Friday, February 23, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 5
Speaking out
Forum addresses rape as war crime
February Sisters gather to describe the brutality of crimes against women
By Sarah Warren writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Mass Rape. Strategic Rape. Sexual Torture.
These are just three of the terms Anne Barstow learned while researching the role of rake in the wars of the 20th century.
But Barstow shared more than definitions last night at Alderson Auditorium. The retired history professor and author shared the stories of women to whom these awful terms were more than just words — they were once part of their reality.
Barstow, author of Wars Dirty Secret: Rape, Prostitution and Other Crimes Against Women, and Pamela Schifman, coexecutive director of Equality Now, an international human rights organization dedicated to women, were the speakers at last night's February Sisters Forum.
Sharon Sullivan, Lawrence graduate student and member of the February Sisters Association, said that the aim for this
year's forum was to bring light to the act of
rane as a weapon in war.
In her speech, Schifman told of a Muslim woman in Bosnia who was sent to a "rape camp." At the camp, the woman was forced to have sex with at least 20 Serbian soldiers a day. Even more appalling, she said, was that the repeated rapes of this woman and the 32 other women in the camp took place on a table, set on a stage in an auditorium full of soldiers.
Furthermore, Sullivan said that the Serbs were encouraged to rape as their duty as soldiers, not just for pleasure.
"In Bosnia, soldiers were told to go out and impregnate as many Muslim and Albanian women as possible to dilute their population," Sullivan said. "There are two main reasons for rape as a weapon of war: one, it is to destroy family and community life, and two, it is used to gain control over the enemy women's reproductive system."
And Barstow said this wartime technique was not a new phenomenon. She said it had been used for decades and that women were too afraid to speak out until recently.
Barstow cited stories of the World War II "comfort women" used by Japanese soldiers. Barstow said these forced prostitutes first broke their silence in 1991 - 50 years after the rape crimes against them had taken place.
"There are two main reasons for rape as a weapon of war: one, it is to destroy family and community life, and two, it is used to gain control over the enemy women's reproductive system."
Sharon Sullivan Lawrence graduate student and February Sisters Association member
"An elderly Korean comfort woman told me, I was born a woman, but I never lived as a woman. I fall sick when I am close to a man. I shutter when I see the Japanese flag," Barstow said. "From this I have learned that repeated rape kills part of the spirit."
Raymond Hudgson, Topeka junior and one of few men in the crowd, said the forum opened his eyes to the utter brutality of rape.
"I think on the surface you know that rape is a really bad thing," Hudgson said. "But I didn't know how extensive it was until tonight."
— Edited by Courtney Craigmile
Computer lab song and dance was staged
By Sara Bouska
Special to the Kansan
Thirteen people broke into song and dance at the Budig computer lab shortly after noon on Monday.
And it will happen two more times this semester, but only those 13 people know when and where.
The performance that confused a lab full of students was an honors project in theater and film for Josh Meyer, Overland Park senior. He wrote the music, and the choreography was a collaborative effort by the 13 participants.
“It's based on the idea that musicals can just pop out in real life.” Meyer said. This is the new form of musical portrayed in movies
such as Everyone Says You Love You and TV shows such as Top Rock
The routine began when one of the students began humming loud enough for the rest of the room to hear.
Within a few seconds, other members joined in and the tune had pervaded throughout the lab. A male student stood up and belted a short, but hearty solo about the joys of e-mail, while the humming continued in the background. When he finished, another student stood and sang. And then another, and another.
By this time, everyone in the lab had stopped what they were doing and focused on the singers. They stared as a man rushed through the door and burst into song. The Broadway-style performance lasted about five minutes while the singers and dancers performed rans, chants and blues solos.
"I didn't expect such a thing to happen, especially in the lab."
Eric Oden Cameron sophomore
Eric Oden, Cameroon sophomore, who was working in the lab, said even the staff at the computer lab wasn't warned about the show.
"I didn't expect such a thing to happen, especially in the lab," he said.
Meyer said he had been working
with an adviser on the honors project for a while, but there was no direct evaluation of the performance.
"The next step is to write a post-mortem and say how I think it went," Meyer said. "It's really a self-starting thing."
The lyrics of the song included verses such as, "e-mail, you're electronic desire, make my love life catch on fire." They also maintained what Meyer called "a veil of secrecy."
"It's part of maintaining an illusion." Meyer said.
A bigger veil of secrecy is when and where the troupe of 13 performers will again break out into a musical, but Meyer won't give any hints.
- Edited by Doug Pacey
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1 Finding Forrester **pp** (1:15) 4:15,7/10,10:05
2 Saving Winds **pp** (1:20) 4:55,7/40,10:06
3 Cast Away **pp** (1:20) 4:10,7/45
4 Down To Earth **pp** (1:10) 4:10,7/35,9/45
5 Sweet November **pp** (1:30) 4:20,7/15,10:00
6 Hammabital **pp** (1:35) 4:05,7/90,5/90
7 3000 Miles To Graveland **pp** (1:35) 4:20,7/10,10:05
8 Hammabital **pp** (1:45) 4:45,7/45
9 Recessa: School's Out **p** (1:40) 3:30,7/91,1/91
10 Traffic **pp** (1:40) 4:00,7/50
11 O Brother, Where Art Thou? **pp** (1:50) 4:40,7/20,9/50
12 The Wedding Plan **pp** (1:55) 4:50,7/91,5/91
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2 Sretch **pp** (2:00) 4:45,7/10,9/40
3 13 Days **pp** (1:45) 4:80,7/0
4 Save the Lost Dance **pp** (1:50) 4:35,7/95,9/35
5 Monkeybone **pp** (2:00) 4:45,7/15,9/45
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