STAFF EDIT: Acknowledging assault

The words “sexual assault” on Boston University’s campus have managed to singularly turn the community’s perceptions, reactions and awareness upside down. When news broke that a second hockey player, Max Nicastro, was arrested for alleged sexual assault, BU’s community and its administration began to panic. The men’s hockey team’s reputation was dragged through the mud; the news transcended local news sources and became a national scandal.

So BU found itself in need of a decisive course of action. After this despicable act, questions were asked about BU Athletics and the administration in general. President Robert Brown addressed these concerns in a letter that circulated via email through the university. Here was an opportunity for the university to rectify the perception of sexual assault on campus. Here was an opportunity for Brown to project transparency and honesty with regard to this travesty that affects all of BU’s population, not just the hockey team. Instead, the letter detailed a “task force” which would study the “culture and climate” of the team and its campus-wide influence. The issue, which affect hundreds of students, was belittled, the solution seemingly a sociology experiment of observation. Obviously, we can’t discount the fact that Brown sent an email at all. It’s a step in the right direction to admit there is a problem, but at this stage good intentions are simply not enough. No one knows what the end product of this so-called task force will provide, let alone whether this plan will yield any tangible results.

Furthermore, the light has been shone completely on the perpetrators of sexual assault, leaving the victims further alienated from help or support. Due to the sensitivity of the cases, these victims must remain anonymous. However, nowhere in the letter outlined or acknowledged what could be done to support other victims who have to grapple with such a situation. As the email circulated, Brown was traveling and unable to comment or answer any questions. Given this news story is one of the largest controversies BU has faced in a long time, this false transparency is a slap in the face to many.

As if a hockey team scandal wasn’t enough, evidence surfaced that the Student Health Services help line is atrocious at dealing with phone calls from individuals who demanded to speak to a crisis counselor. According to an article published by The Daily Free Press on Friday, Allison Francis, a College of Communication alumna, was placed on hold and re-directed to different departments despite her stating that she required emergency assistance. The note prompted a reaction from SHS, claiming that it would take this incident as a learning experience to better their service. No individual’s physical or mental cry for help can afford to be taken as a “learning experience.” BU’s inadequacies to prevent and protect its students were disgraceful. Sexual assault is not the equivalent to having a minor cold and should not be prioritized by the help line as such.

One would imagine that the student reaction would be impassioned and infuriated. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Furthermore, the administration’s deficiencies coupled with some student passivity are incredibly disappointing. BU’s adoration for its hockey team is a foundation of the university’s culture that cannot be uprooted over one mistake, regardless of its severity. The administration’s preoccupation with salvaging the team’s reputation externally will only lead to the disintegration of its reputation within the community. Perhaps the sheer size of the student body means that scandals do not carry as much significance, but that is no excuse for ignorance. The answer is not to treat students like children, but to encourage constructive dialogue that doesn’t tip toe around the real issue. Our student body was united when Osama bin Laden was killed, yet when statistics from the United Nations indicate one in three women would be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes, our campus is silent. Clearly, the issue stems from inadequate awareness as to what sexual assault is, and furthermore where victims can go to seek

Assuredly, there are a small percentage of active students who will be eager to pursue this issue. These events will have immense repercussions for the future of BU culture and consequently the tackling of sexual assault on campus.

Despite the horrific circumstances, this situation ensures BU students, faculty and administrative officials have an opportunity to give victims of sexual assault the support they deserve. However, the grim reality remains that this story could be another instance where sexual assault is discussed and gradually forgotten as life returns to some semblance of normalcy. It would be a shameful misfortune if all that came of this public scandal were a few inappropriate memes, rape jokes and an anecdote for friends in schools elsewhere. If the school doesn’t rectify this issue with concrete action, the hockey team’s reputation won’t be the only one in tatters.