Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2015)
: lackamas 2 CLACKAMAS PRINT • APRIL 29,2015 Protect yourself on college campuses by Amber Fairbanks WARNING: This column is about rape and sexual assault There have been a lot of reports in the news about sexual assault and rape on campuses all over the country recently. As a result, students have been kicked out of universities and have lost scholar ships over i t It makes me wonder, how many cases go unreported and how can women protect themselves on campus? I know rape and sexual assault is not exclusive to women, but I couldn’t find any men w illing to talk on the subject I talked to women from Portland State University, Portland Community College Cascade, Clackamas Community College Sabre Security Equipment Corporation is the leading man ufacturer for pepper spray, according to its website. The company sells a pepper spray and drink test kit for $14.99 online at their website. ON THE COVER: and Marylhurst, asking them if they fe lt safe on their campus and if they fe lt the need to carry self-defense weapons. Even though a few of them said they felt safe on their campus, every single one of them carried some sort o f self-defense weapon. Auriana Cook, a Clackamas Print alum ni, now attending Marylhurst, inform ed me th a t she fe lt safe a t one campus, b u t not the other. “A t CCC, I never fe lt safe if it was at night, a weekend, or some other tim e when there were fewer people around,” Cook said. “ I always carried keys as weapons and took a self-defense class so I’d feel more comfortable. At Maryl hurst though, most o f my classes are at night and I’ve never fe lt unsafe walking to my car.” There were different opinions w hen I asked wom en w ho attended PSU their thoughts on the matter. “The parking garages a t PSU aren’t safe at night in my opinion,” Celia Throop said. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center states that, “The percentage of com pleted or atte m p te d rape victim ization among wom en in higher educa tional institutions may be between 20 percent and 25 percent over the course o f a college career." My father always to ld me a parking garage is one o f th e m ost dangerous places fo r a w om an and I’m thankful CCC doesn’t have any. “I always carry my pepper spray,” said Kelsey Smoot, a s tu d e n t a t PCC Cas cade. “ I had classes until 10, but never fe lt unsafe. There were always people around, it seemed and plus the emer gency phone boxes w ith the lights on to p all over campus. N ot to m ention how close I was to the Justice Center/ Police Station." W hen I asked Leila Maloney how she fe lt on her campus, PCC Cascade, she recounted a scary event. “ I d id n ’t feel very safe and at one point I had to chase a man o u t o f th e ladies room, he was yelling at a girl. The cop w ho stood out side the restroom was only there every other day.” Alright. Prepare fo r an extremely an gry Am ber rant. A cop has to stand out side o f a bathroom to protect women? That is absurd. “At CCC, I never felt safe if it was at night, a weekend, or some other time when there were fewer people around.” -Auriana Cook \Ne teach w om en (again, I am aware th a t w om en can be assaulters as well) to carry pepper spray, wear date rape detecting nail polish, not to walk alone at night, have key chains to gouge some one, take self-defense classes or even to make three right turns if you think some one is following you because th a t makes a circle. Instead o f this, how about we teach at a young age that rape isn’t even an option. I am so sick and tired o f hearing th a t rape prevention is always the victim ’s job. We need to stop victim blaming, saying things like, “Oh look w h a t she was wearing, she was asking fo r it," or “She shouldn’t have drank th a t much.” No. W omen can wear whatever they want, still not asking fo r it. W omen are allowed to drink, have fun and still not ask fo r it. If a girl says no to you in the beginning of the night, it does not mean “Try and convince me as the night goes on.” No means no. The cupcake wars have come to Oregon City. Cover design by Brandon Chorum. B PRINT O o EDITORIAL Co Editor-In-Chief Zak Laster chiefed@clackamas.edu Co Editor-in-Chief Erin Carey chiefed@ciackamas.edu News Editor Cassidy Scott newsed@clackamas.edu Arts & Culture Megan McCoy aced@clackamas.edu Sports Editor Jack Spencer sportsed@clackamas.edu Copy Editor Andrew Koczian copyed@clackamas.edu Photo Editor Becca Moreno photoed@clackamas.edu W eb Editor Blake Thomason webeditor@clackamas.edu Ad Manager Katie Archer admgr@clackamas.edu Design Editor Brandon Chorum STAFF WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Amber Fairbanks Debbie Fox Gifty Uiinwa Lily Shaver Marissa Nwerem Nick Hadley Robin Scott PRODUCTION Andrew Damian, Carman Honer, Chelsea Pagan, Cole Slawson, Edgard Valencia, Ethan Johnson, Justan Honer, Saige Keikkala, Shaylyn Struna JOURNALISM ADVISER Melissa Jones melissaj@clackamas.edu The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased and professional manner. Content published in The Print is not screened or subject to censorship. Email comments, concerns or tips to: chiefed@clackamas.edu or call us at 503-594-6266 19 60 0 Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045
