Forum on date rape held at St. A's

When students hang out with their friends, whether they know it or not, they will more than likely be in the company of at least one sexual assualt victim. If nothing else, Women Organized Against Rape representative Donnamarie Mazzola said she hopes that those who attended the Delta Psi fraternity acquaintance rape discussion last night remember this. The two-hour long forum, which attracted about 40 University students, addressed the subject of acquaintance rape on campus and in the city. In addition to Mazzola, Dianne Granlund, Philadelphia assistant district attorney and chief of the rape prosecution unit, and John Wylie, a five-year veteran of the University Police force, also spoke at the forum. "There's always a need for education and increased awareness about these issues considering so many people are victimized," Mazzola said. Mazzola presented several rape statistics, including the fact that a rape occurs every six minutes and that one out of every eight female students is a victim of rape or attempted rape while in college. Granlund added that within Philadelphia, only one in four rapes is officially reported and that, according to statistics, women in Philadelphia are twice as likely to be raped by someone they know than by a stranger. Mazzola said that when a male sees an excessively intoxicated female, he has three possible actions to take -- help her get home, ignore her or take advantage of her. Mazzola said she believes "too many" men are taking the third option. According to Wylie, there were two rape cases officially reported at the University last year but almost 100 "informal" reports. "I cannot believe the amount of acquaintance rapes that are going on on campus," he said. Granlund said that to combat acquaintance rape on campus, underlying assumptions must be broadcasted as false. And the speakers reminded students that consent is actively and freely given and cannot be assumed. "Education [about acquaintance rape] has got to be seen as a group and joint effort," Mazzola said. "When guys start telling other guys that rape is unacceptable . . . guys will educate one another." Many of the students at the forum said they found it very informative. "The speakers were really good," said College junior Debbie Jaffe, who added that this was the first time she heard experts speak on the subject. St. A's brother Joe Goldsmith also said he found the forum "incredibly interesting."

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