CMYK
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS • FOUNDED 1922
VOL.
101
I S S UE 4
reflector.uindy.edu
NOVEMBER 9, 2022
Last year's sex crime stats released 2021-2022 annual Clery Report details reported crimes on, around the university's campus By Michael Harrington BUSINESS MANAGER
Editor’s note: This article may contain upsetting content related to sexual assault, crimes and violence. Please visit your nearest emergency room or call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-6564673 if you need help. The University of Indianapolis released the Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report for the 2021-22 academic school year. The Clery Act requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to disseminate a public security report by Oct. 1 annually, according to the Clery Center’s website. The report details the crimes reported on campus, fire safety measures put in place, steps for reporting crimes and safety efforts. The report of statistics for
reported crimes on campus and in the vicinity, also known as the Clery Security Report, compared the crimes for 2021 to the years 2020 and 2019. The specific sex crimes reported included instances of rape, fondling, stalking, dating violence and domestic violence. According to Page 19 and 26 of the report, there were four rapes reported in 2021 compared to zero in 2020 and six in 2019. Four cases of fondling were reported in 2021, an increase from 2020 (1) and 2019 (3). In 2021, 10 cases of stalking were reported versus 13 in 2020 and seven in 2019. In 2021, six total reported incidents of dating violence occurred compared to six in 2020 and four in 2019. There were no reported instances of domestic violence for 2020 through 2021 and statutory rape or incest on campus for 2019 through 2021. UIndy’s Chief of Police David Selby said it is important to know that the report is always a year behind the current
school year and that the decrease in sex crimes reports is likely due to a decrease in the number of students. “We’re probably looking at a decrease because of a decrease in the number of students that would be on campus,” Selby said. “But we don’t typically have a lot of sexual assault anyway. It really depends on the [incoming] class… what they partake in, where they go to party, [if ] they go [to downtown Indianapolis.]” According to Selby, the number of sex crimes reported also correlates to the consumption of drugs and alcohol on campus. Selby, who has been Chief of Police at the University of Indianapolis since 1993,said he believes there is another reason for crimes occurring on campus. “I want to tell you this, and my colleagues would tell you this: the number of serious crimes we see is because of residents bringing [outside] people onto campus,” Selby said. “Our
Graphic by Breanna Emmett
Title IX coordinator is amazing, but it of depends on the [Title IX Office’s really comes down to the choices you're investigative] board. Whereas expulsion willing to make.” means you’re gone forever.” According to Senior Associate Dean Selby said charges also can be of Students and Title IX Coordinator pressed against the guilty student, Jessica Ward, the decrease in sex-related depending on how comfortable the crimes reported is due to the 2020 victim is about testifying. changes in Title IX regulations. According to Pages 31, 32 and 35 of “August of 2020 is when the new the Clery Report, there are a number of regulations [f rom] the Trump era different measures available to students administration came in,” Ward said. who are victims of sexual misconduct or “Now there has to be a formal hearing, sex crimes on campus, whether. Safety unless it's two students and they can measures that UIndy offers are nocome to an informal resolution, and contact orders, police escorts on campus that has yet to happen. Then that for students, added police presence hearing has to be where they're face to to certain areas of campus, switching face. So could it be campus residences that people don't and adjustments to want to go through class schedules. ...the process is very that process? It “ We have the could be because ability to get people different from [the] process that process is very to victim advocates, it was before." different [f rom] through the the process it was prosecutor's office, before, right?” and they can help The process for preventing and some,”Selby said.“We can do anonymous prosecuting sex crimes includes a reporting; we can do counseling services, system between the UIndy Police we can help get protective orders; we can Department, the Title IX department move people….I’ve had to walk students and the “educational department” to class before.” (presentations conducted by Ward about The next Clery Report will be sexual misconduct and sex crimes), published by Oct. 1, 2023, and will cover according to Selby. reported crimes that took place on campus “You’ve got the efforts the police have and in the near vicinity for the 2022-2023 with alcohol education and personal school year, according to the Clery Act. safety education–we're doing all of “I think it's important for all those things–and then you have Title IX students to know that I'm here, and stuff going on,” Selby said. There's that this is a place they can come and talk police-side of the house, being a victim’s to me about what happened,” Ward advocate and bringing charges. It’s kind of said. “I do a lot of presentations. I a three-legged-stool. It’s the educational would love it if, hopefully, that's helping piece, then it’s the law enforcement piece prevent some of that from happening and then the judicial piece of the puzzle.” to people, too.” Ward said it is very common for To report a crime, students can students found in violation of sexual make a confidential report at the police misconduct to be either suspended or department’s page on the UIndy website expelled from the university, especially or use the Watchdog system by texting if they are found guilty of sexual assault. 67283, sending “UITIP” and including “Suspension means you leave the a message. Students can also obtain a university for a certain amount of time,” listing of Campus Security Authorities Ward said. “That could be two years; it from the UIndy Police Department to could be four years. [It] really just kind report a crime.
2022 hunger, homelessness awareness By Quinn Malcom STAFF WRITER
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (NHHAW ) takes place on Nov. 12-20 this year and is always one week before Thanksgiving. The main idea behind NHHAW is to raise awareness of major issues that the less fortunate face in society, according to the NHHAW’s website. According to the nonprofit organization Feeding America, around 726,020 people in Indiana are facing hunger. The National Center for College Students with Disabilities Clearhousing and Resource Library states that,“Hunger,food insecurity, and homelessness are on the rise among college students across the country. These students are often called ‘disconnected’ or ‘highly mobile’ students, but most of them can be ‘connected’ students with good support and resources.”University of Indianapolis Associate Director of Residence Life Robbie Williford said homelessness and hunger is a problem everywhere. “I think there are things in place, not at UIndy necessarily, but in the world and in the nation that prevent
people from having access to sustainable housing [and] sustainable food sources,” Williford said. According to Students Against Hunger, a study that was completed at the College and University Food Bank Alliance by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, the Student Government Resource Center and the Student Public Interest Research Groups, found that “after surveying college students on food insecurity between March and May 2016… 48% of respondents reported food insecurity in the previous 30 days, including 22% with very low levels of food security that qualify them as hungry.” Associate Director of Inclusive Excellence and Retention Strategy Jolanda Bean thinks that food insecurity is a problem on campus. “It is [a problem] for students… whether you like the food [on campus] or not…you’re required to have [a meal plan]... for students that live in residence halls,” Bean said. There are resources for students if they are struggling with hunger or homelessness at The Terry and Janet Center for Campus Connections, according to Bean. The Terry and Janet
INSIDE: OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 FEATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ENTERTAINMENT. . . . . . . . . 7 RETROSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . 8
Center is located on the second floor of the Schwitzer Student Center in Room 208. “I know that everyone has a different situation and then we really work on [each situation differently]. We will work with housing [and] we will work with other community partners if need be,”Bean said. When it comes to dealing with homelessness on the UIndy campus, Williford said that whenever the university learns that someone on campus may be experiencing homelessness, they first try to connect them to as many resources as possible on campus. “It is more of a collaborative effort and it is dependent on the situation,” Williford said. Bean said that UIndy gives back to campus in many ways, such as providing the students, faculty and staff access to the campus food pantry. “The UIndy Food Pantry [started] maybe a year [or] two years ago… and it is open to anyone at the University of Indianapolis,” Bean said. “[The food pantry is located] at the University Heights Methodist Church.” The pantry is across the street from Esch Hall and the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. The UIndy Food Pantry > See Hunger on Page 3
ABORTION RIGHTS Read about two staff members’ thoughts regarding abortion rights in Indiana on the Opinion Page.
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Graphic by Max Shelburn
CHEMISTRY CLUB & ARCHAIC
“NORA: A DOLL’S HOUSE”
Two clubs have reopened their doors for students on UIndy’s campus: Chemistry Club & ARCHAIC. Read all about these two Registered Student Organizations and their plans for future meetings on Page 6.
The UIndy Department of Theatre is putting on the play “Nora: A Doll’s House” on Nov. 10 through 19. Read about why the department chose this play and what students should expect to see.
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