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CARE FROM PAGE 2
and fraternities have increased discussion and training for their members.
In addition to the CARE program, sororities made a point of discussing the topics of sexual consent and alcohol use with their new recruits during Panhellenic 101 orientation. The University's fraternities, in the meantime, have been developing their own peer education program through the Interfraternity Council to focus on sexual assault prevention.
"I don't know that the attitude has changed [on sexual assault], but I think people are more ready to listen and learn," said Stephonn Alcorn, director of leadership and membership development for IFC.
Jane McQueeny, executive director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access (IOA), said research shows that students involved in Greek life may be more vulnerable to sexual assault because of the peer pressure to not intervene in a potentially bad situation.
"If there's a lot of pressure to conform and maybe not speak out or intervene or get involved in situations where you think things aren't good," McQueeny said.
While the University has not released numbers showing the number of assaults involving sorority members, the National Institute of Justice reports being in a sorority increases the risk of being sexually assaulted. A 2007
According to the University's spring 2015 climate survey, 14.75 percent of students said they experienced sexual harassment and 4.87 percent experienced sexual assault. McQueeny said IOA doesn't track whether a victim is in Greek life unless it's pertinent to the case.
report from the NIIJ found sorority members made up almost a quarter of the victims of both incapacitated and forced sexual assaults, but they made up only 15 percent of the population surveyed.
McQueeny said the increased visibility of sexual assault as an issue on campus has driven reporting and response. She has noticed more of a response from students and more complaints of harassment and assault than
McQueeny said the CARE advocate program is another step in the right direction and a good way to support survivors. The sorority advocates will be able to connect students to resources and answer questions about consent and sex, Hecht said.
when IOA opened in 2012
Hecht said Panhellenic hopes to have the 24 positions filled by the end of the semester and that they will ideally be in position for a year.
"This is a chance for the Panhellenic community to come closer together and be there for each other," Hecht said "We're just trying our best to come up with the most plausible solution."
Lillian Klebenow, a senior from Edwardsville, Ill., who helped develop the program, said it will allow victims to share their stories with someone they can relate to and get help from without having to report.
"It's filling a huge gap in the KU safety net." Klebenow said.
The KU CARE Advocates program will be based on a new Delta Advocates program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where 15 women are serving as peer resources, Hecht said.
UNC Panhellenic president Julia Mullendore said the program there has received good reviews so far, but it's in the early stages.
At the University, sorority advocates will participate in a six-week training program this spring involving presentations by several experts in the community including the Public Safety
Office and the CARE coordinator at Watkins, said Amy Long, associate director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center for Greek life.
"It's a leadership skills training piece and then the understanding of the process and resources available to them," Long said. "[We] are trying to figure out ways to infuse a message of empowerment and consent."
Hecht said advocates won't be encouraging survivors to report unless they want to but will offer them whatever resources they may need.
"Really this is about the victim, and that's the clear message we want to get across, so we're not forcing you to do anything. We are just here as a support system," Hecht said.
MUSLIM FROM PAGE1
where she felt able to express her religion freely.
"I've been exposed to people who have gone through the same things I had, and now I'm in an academic environment where I feel like that kind of behavior would never be tolerated." Anees said.
Yet, for other Muslim students like Zoya Khan, a freshman from Kansas City, it's still easy to feel some aspect of discrimination on campus.
Khan, who wears a hijab — a headscarf worn by some Muslim women — said she often notices people treating her differently.
"A lot of people, I feel like, are uncomfortable when I sit next to them. There's a bit of shifting in their seats when I sit down," Khan said. "Or if I have a question, they wouldn't necessarily answer like they would the person on the other side of them."
The inequalities might seem minor, but to Khan, they're still noticeable.
"It's just little things that I experience that lots of people may not pick up on unless they've experienced these
things throughout their life," Khan said.
Khan said that although none of the discrimination is blatant or rude, it's still upsetting to see people hesitate to interact with her.
"I would say it bugs me just because I know I'm like everyone else," Khan said. "Just because I wear the Hijab, or just because my skin's a little darker doesn't make me less capable or less American. So it does bother me, I can say that."
Brett Cooper, a junior from Shawnee and president of the Muslim Student Association on campus, said part of the reason many people act differently toward Muslims is because there's a lack of understanding perpetuated by the media.
could be more educated on what the religion itself is," Cooper said. "People tend to kind of mix culture in with the religion.
"A lot of people don't know a whole lot about it, and they're not really going to make a solid decision for themselves about it, but they're just going to go with the flow about what media says," Cooper said. Cooper said he feels that with the ongoing coverage of radical Islamic groups, media have failed to capture the true meaning of the religion.
"The Muslim religion is actually very tolerant, and that's a verse in the Quran: 'To you be your way, to me be mine,' Cooper said.
For Cooper, Syed's mission and his tour across America is helping to change the perception of Muslims throughout the country.
"He's not just going to mosques and giving talks he's going to historic sites for the state's community, he's meeting with politicians and with people from the media, he's meeting with activists and philanthropists," Cooper said. "He's just trying to highlight the good that comes from the communities, both Muslims and non-Muslims.
"I think stuff like that, it helps put out a much better idea of what Islam is." Cooper said.
"Media could be better. It
Edited by Rebeka Luttinger
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Using gender-inclusive pronouns
Pronouns are how people identify themselves and others.Oftentimes a person's pronouns don't align with the gender they were assigned at birth. Typically, this is how pronouns are broken down:
Feminine: she/her/her Masculine: he/him/his Gender neutral: they/them/their Gender neutral: ze/zir/zem, zirs/zes Gender neutral: ze, hir, hirs
Source; UWM Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Resource Center
IDENTITIES FROM 1
campus now."
He said he would love to see more gender-neutral bathrooms on campus and a residence hall for LGBTQ+ students and allies.
Currently, there are 11 buildings on campus that have gender-neutral restrooms. Vanessa Delgado, assistant director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center and coordinator for the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, said she would like to see more.
"We have very old buildings on campus, which is great for tradition but not so great for trying to accommodate all trans students," Delgado said. "It's hard to change the infrastructure of many of the buildings because they are so old, but we try to do the best we can."
Hallie Wilson/KANSAN
Delgado and the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity have worked with several campus departments to provide training on inclusivity, including gender identity.
Jenny McKee, a health educator and grant coordinator for Watkins Memorial Health Center, said Watkins employees specifically have been "trained on gender identities and the variance individuals may have when they come in here."
"They learn not to make assumptions about a student right when they walk in the door," McKee said.
One issue that McKee and others said could use more attention is the forms students use for applying to the University. The registrar's forms don't allow applicants to in-
Student Housing uses the registrar's information when students fill out their housing contracts.
put their preferred name or gender identity. Instead, the form requires students to identify as male or female, and they must use the name on their birth certificate. This information is then available to campus departments.
"Our housing assignments are gender-specific because they are assigned based on the information you give in your application to KU," Robertson said. "But we can work around that."
And while they can't change the computer system, Robertson said Student Housing will work with students to make sure they have comfortable room assignments.
"The request for assistance is usually about wanting a private bath or a single room with bath." Robertson said. "After students move into the halls, they sometimes are asking for help in identifying a different roommate — someone open to them being transgender."
Watkins also uses the registrar's information for basic patient needs. However, to ensure that all students are as comfortable as possible when they visit Watkins, the health center has adapted its system to allow students to list their birth name, preferred name, assigned gender at birth and gender identity in the Watkins database.
"This ensures that our staff knows each student's preferences and needs every time they walk in our doors," McKee
said
But other parts of campus life can be more difficult to navigate. Transgender students may be faced with an issue if they change their name during their time at the University. Account usernames for the University's online services typically include an individual's initials and cannot be changed by KU Information Technology, McKee said. So if someone's initials change because of a name change, their login must still remain the same.
"This could be very painful for a transgender student to have to relive their former self every time they login to anything KU-related," McKee said.
While the online ID issue is one that can be an obstacle for students, other departments on campus, like the Ambler Student Recreation and Fitness Center, strive to improve accommodations for transgender students.
"A student can identify as they please and use our facilities accordingly," said David Krone, associate director of facility management.
Last year, the Rec Center established what it calls an "accessible" bathroom, Krone said.
"We call them accessible restrooms because they can really be used for anything — gender-neutral, breast-feeding and so on," Krone said. "Bottom line, we believe that the restrooms should be accessible to the entire KU campus community. Our whole goal is to for all KU students to feel as comfortable as possible in our facility."
Edited by Derek Skillett