Northern Arizona University’s student voice since 1914 Vol. 114 Issue 5 | October, 6 2022 — October, 12 2022
NEWS
FEATURES
José Luis Cruz Rivera “My story”: Becoming installed as NAU President a voice for those
WILLIAM COMBS III AU hosted a presidential installation ceremony Sept. 30 where José Luis Cruz Rivera was officially sworn in as the university’s 17th president. The event began at 3 p.m. in the Prochnow Auditorium on north campus. Guests were ushered into the ceremony by an upbeat performance by the Elden Brass Quintet. After finding their seats, the guests were asked to stand as distinguished members of the university and the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) entered the room dressed in their academic regalia. Cruz Rivera and his wife, Rima Brusi, were not far behind. Once everyone was seated, the Army and Air
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Force ROTC color guard performed a presentation of the colors in which they placed a national, state and NAU flag on each corner of the stage. From there on, the ceremony had speeches from the NAU faculty president, the chair of ABOR — Lyndell Manson, the president of ASU — Michael Crow and more who acknowledged the accomplishments of Cruz Rivera with confidence in his ability to lead the university’s next saga. Crow was the keynote speaker at the ceremony. In his 15-minute speech, he spoke of his relationship with Cruz Rivera, the historical significance of the installation and his competency to handle the task of being president. See CRUZ RIVERA on PAGE 5
President José Luis Cruz Rivera converses with an attending guest during his installation reception, Sept. 30. Jonah Graham | The Lumberjack
who were silenced MAKAYLA RICHARDSON
Editor’s Note: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and may be triggering to some. At the time of publication, The Lumberjack staff was in contact with the NAU Title IX office regarding any potential clarifications or updates to the office’s current operations.
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exual assault is the most underreported crime on college campuses. However, there are survivors who choose to share their story in hopes of receiving justice. Megan Campeau, a senior, reported her sexual assault but said justice is impossible due to the mishandling of her case by Title IX. Campeau was raped last October at a fraternity party off campus. She was immediately taken to the Flagstaff Medical Center by a witness to get a forensic exam, a step that NAUPD encourages to be taken within five days of an assault. “I was able to do all the steps that everyone tells you to do in order to be viewed as somewhat valid,” Campeau said. “It was scary. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.” Campeau said she thought available resources would believe her. Instead, she feels she has been subjected to institutional betrayal by Title IX, the organization on campus that advertises itself as a trustworthy resource students can go to after experiencing sexual assault. Campeau filed for a sexual assault case with Title IX. The average sexual assault case is taken care of within 90 days of the report. However, she said she waited for seven months while, she was told, the organization dealt with paperwork. See MY STORY on PAGE 10
NEWS
First in-person Pride 5K held in Flagstaff
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XAVIER JUAREZ
lagstaff hosted the first in-person Pride 5K Oct. 2 at Coconino High School. The race started at 8 a.m. and ended an hour later, with first place going to Yemane Haileselassie. The Pride 5K started in 2020 after COVID-19 caused the founder, Nikki Hiltz, to put their life on pause. “Back in February 2020, I was gearing up for an exciting outdoor track season and a chance to make an Olympic team,” Hiltz wrote on the Pride 5K website. “As we all know, both the outdoor track season and the Olympics were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Hiltz said having the extra time that the stay at home orders afforded allowed them to reevaluate certain aspects of their life and discover their true self. “With my running dreams on hold,
I had time to process, understand and honor my gender identity in ways I hadn’t before,” Hiltz wrote. “Because I didn’t feel comfortable enough to come out, I began to lean into my LGBTQ+ advocacy work, more determined than ever to create safe spaces for queer people.” Since then, Hiltz has held the Pride 5K on a yearly basis, helping to spread awareness and raise money for queer youth. The event has grown each year, and features racers from around the world. Emma Gee, the Pride 5K race codirector said she is passionate about queer mental health awareness, something the the Pride 5K helps raise money for. Since its inception, the Pride 5K has raised over $75,000 for The Trevor Project, Runners gather at the starting line of the Pride 5k race Sunday morning at Coconino a nonprofit organization focused on High School, Oct. 2. Collin Vanderwerf | The Lumberjack See PRIDE on PAGE 6 preventing suicide among queer youth.