The Clackamas print., April 17, 2019, Page 4, Image 4

NEWS
4
BY JASON SISSON
NEWS EDITOR 1
SCHOOL SCREENS DOCUMENTARY FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARNESS MONTH
The fifth inning of game one was underway and Clackamas
Com m unity College’ s baseball team was tied w ith
Chemeketa when R. Kelly’s “ Ignition (Remix)” began
b larin g— scratchy, of course — through the field’ s
speakers, pinging o ff the eardrums o f lethargic fans
and players.
Just three days earlier and barely a quarter mile away,
the college screened an episode of “ Surviving R. Kelly”
in a sparsely populated Community Center room. The
screening was one event of several being put on for Sexual
Assault Awareness M onth (SAAM) by the Associated
Student Governments
The six -p art docum entary details sexual abuse
allegations against Kelly, a 52-year-old G ram m y-
nom inated m usician w ho’ s recently been indicted
on similar charges by Chicago police — 10 counts o f
aggravated criminal sexual abuse to be exact.
The glaring juxtaposition offered betweeri the two
occurrences was an apt reminder of the way in which
power can insulate an abuser from consequences, one of
the primary motifs o f the documentary itself.
On one day, a serious look at accusations of heinous
crimes against an artist that are finally coming to a head.
A few days later, that same artist’s song is just another
one to nod along to as the innings dissipate into a gray
and dispirited sky.For years, an analogous story played
out for Kelly: accusations o f sexual abuse against minors
loomed while he and his art were still received warmly; he
maintained fame, riches and until recently, his freedom.
“ Part of the draw of it was that it’s something that’s
been a big part of national dialogue, ” Mary Vest, campus
Sexual Assault Advocate, said while referring to the
intention behind showing an episode of the Lifetime
docuseries. “ We wanted to be able to spark more dialogue
about things that are happening and im pacting our
community and have been really present with national
media and dialogue.”
The screening certainly did touch on a relevant subject
— even if only a few students attended.
“ I think it’s typical for our college for events,” said Ray
Atkinson, transportation system analyst for CCC and one
of those in attendance. “ I’ve worked here for about ayear
nowand it’s about average attendance.”
Clackamas Print
One o f the few students making an appearance, Ali
McCready, had a different take on what could be behind
the lack of engagement.
“ I feel like with a situation
like sexual assault, ànd
this being a specific event
about that, pëople areless
likely to show up because
it’ s a topic that makes
people uncomfortable,”
McCready said. “ They
don’t/want to look at
something that makes them feel unsettled. They don’t
want to see something that makes them question their
perspective of an artist or an industry.”
Whether the student turnout was typical or influenced
by the subject matter, the objective was the same for
those who helped plan the event.
“ Part of what goes into planning events like this is
t h in k in g about what are the ways we can reach our
students that are gonna feel relevant or meaningful and
th e c ia c k a m a s p rin t.c o m
that’s a hard one to figure out because we have so many
students from a lot of different backgrounds and life
experiences. And also just with various times they can be
available for things,” Vest said. “ So we try to have a lot
of different event offerings that can work for different
people and films often can be a helpful tool.”
After the screening there was some discussion among
attendees, especially surrounding the way in which several
people in the episode admitted to essentially turning a
blind eye to Kelly’s actions because of the power dynamic
involved and Kelly’s celebrity. The discussion, however
small the scale, did seem to accomplish the intention
behind the showing. Afterward, McCready spoke on
(what she gained from the experience.
“ It brings awareness to an issue th at’ s really
personal for me. It makes me happy seeing videos
like this because it’s getting more momentum and it’s
actually getting people to talk about it,” said McCready.
“ A larger network like Lifetime — I’m really happy they
decided to pick this up- Who else will tell their story?”
The screening will give way to another this week, this
time of “ The Bystander M om ent.” The film is led by
Jackson Katz and seeks to illuminate the role of bystanders
in sexual violence while offering an innovative approach to
changing rape culture and preventing sexual assault. Vest
framed the upcoming event and subsequent discussion on
bystander intervention as a way for anyone to get involved.
v“ Ith in k the nice part about bystander intervention is
that it allows everyone to sort of have a role they can play
that feelssometimes more accessible,” Vest said. “ A lot
of the film next week is about intervening earlier than
when an incident is actually happening, although that is
still important. I think that’s a nice way to think abojut
how we can take action. Because a lot of people maybe
feel like they care but don’t really know quite what to do.
And that’ s a way to bring that awarenessHnto action.”
For those still looking to get involved a few events
remains the aforementioned bystander intervention
discussion will take place on April 17 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
at the Fireside Lounge in the Community Center. While
the 24th will see be both National Denim Day celebrated
on campus and a discussion about consent taking place
from noon to 1 p.m ., also in the Community Center.
J _________________
April 17, 2019