: 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
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