<p>So I got this article on my news alert today about a girl being raped at Dartmouth after some post on Rape Guide thing. Dartmouth is also said to be one of the 41 colleges being investigated under some title ix. </p>
<p>I'm a dude, so this isn't technically regarding me but what about the women at Dartmouth. This for the sake of discussion of a rising problem in US colleges.</p>
<p>Are women at Dartmouth safe enough? How's the college handling this situation? If you are a girl attending Dartmouth or parent whose daughter is attending Dartmouth, how do you feel about this? What's the inside feed from Dartmouth?</p>
<p>My daughter attends Dartmouth, and she has not had one problem. She absolutely loves it, and she feels the boys are respectful and nice. That being said, the article you posted is simply unacceptable. The students have all rallied around the victim. A '17 boy wrote this. He has been identified (too young to be in a frat for all you Greek opposers out there). I am hoping Dartmouth expels him. This is just terrible, and the boy should pay the consequences for his actions.</p>
<p>In terms of your question though, as a parent, I feel 100% safe with my daughter there. I absolutely love the safety of Hanover. I love that she doesn’t have to dress up in tight clothing and high heels to be let into the frats, which is the case at the majority of schools. My daughter and her friends have had an extremely positive experience, and they bleed “green.” The vast majority of students absolutely love Dartmouth. There is a very small vocal group demanding change. Sure, there are things that Dartmouth could improve, but this is the same at every single school out there. Dartmouth is not the right fit for everyone, but for some it is perfect. My D applied ED (deferred to RD), and she was in love with the school. It has far exceeded her expectations.</p>
<p>“And if the entire fraternity system is guilty, then
is this not an indictment of our educational institutions in general? I
put it to you, Greg! Is this not an indictment of our entire American
society? Well, you can do what you want to us - but I am not going to
stand here and listen to you bad-mouth the United States of America!”</p>
<p>–Eric Stratton, Rush Chairman, Delta Tau Chi</p>
<p>Ever wonder the such “misogynist” postings are a hoax perpetrated by the local feminists in order to intimidate administrations into giving them more funding. Here’s a blog comment by a parent : ““I showed this article to my daughter. Her instant reaction was “there’s a girl at the bottom of it. Every time a girl in school (she is in college) gets labeled a whore it’s because some other girl starts the rumors”.””</p>
<p>It may be. Many blogs have recycled the story and if you look at the posts on those blogs, your gut reaction would be the same too. Here are the things I found suspicious:
overuse of the word “rape”, I guess some guys may have had too much to drink and started getting “handy” but that’s just how frats are. To describe what happened as “rape” doesn’t do justice to such a vile word.
Dumbo’s daughter attends Dartmouth and as she said, men are respectful. Plus when the post was posted on B@B (I read the original post), it immediately attracted lots of negative attention, the reaction was not like “yay, let’s rape her”
the girl may not have been playing such a hoax, but ever wonder she may be getting hazed by her classmates. </p>
<p>@Tulululips
Did it really happened? I just want to know everything, I’m a Dartmouth ED hopeful for Class of 2019 and refuse to believe that Dartmouth would let someone get away with it, assuming it happened?</p>
<p>@oldmom4896
I hate frats too, but frats at Dartmouth are different, they’re not exactly “exclusive” (Frat parties are open to everyone) and many frat members live on campus instead of the house (at least that’s what I’ve heard). You quoting my post somehow makes me feel bad. Noticed I used the word “guess”, I’ve no idea what happened but I’m just guessing. My prime reason for guessing this is that the said girl was told (by her friends) that “it happens all the time”. Maybe… just maybe; she ended up making a big deal out of it. </p>
<p>If “it happens all the time,” then there’s something wrong with the fraternity scene at Dartmouth. I don’t care how wonderful and inclusive these fraternities are (at Dartmouth or anywhere else), no means no.</p>
<p>Oh, for god’s sake, please do not start saying that that fraternity member=rapist. Haven’t we heard enough of that?</p>
<p>May I point out that the Huff Post article quotes her as saying that she was “sexually assaulted,” not that she was raped. “Sexually assaulted” is commonly defined as including such things as being touched without permission. I can assure you that every woman who has had a guy put his hand on her ass or whatever, uninvited, does not consider herself to have been “sexually assaulted.” But some do. (Especially, perhaps, young women who have just been the subject of a disgraceful attempt at public sexual humiliation and shaming?) I don’t know what happened to this young woman, but she is obviously hurting, and for good reason.</p>
<p>The amount of rape-sympathizing on this board is absurd. Less than 5% of reported rapes are fabricated, according to several reliable sources. Please! Don’t defend dartmouth to no end. Rape-sympathizing is just disgusting. If there are this many reports per year, something MUST change. But, I just wanted to comment on the vile nature of this board. Even suggesting that it might be okay because “that’s just how frats are” is disgusting. </p>
<p>“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”</p>
<p>This analogy might be illogical and misleading but shows some implications to posters, I believe.
Now we assume that Caesar means ‘the bad’ rooted in realities and God means ‘Justice’. It seems to me that Dartmouth people are divided into three over misbehavior or wrongdoing of fraternity. One is a Pharisee seeking justice faithfully, another is Herod supporting fraternity with blind mind, and the other is Jesus Christ coming to perfection saying the above.</p>
<p>My two questions are: (1) Are you a Pharisee, Herod or Jesus? (2) Is the university supporting Herod without ruling justice? How about ministry of education?</p>
<p>It seems to me that questioning and posting as a Pharisee or Herod is not helpful. I expect more balanced approaches looking the issues with realities (various perspectives). </p>
<p>@MikeNY5: A few comments. First, the quote – “that’s just how frats are” – comes (I believe) from a potential applicant, not anyone with an actual connection to the college. Second, as dumbo11 pointed out above, the B@B post came from a 17 who was not and could not have been a member of a fraternity. Next, I don’t see the basis for your characterization of posts (did you mean this thread or College Confidential generally?) as “rape-sympathizing,” but you are entirely correct that “yes is the only word that means yes.” </p>
<p>@passsky81: I’m just a fallible human being. Whether my opinions are balanced or not may lie mainly in the eye of the beholder. I’ll stand by them. </p>
<p>@passsky81 I have no idea what you’re talking about?!</p>
<p>@MikeNY5 I agree. From an international students perspective, I can see that most US colleges don’t take situations like this that serious. It’s disgusting, ridiculous and disturbing.</p>
<p>@consolation what you say is somewhat true. This may not be that serious but don’t you think a man should have a level of decency in the way he treats a woman? Sure guys get flirty but from where I come from being handsy isn’t quite appropriate behavior.</p>
<p>Just thought I’d mention, dumbo11, that no one has made the argument that your daughter does not love so-and-so institution; nor did anyone argue that she has problems with boys and that her feelings that boys at so-and-so institution being nice are not valid. No one has made the argument that the students have not been supportive of victims. The argument is that there is the possibility of a problem with students being sexually assaulted. You know - someone else’s teenaged son or daughter. Maybe we can let garbage happen to those other people. </p>
<p>I’d like to know your reasons as to why you believe the “article posted is simply unacceptable”. Is it based on your insinuation that there can really be no problem because “the vast majority of students absolutely love” so-and-so institution? Are you trying to make the case that making it publicly known that someone reported a sexual assault is an unacceptable action? Is bringing up an ugly reality somehow “killing your love vibe” for an otherwise “extremely positive experience”? Should everyone do as you say and look only at the nice and beautiful things while Marcy is being raped while unconscious in the corner room upstairs? </p>
<p>Way to go with the really really weird and creepy “I am an apologist for violent crime because it affects the perceived reputation of something I personally love” motif. “Except for that rape conviction he was a really loving, intelligent and caring father/son”, and whatnot?</p>
<p>To find out if there is potential problem with sexual assault at any particular college, use a web engine to search for: ‘Clery Act report’ with the name of the institution.</p>
<p>The article states that she said she was “sexually assaulted,” not “raped.” (Something that apparently escaped mikeny5 also.) If you had done any reading about the subject of “sexual assault” you would know that the definition is very broad, but often includes “unwanted touching.” As a woman, I can assure you that every woman who has been the object of “unwanted touching” does not define herself as having been sexually assaulted. Nevertheless, I am not saying that she wasn’t sexually assaulted, I am simply pointing out that she did NOT say that she was raped.</p>
<p>Nor am I saying that it is acceptable for guys to put their hands on women who do not wish them to do so (or vice versa). Most grownups would, I think, agree that a touch such as taking someone’s hand or putting an arm around the shoulders can be easily disengaged and isn’t a problem if not repeated after having been discouraged, while more sexually aggressive actions such as the aforementioned ass-grabbing or putting a hand on someone’s breast are absolutely over the line. In some circumstances, women would call those things sexual assault.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Exactly. Let’s hope you act on it, boys.</p>
<p>Oh, and if any of you think that getting drunk and trying to “cop a feel” as the saying goes is behavior restricted to members of fraternities, you have led a very, very sheltered life. Girls and women have been fending off unwanted advances from males in all kinds of places since time immemorial. (Of course, I know that this is going to be turned into a supposed apology for the behavior, some kind of “boys will be boys” statement. Let me make it clear right now: it isn’t.) </p>