The Columbia University takeover of 1968 began forty years ago this week. The anniversary has been commemorated in the pages of the New York Times and the Washington Post, as well as on Democracy Now.
The University of Georgia has been buffeted by sexual harassment scandals in the last year. One professor has resigned, another was placed on administrative leave, and the women’s golf coach left under a cloud.
In response, the university has initiated a massive restructuring of its sexual harassment investigation procedures, a restructuring that has attracted criticism and is still ongoing.
Given this context, the administration’s decision to invite Clarence Thomas to be the undergraduate commencement speaker this spring has proven predictably controversial.
Two years ago an undergrad at the University of Portland, a private Catholic college, asked a male friend to walk her back to her dorm after a party. He claims they had consensual sex when they got there. She says he raped her.
Some time later, she reported the incident to the campus police, but the university brought no charges against the alleged assailant. When she criticized them and asked why no action had been taken, she received a letter from the university’s judicial coordinator that read as follows:
Based upon my findings in my investigation, I am unable to determine if a sexual assault occurred. I have reason to believe that intercourse occurred, but both parties admit to drinking and therefore, consent—or lack of consent—is difficult to determine. Given these facts, there are possible violations for which you could be charged.
Students at the university are now pressing for new campus judiciary policies to ensure that students who come forward with charges of sexual assault are not themselves targeted by campus judiciary authorities. “The school owes it to the students to do everything they can to make sure rapes are reported,” says junior Devon Goss.
The university reported no instances of sexual assault for the year in which the incident took place, although the federal Violence Against Women Act requires that campuses disclose all such allegations, no matter what their disposition.
(Via Feministing.)
The anti-sweatshop sit-in at UNC is heading into its second weekend, with no end in sight.
Last weekend the UNC administration closed the administration building down over the weekend — they allowed students who were sitting in to stay, and they allowed students to leave at any time, but they refused entry to new students from Friday afternoon until Monday morning.
This week protest organizers have a new strategy to bulk up the weekend sit-in contingent — they’re throwing a dance party in the admin building rotunda on Friday night. Here’s the latest entry from their blog:
HEY ALL.
So tomorrow (Friday) we are throwing a slammin’ dance party at our new pad… South Building. At 6pm. But you must get there early! Before 5pm.
Our house is PERFECT for it… it’s got a rotunda-esque dance floor and great acoustics.
YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS THIS.
So here’s the deal… there is going to be really tight security at our place. We are hiring police to patrol the area. But don’t feel threatened. This is only a precautionary measure to ensure everyone’s safety. Also, we are expecting HUGE attendance, so security will help keep track of numbers.
THIS IS IMPORTANT…. EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO ATTEND THIS AWESOME PARTY HAS TO BE IN SOUTH BUILDING BEFORE 5PM ON FRIDAY. We are going to close down the place after 5, and no one else will be let in. So you better get here early, because it’s going to get crowded fast.
THE DANCE PARTY WILL BEGIN EXACTLY AT 6. It will end… never?
Heck. Stay the entire weekend if you like. We have plenty of floor space for you to crash with your friends. But if you want to leave early, you can. Although, we will feel sad.
SPREAD THE WORD. Join the facebook event for it. Much love. Buh bye.
(remember to get here before 5pm… Friday the 25th)
As of Friday morning, thirty people had confirmed for the dance party on Facebook, with another four hundred yet to respond to the invitation.
studentactivism.net 
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