Hooray for action! Boo hateful sexual aggression language!
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To all Yale students:
On the evening of October 13, 2010, a group of Delta Kappa Epsilon (“DKE”) fraternity pledges shouted offensive words across the Yale campus. They were captured on video on the Old Campus, in a blindfolded rant of sexual aggression.
Last week, President Levin and I denounced their words and called on the fraternity to chart a different course for its future (
http://www.dailybulletin.yale.edu/article.aspx?id=7915 ). Today I met with the national executive director of DKE, Mr. Douglas Lanpher, and I have asked him to keep the organization on probation indefinitely, as that new course and program take shape, not only this year, but beyond. Although DKE is not a registered Yale undergraduate organization, I have acted on behalf of the Yale community in urging Mr. Lanpher to take this action.
Where do we go next? How do we move forward to repair the damage inflicted on our community? How do we prevent sexual violence on campus? Last week, Dean Marichal Gentry requested that the Executive Committee of Yale College investigate the full course of events that evening, in order that questions of hazing, threat, and intimidation all be evaluated. That process, unlike the 24 hour news cycle, is not instantaneous. But while that process unfolds what do we learn from this event?
To start with, the Yale College Dean’s Office, the Inter-cultural Affairs Council, and the Yale College Council will host a panel on Tuesday evening, 8-9:30 p.m., in Sudler Hall, titled
Deconstructing the “DKE Incident”: How, Why, and What Next? Among the faculty who will speak are Professors Richard Bribiescas and Inderpal Grewal, chairs of Anthropology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. We hope that you will attend, and we hope that you will bring your questions and comments to the panel.
Second, I write to bring to your attention the events that the Women’s Center has scheduled as part of
Intimate Partner Violence Awareness Week. Because one in three teens will experience some kind of abuse from an intimate partner, this educational program is particularly important for undergraduate men and women. A list of the scheduled events themselves follows at the end of this email.
Third, as a community we need to look more deeply into the culture of initiations of new members of undergraduate organizations of all kinds. To that end, I’ve asked Judith Krauss, Master of Silliman College and Chair of the Faculty Committee on Athletics, to chair a committee that will look into such practices across organizations, from musical groups to athletic teams, and including those that are not registered organizations. This committee will be comprised of students, faculty, coaches, and staff, and will conduct its work in the spring term this year.
Fourth, I will also appoint a short-term task force to evaluate the many recommendations I have received in the past ten days regarding sexual violence on campus. I will ask this group to explore training practices, along with the feasibility of reaching those students whose behavior and words may abet sexual violence, among peer educators and Yale Health Services educators.
Finally, on a related matter: the Report from the Sexual Misconduct Committee, appointed by the Provost and chaired by Professor Michael Della Rocca report, is now available to the Yale community at
http://provost.yale.edu/news-announcements/report-sexual-misconduct-committee. The report endorses a new, consistent, and more transparent process for dealing with sexual misconduct across the University. I applaud the changes proposed, and I believe they will benefit our entire community. I urge you to read the report, as well as the Yale Daily News’s article about it published last week.
The outcry and calls to action over the past ten days attest to the core values of the Yale community: dignity, personal and community responsibility, and trust. We must use this incident to educate, to listen and learn, and to grow in respect for one another.
Yours truly,
Mary Miller
This Week at the Women’s Center: Intimate Partner Violence Monday, October 25 All Day | Purple Ribbon Day
Look for Women’s Center volunteers outside dining halls with purple ribbons (to raise awareness of intimate partner violence), along with intimate partner violence statistics and warning signs of abusive relationships. Students will be able to take a pledge to support survivors of intimate partner violence and promote healthy relationships.
8 p.m. in the Women’s Center | Pop Culture and Intimate Partner Violence
A discussion about portrayals of intimate partner violence in popular culture. We’ll use the controversial depiction of an abusive relationship in the music video of Eminem’s new song “Love the Way You Lie,” featuring Rihanna, as a starting point for our discussion. We’ll also look at issues of representation in a provocative series of PSAs and consider how they reflect common stereotypes about intimate partner violence.
Tuesday, October 26 7 p.m. in the Women’s Center | Healthy Relationships 101
This workshop will focus on creating healthy relationships built on communication and mutual respect. Workshop topics will include rights and responsibilities within relationships, warning signs of an abusive relationship, and how factors influencing healthy relationships vary across different communities. We’ll also discuss what students can do to help a friend struggling with an abusive relationship.
Thursday, October 28 8 p.m. in the Af-Am House | Break the Silence
A show featuring students from performance groups to benefit the Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven
Also coming up in November Sunday, November 14 1-3 p.m. in Sudler Hall | From Consent to Desire: Sexual Violence and Sexual Culture at Yale
This peer-facilitated workshop will focus on one link between consensual sex and rape: "compliant sex," unwanted but consensual sexual activity. One recent study of college students found that, over a 2-week period, 50% of women and 26% of men in intimate relationships said yes to sexual activity they did not want. In this workshop, students will discuss with their peers why and how such unwanted sex is so common on college campuses, and develop collective strategies for refusing unwanted sex. This workshop will also allow students to explore options for sex at Yale based on communication, mutual desire, and respect.
Tuesday, November 16 5:30 p.m. in the Women’s Center | Intimate Partner Violence in New Haven
This workshop for students involved in community-based work will explore how intimate partner violence impacts a range of local social justice issues—including immigrant rights, healthcare, housing, labor rights, and education. Tracey Parks of the Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven will discuss her agency’s important work and share tools and resources that students can use to support youth and adult community members experiencing intimate partner violence. Dinner will be served.
