

However, after a few sessions, I found that sexual assault counseling relates directly with medical science. Rape and sexual assault often go hand in hand with anxiety, PTSD and depression, in addition to having connections to diabetes, cardiac risk and even cancer.

The fact of the matter is that sexual assault is not just a crime but also a public health concern. While we’re not professional psychologists or psychiatrists who can treat these more longlasting effects, we as CAs are equipped to provide shortterm emotional support and guidance to anyone in need.

Since becoming a CA, I’ve found out a lot about how rape and sexual assault affect people long-term.

There’s a reason why rape is seen as one of the most heinous crimes in our society, and by providing support to survivors of rape and sexual assault, we as CAs can provide a starting point to help mitigate its effects.

While statistics on sexual assault are notoriously difficult to collect, the incidence of rape has decreased significantly over time, and growing efforts to bring awareness to the issue are further helping. When I eventually receive my first call, I know it’s going to be a massive responsibility but also an opportunity to provide substantial help to our community.

Edridge D’Souza is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at edsouza@umass.edu.

Why men are more likely than ever to assault women Since history’s earliest sex, and lots of it. For years, recordings, mankind has American men have been more often than not chosen handed the notion that their value is determined by their Charlie Giordano ability to attract and coerce a female into a sexual relationto ignore the issue of sexual- ship. But now the message ity rather than discuss and has escalated to the point embrace its inherent pres- where men at the University ence in the individual’s every- of Massachusetts and collegday life. This exact course es nationwide feel the need to of action has, in addition to force the issue. other factors, contributed to A night out today’s prevalence of sexual at college has assaults on college campuses become a hornationwide. rid display of Now more than ever, col- male students lege students are under an jostling to try enormous amount of pres- and one-up sure to look and feel sexu- their compaally appealing. Many would triots, and achieve that all argue this affects women too finite experience that for more than men, but in my some reason has grown to experience, everyone is fairly be a necessity for happiness. preoccupied with their physi- Life on campus has grown cal appearance – and wheth- all too competitive in this er they choose to admit it or manner. With social media, not is a whole other matter. college students are now not The media, and Hollywood only judged on their academin particular, has empha- ic performance, but are put sized that college is a time for under pressure to “perform”

on nights out with friends, a concept completely removed from the fact that going out is meant to be fun.

Many UMass students have heard the term “ratio” in recent times. While it is not wrong to desire a genderbalanced audience at a social gathering, to peg women as a resource at parties dehu-

told he cannot attend a social event without a large group of women, what is he left to do but unnaturally and forcibly seek their companionship?

Now, in addition to having to be aware when walking around outside, women are forced to be ever alert to the dangers present inside

denouncing inhibitions. The line between sexual assault and sex has become blurred.

Not enough emphasis is placed on making sure everyone is safe, while too much is placed on making sure one is able to have sex.

Humans have repressed their sexuality for centuries, be it for religious, moral or other reasons.

This has exacerbated the sexual depravity man inherently finds within himself.

We have chosen to battle with our desire to speak openly about matters related to sex. As a result, we have produced a generation of men devoid of identity if not affirmed by sexual prowess.

While women feel this same pressure, they are more often faced with becoming victims.

For every 1,000 females who attend a college or univer-

“While it is not wrong to desire a gender-balanced audience at a social gathering, to peg women as a resource at parties dehumanizes them and invokes a sexual implication in attending what is meant to be a fun event.” manizes them and invokes a sexual implication in attending what is meant to be a fun event. It would not be fair to blame hosts for these actions, for they are at this point standard, but it has certainly only increased the pressure on men to be “successful” in their relations with the opposite gender. If a man is

of parties and social gatherings. According to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, half of all sexual assailants are under the influence of alcohol at the time of the perpetration. Alcohol, a substance meant to loosen tensions and relax nerves, is instead being abused as a means of

sity, there are an estimated 35 incidents of rape per academic year.

I believe the vast majority of us are interested in fostering a safe environment on campus. That being said, we have the responsibility to bring these conversations to the forefront, to speak about these issues so we are not forced to keep seeing statistics that prove the society we live in enables sexual assaults to continue to occur.

Most of what I have written is merely opinion – opinions of a straight, white male at that. But if nothing else, I hope this article inspires other men to question their choices and the choices of their peers. Maybe then we can begin to really address the issue of sexual assault at its source.

Charlie Giordano is a Collegian contributor and can be reached at crgiordano@umass.edu.

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TRENCHES

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Indians top Red Sox behind late Mike Napoli home run

extend and create plays with his feet. Last season, with Blake Frohanpfel under center, UMass didn’t have too many instances where Frohnapfel broke the pocket while making throws on the run.

“You never know where he’s at. He can be scrambling, he can be behind you, you just never know,” Wilkinson said. “I feel like we’ll get more in-sync as the spring goes on and as we go through summer camp and stuff like that. It will be good, but it’s different though.”

“You always have to be aware that Ross might break the pocket and just go somewhere,” Hoeller added. “You have to look to see where the defensive line and the linebackers are going to one of the sides instead of rushing straight.”

Andrew Cyr can be reached at arcyr@umass.edu, and followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.

LACROSSE Fairfax is just 20 minutes outside the capital – for the weekend for the game on Sunday against the Colonials.

With George Washington (2-8, 0-2 A-10) struggling so far this season with a league-worst two wins, the Minutemen have to be careful not to overlook the Colonials.

McMahon showed little about a possible trap game on a quick two-game weekend.

“Every year when we go into our conference

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By Ryan Lewis Akron Beacon Journal

ALEC ZABREKCY/COLLEGIAN

UMass huddles during its win against Florida International on Oct. 3, 2015.

continued from page 12

schedule having FridaySunday games, as a staff we know what we need to do to get the team ready,” McMahon said. “We don’t take any opponent lightly, and we prepare the same for every game no matter what”.

Both Tobin and Turner shared coach McMahon’s thoughts and expanded on them.

“I think that game actually requires more focus because if it isn’t a high pressure game then we need to make sure we keep

our winning mentality up,” Tobin said.

“Going into both game we’re going to need to maintain the same intensity and focus to continue to push the ball and make every game count,” Turner added.

The opening draw against George Mason is set for 6 p.m. Friday, and noon on Sunday versus George Washington.

Nicholas Souza can be reached at njsouza@umass.edu.

CLEVELAND — Mike Napoli’s first hit as a member of the Indians was a big one, and it was enough to overcome a botched sixth inning in a 7-6 Indians win against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night.

Everything started off well for the Indians. But if not for Napoli and his solo home run in the seventh inning, it all would have been moot.

After struggling to do much of anything against Red Sox ace David Price in Tuesday’s Opening Day game, the Indians (1-1) almost couldn’t have started better against Wednesday’s starter, Clay Buchholz. Jose Ramirez singled and came around to score on a Jason Kipnis double to the gap in right-center field. Napoli then walked and Carlos Santana hit a home run (estimated 431 feet) to center field. Five batters into the game and the Indians led 4-0.

The Red Sox (1-1) came back in the second inning when Brock Holt hit a tworun home run off of Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. The Indians then got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning. Tyler Naquin worked a nine-pitch atbat and picked up his first major league hit, a single to right field. He later scored on Ramirez’s single up the middle to make it 5-2.

Then came the sixth

PHIL MASTURZO/AKRON BEACON JOURNAL

Mike Napoli (left) and Carlos Santana (right) celebrate a home run Tuesday. inning. Carrasco (five innings, four runs, seven hits, one walk, five strikeouts), still in the game, allowed back-to-back home runs to David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez. Those home runs cut the Indians’ lead to 5-4 and ended Carrasco’s night in favor of left-handed relief pitcher Ross Detwiler.

Chris Young hit a fly ball to left-center field that should have been an easy out, but Ramirez in left field and Naquin in center field didn’t communicate, allowing the ball to fall right in-between them. Two walks then loaded the bases and Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley hit a sacrifice fly to center field to tie it 5-5.

With Zach McAllister on the mound, Mookie Betts hit a ground ball to third baseman Juan Uribe, who might have had Holt out had he looked him back at

third base. Uribe made the throw to first base for the second out, but the Red Sox took a 6-5 lead.

Uribe redeemed himself in the bottom half of the sixth. A Yan Gomes walk and a single by Marlon Byrd put runners on the corners, and Uribe tied the game 6-6 with a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh inning, enter Napoli, who to that point hadn’t collected a hit.

Facing Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa, Napoli got ahold of an offering and belted it to the bleacher seats in left field for the goahead shot.

Bryan Shaw escaped the eighth inning unharmed and Cody Allen picked up his first save of the season, putting down the heart of the Red Sox order in the ninth inning that included a close-call catch by Ramirez near the wall in left field to end the game.

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Pushing the pile

First place in A-10 on the line Friday By niCholAs souzA Collegian Staff

JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN

Fabian Hoeller (73) will make the switch to center after starting all 12 games at left guard for the Minutemen in 2015.

UMass makes position changes to its offensive line entering ‘16 Hoeller, Wilkinson move spots on OL

By Andrew Cyr Collegian Staff

In football, there’s little glory or glamor to being an offensive lineman.

If a team is doing well, all fingers point to how great the skill position (quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end) players are doing, and if a team is struggling, the blame immediately turns to the offensive line for not blocking well enough.

But for any offensive line, the most important aspects of success come from consistency and communication, and the Massachusetts football team’s line is no different.

The Minutemen graduated center Matt Sparks and left tackle Tyrell Smith left the team after his redshirt junior season for undisclosed reasons after missing UMass’ final regular season

game against Buffalo. Smith has since declared himself eligible for the 2016 NFL draft and worked out at the Minutemen’s Pro Day last month.

In addition to the two vacant spots in the two most important positions on the line, UMass is working this spring with a new offensive line coach in Mike Foley after Shane Waldron left the Minutemen staff to join the Washington Redskins.

“Everything’s been the same,” Elijah Wilkinson said of learning under Foley. “We are kind of coaching him up a little bit on what has been done, so he’s giving us his twist and we’re giving him our twist.”

“I’m fitting into the system, I only got here a couple days before we started so it’s learning on the run as far as that stuff is concerned,” Foley said. “The biggest thing I’ve tried to work with them is with their technique and trying to clean up that kind of stuff. We are trying to become more physical.”

“The biggest thing I’ve tried to work with them is with their technique and trying to clean up that kind of stuff.

We are trying to get more physical.”

Mike Foley, UMass offensive line coach Sliding into the center role this season is Fabian Hoeller, who started all 12 games in 2015 at guard and also served as the team’s defacto backup when Sparks was out of the lineup.

“It’s kind of the same.

The technique is a little bit different – how set on the pass set, the run block. But overall it’s a lot of the same.

It’s more responsibility with making the calls – the fronts, the ‘mike’,” Hoeller said of the adjustment.

“So far it’s been petty good. I did that my first spring and my first summer with coach (Mark) Whipple here, so I know most of it.

It took me about one or two days to get back into it,” Hoeller added.

In addition to Hoeller

switching positions, Wilkinson will make the jump from right tackle to left tackle, protecting the right-handed quarterback Ross Comis’ blind side, after he started 11 games last year on the right side of the line.

UMass’ offensive line allowed 29 total sacks in 2015 while rushing for 1,707 yards on 392 attempts for 15 touchdowns. The Minutemen’s rushing attempts were the sixth fewest in the FBS. Hoeller and Wilkinson each said one of the biggest learning curves they’ve faced this spring as been learning to pass protect for the Comis, a dual-threat quarterback who can see

TRENCHES on page 10

point on offense for this game is to be efficient and capitalize on our attacking plays,” Turner said.

Defensively, UMass is faced with the task of trying to break the comfort zone of the slow, conservative offense of George Mason.

Senior defender Amber Tobin understands how the Patriots will approach this game and she believes that the Minutewomen defensive line is ready. “ We’re going to stick to a defense that we’ve used before and tweak it to fit their offense. We’re looking to be more aggressive than we need to be because we know their offense likes to stall it,” Tobin said.

When these two teams met last year in Amherst, UMass was successful in dictating the pace and getting off to a hot start, opening with an 8-0 run on its way to a 17-7 victory. McMahon is confident that her team can produce a similar result this year.

“We’ve done a good job playing teams like them all year, and with our defensive back line being as good as it is and our overall athleticism has really allowed us to be aggressive and take more risks,” McMahon said.

A victory over the Patriots would give the Minutewomen the NCAA record for most consecutive conference wins, breaking the previous mark of 38 set

by Northwestern in the American Lacrosse Conference from 20052011.

However, McMahon said it’s not something that’s gained traction with the team.

“I actually didn’t know about the record, we don’t really try to focus on things like that, we just focus on ourselves,” Tobin said.

The Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team heads to Virginia this weekend in search of sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10, with a game against George Mason in Fairfax followed by a trip to the nation’s capital to face George Washington on Sunday.

The Patriots (7-2, 2-0 A-10) are the lone remaining unbeaten in conference play along with the Minutewomen (9-1, 2-0 A-10), meaning Friday’s winner will be in the drivers seat to win the A-10 championship.

The Patriots bring in a well-balanced team on both offense and defense that ranks just a couple spots behind UMass in almost every major statistical category within the conference.

“They’re just a well-balanced and well-coached team, and they’re going to take it to us and give us a good game and we just have to be ready to play the best 60 minutes that we can,” Minutewomen coach Angela McMahon said.

Turnovers will be a major point of contention, with George Mason averaging just 14 per game which trails only Richmond in the A-10. Meanwhile, the Minutewomen lead the A-10 in caused turnovers per game with 12.1.

“They’re a disciplined team and they take care of the ball, and they don’t rush anything,” McMahon said. “Where we like to be fast paced and be aggressive especially in transition”.

Sophomore attacker Holly Turner is aware of how important the turnover game will be and she Possible trap in D.C. and the rest of the team have been preparing for it.

The Minutewomen “We’ve been doing a lot will stick around the of different stick work and Washington, D.C. area – working on taking better care of the ball. A major see LACROSSE on page 10

M E N ’ S L AC RO S S E

Minutemen set to face No. 6 Towson in CAA contest UM to recognize 1976 team at half

By JAson KAtes Collegian Staff

Last season, the Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team was one minute, 50 seconds away from going into overtime against Towson in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game.

But a behind-the-back shot from Tigers senior Justin Mabus gave Towson the 9-8 victory, ending all hopes of a Minutemen win and automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

With a matchup against the No. 6 Tigers (9-1, 1-0 CAA) at Garber Field set for this Saturday, UMass (4-5, 0-1 CAA) will look to earn its first conference win of

the season after falling to Delaware 9-7 last week.

The Minutemen defense is tasked with going up against a high-octane Towson offense, which currently has eight players in double-digits points, led by junior Ryan Drenner.

Drenner leads the Tigers with 33 points (18 goals and 15 assists), followed by junior Joe Seider (23 points) and senior Spencer Parks (21 points). Combined, the three attackers have recorded 70 percent of the Tigers’ goals this season.

A key component to Saturday’s upcoming contest will be how both teams play right off the opening faceoff. In the first quarter this season, the Tigers have outscored opponents 30-12.

On the flip side, UMass has struggled in the first 15 minutes of games, being

outscored 22-12.

O f f e n s ive l y, the Minutemen will have to play at the top of their game if they wish to generate chances against a stingy Towson defense. Up to this point in the season, the Tigers have allowed double-digit goals in just one game (a 14-8 loss to Johns Hopkins on March 12), and are allowing just 28 shots per game. UMass will have to look toward scorers like sophomores Buddy Carr and Peter Lindley to carry the load, who as a pair have scored 24 goals and recorded seven assists in 2016.

Last time out, Minutemen coach Greg Cannella opted to go with freshman Sean Sconone in cage, who made 13 saves in a losing effort in his first career start for UMass. Sconone made the start in the cage after soph-

omore Dan Dolan received the previous two starting nods against Penn State and North Carolina.

This weekend, UMass will honor the 1976 Minutemen during halftime. Led by Richard F. Garber, who was recently inducted into the IMLCA Hall of Fame, the Minutemen recorded a 10-3 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. All members of the squad are welcomed back to Garber Field to participate in the celebrations.

Cannella could not be reached for comment ahead of Saturday’s game, which is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Jason Kates can be reached at jkates@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @JKates1216.

SAM ANDERSON/COLLEGIAN

Dan Muller (left) carries the ball in UM’s 16-9 win against Ohio State Feb 20.