Newspaper Page Text
May 1,1992
Clark Atlanta University Panther
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VI
LIFESTYLES
Student Shares Date Rape Experience
By Nicole Bond
Contributing Writer
A wonderful evening of dinner
and dancing can turn into a night of
terror. Date rape. It can happen to
any woman. It's just as likely to
happen to a board -executive as it is
to a college student. A Clark At
lanta University Sophomore, who
wished to remain anonymous,
shared her own experience with
date rape.
“My date and I were really having
a great time. We had gone out to
dinner and a movie and he asked if
I would like to go back to his apart
ment," she said, “Things were going
really well and we eventually started
kissing. At that point, he started
getting carried away. I asked him to
stop. Then things started getting
even more heated. I started begging
him to stop, lie kept saying, 'You
know you want it, just relax and
enjoy it.’ He seemed to believe what
he was saying and that really scared
me. I tried pushing him off and even
attempted to reason with him. I
realize now that nothing could have
prevented what happened. "It was
totally out of my control."
When asked why she hadn't re
ported the attack, she said, “It would
have been too much of a hassle. I
just couldn't go through with that
[the trial], I wouldn't want my fam
ily to have to go through with the
whole ordeal , mainly my mother.
My morality would be in question,
while my family looked on in mis
ery. And quite frankly, it wouldn't
look too good on my part. I went to
his apartment and even kissed him
willingly. It just seems that the
odds would be against me as a
victim. That's too much, to put my
innocence on a bet. I know I'm not
the only one who feels this way.
How many [women] would actually
do the same if they were in my
predicament?" she asked.
When asked how the attack had
affected her personally, she re
sponded, “I worried myself sick with
guilt and fear. The fear of AIDS, fear
of pregnancy, and the guilt that
maybe I had encouraged the rape
somehow, by dressing a certain way,
letting him kiss me, or whatever.
But it's all a farce.”
She contends that now she real-
Collins To Speak At May
Commencement Exercises
By Dionne Lang
Staff Writer
Educator Marva Collins, who
has gained national recognition for
her outstanding contributions to
education, will address the 1992
graduating class of Clark Atlanta
University at commencement cer
emonies on May 18.
More than 800 hundred
bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral
degrees will be issued at the 10 a.m.
commencement at the Fulton
County Civic Center.
Collins, a 1957 Clark college
alumna, has dedicated her teach
ing career to instill the importance
of excellence in the minds of young
children, many of whom come from
disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Excellence is a lifetime pur
suit,” Collins said. “No one will give
us a road map to excellence. Each
person must be his own leader.”
In 1975 Collins used her last
$5,000 from her pension fund, af
ter 14 years as a Chicago public
school teacher, to establish the
Westside Preparatory School in her
own home.
She later opened a second
school on the city's south side and
is conducting a program to intro
duce her teaching method to the
public school system in Oklahoma.
She has developed a method of
teaching that motivates students to
take responsibility for their educa
tion.
Collins' program encourages
children to study examples of excel
lence and to find their own role
models.
Her new developments in the
field have yielded exemplary results.
She has taken children labeled as
non-learners and disadvantaged
to higher levels and beyond.
Collins holds honorary doctor
ate degrees from nearly 40 colleges
and universities, including Clark
Atlanta University. The educator
also serves on the Bush
administration's Points of Light
Foundation. Her book is entitled
"The Marva Collins Way."
izesthat the attack was not her fault.
The statistics are startling. In
1990 the number of rape cases in
the United States exceeded 100,000.
However, thousands remain unre
ported because women are often
too scared or embarrassed to come
forward. It is estimated that over 2
million women are raped per year.
That's actually 12 women raped
every hour.totalling nearly 300 ev
eryday.
The numbers have been reported
[September 1990 edition of Ebony
Magazine]. Date rape only accounts
for about 7 percent of all rape vic
tims.
Sen. Joseph.Biden Jr. .Chairman
ol the Senate Judiciary Committee,
released a report showing that rape
has reached epidemic proportions.
“American women are in greater
peril now from attack that they
have ever been in the history of our
nation," he said.
In the United States, more women
are now coming forward in astound
ing numbers and reporting date
rape. Some victims feel that expos
ing the rapist discourages future
attacks.
In an interview, featured in the
September 1990 edition oi Ebony
Magazine, Dr. Gail E. Wyatt, a Pro
fessor of Medical Psychology at
UCLA, who has studied numerous
rape cases, said, “African-Ameri
can women are least likely to dis
close sexual assaults. Some rape
victims receive psychological prob
lems for which they never receive
payment for.” She also added that
even years after the actual rape
occurs, some victims continue to
feel depressed, have overall sexual
dysfunctional problems, and avoid
sexual intercourse.
According to the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the average age of
a rapist is 19-years-old.
Lt. Shirley Britton, Commander
of the Sex Crimes Unit of the At
lanta Police Department, said,
“Young people must become knowl
edgeable of the rape issue, starting
as early as elementary school. “We
must teach our young men and
women that rape is an act of vio
lence that will not be tolerated in
today's society. If we can teach our
children that, we can make a great
impact on rape."
Tootie Toots!
Dear Tootie,
I feel like singin' the lyrics to Tracy Spencer’s song Tender Kisses “I’m
so confused and I think I’m gonna ciy tonight...” I have been dating this
guy for a little over a month now. Everything was strictly platonic-that is
until recently. Now the “sex thing” has come up and I'm really nervous. I
like him a lot. He’s good to me and he’s different from all the guys I’ve
known. I’m a virgin. How do I know if he’s ‘THE RIGHT ONE”?
LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN
Dear LAV,
Beware of fly-by-night relationships!!!! Indeed, you have a big
decision on your hands. Losing one’s virginity is a special event that
shouldn’t be shared with just anyone. You should think long and hard
belore making a decision. First, you must search within yourself for any
unanswered questions. “Do I love him?” “What makes him so special?”
“What do I expect out of this relationship?" “Will sex hinder this relation
ship?” and “Will he be there for me after we are intimate?" In this age of
AIDS and the high percentage of single parenting you should also consider
the big picture. Sit down and discuss your feelings with him. Question his
sexual history and ask his opinion on birth control. Find out his views and
opinions about sex. and most importantly sex with you. From there you can
decide if he's the right one.
I can tell by your letter, that you’re totally confused. My personal
opinion is that you wait a while longer before deciding. You've only known
this guy a month. Give it some time. Really get to know him. Time can help
you make this crucial decision. Losing your virginity should be a beautiful
memory not a horrible nightmare, don’t rush into anything you’ll regret.
Believe me, in time you'll know if he's ‘THE RIGHT ONE!”
TOOTIE