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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015 I SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 I © 2015 STUDENT MEDIA I ©THEBATTONLINE
A&M sees an uptick
in reported sexual
assaults, but how
many stay quiet?
By Aimee Breaux
The national
Programs, resources at
A&M work to comply
with Title IX standards
in higher education
By Jennifer Reiley
GUEST COLUMN
Survivor: ‘Ready
for the day when
all of us can
breathe easily’
■ hile the data show an upward trend of
V reporting, victim advocates on campus
Wm wM say there is still a significant difference in
W Wm the number of sexual assaults and those
that are reported, a disparity fueled by social stigmas.
There were nine instances of sexual assault re
ported to the University Police Department in 2013,
up from six reports in 2012 and three in 2011, ac
cording to a 2014 UPD annual report.
By Student Services’ February count, sexual as
sault, harassment, stalking and dating violence re
ports have increased from eight reports in Fall 2013
to 27 in Fall 2014. By mid Febmary, the count for
Spring 2015 was already 12.
Angela Winkler, assistant director of Student As
sistance Services, said the increase in reports could
be related to Student Assistance Services’ sticker
campaign and the the national media’s attention to
sexual assault on campus.
Risa Bierman, student development specialist at
Student Assistance Services, said many of the reports
she gets come in the form of calls from parents who
are at a loss for how to help their son or daughter.
“Or we’ll get calls from academic advisors, too,
because a lot of students will go into academic advi
sors or faculty and say, ‘I just can’t take this test, I
had this incident that happened over the weekend,’
and the faculty member doesn’t know what to do,
so they’ll call us,” Bierman said.
Stephanie McBride, program coordinator for
Victim Services at UPD, said most people who
REPORT ON PG. 3
exual discrimination, harassment and as
sault — three issues to which the Aggie
community is not immune. The university
works with state and federal governments
to combat sexual violence through the lens of
compliance with Title IX.
Title IX, a federal sex equality law, is part of a
larger piece of legislation, the United States Edu
cation Amendments of 1972. On its fundamental
level, Title IX’s purpose is to protect all people
against anything that stops them from taking part
in educational opportunities on account of their
gender.
In the past, Title IX was used in court cases re
lating to equahty in athletics. It wasn’t until about
20 years ago that another issue began to employ
Title IX more frequently — sexual harassment and
violence cases.
While A&M is not currently under investigation
under Title IX, incidents involving sexual harass
ment or violence continue to crop up. In Spring
2014, there were two reported instances of sexual
harassment, two of sexual assault and two of sexual
abuse. In Fall 2013, there were four reported cases
of sexual harassment, four of sexual abuse and one
of sexual contact.
There are likely more that have not been re
potted. A&M professors and staff said while A&M
has programs in place to assist student and staff,
there are still obstacles that need to be addressed
further.
TITLE IX ON PG. 2
conversation
is centered on
sexual assault
and university
response. At
A&M, resources
tailored to the
issue work to
spread awareness.
Pages 2-5
s
BASEBALL
TRADITION
Win nets best start
for A&M since 1989
Sarah Lane — THE BATTALION
Catcher Mitchell Nau, who leads the team in batting
average, celebrates during the A&M win Tuesday.
By Andre Perrard
T exas A&M protected
its undefeated record in
the friendly confines of Olsen
Field on Tuesday night as the
No. 7 Aggies defeated the UT
Pan-American Broncs 4-1.
It is the best start to the sea
son for A&M since the 1989
team started 26-0.
Texas A&M (17-0) struck
quick. In the first inning,
A&M scored two runs off
RBIs from Hunter Melton
and Nick Banks. After an
other RBI from Michael
Barash, A&M led 3-1 after
five innings of play. Banks
was 2-for-3 on the day with
2 RBIs.
A&M added insurance in
the seventh inning with an
RBI from Banks to extend
the advantage to 4-1 af
ter seven. The bullpen shut
down the Broncs (8-4) from
the fourth inning to the end.
Mark Ecker came on to close
the game in the ninth inning
for his third save of the year.
MORE AT TX.A6/BATT16
Twix, a 16-month-old collie from Ohio, will assume duties as
Reveille IX after being selected from a national search.
‘Twix’ earns honor of
being the next Reveille
By Trey Reeves
Texas A&M’s search for a
new mascot came to an end
Tuesday when Interim Presi
dent Mark Hussey supported
the nomination of “Twix,” a
16-month old female collie from
Overland Collies in Ohio. The
selection continues the tradition
of selecting a purebred collie,
which has been in place since the
selection of Reveille III in 1966.
Twix will become Reveille
IX and begin her duties as the
First Lady of Aggieland and the
highest ranking member of the
Corps of Cadets on May 9.
Tom Reber, interim vice
president for Student Affairs and
chair of the Reveille IX search
committee, said Twix was se
lected over many other qualified
dogs from breeders and shelters
around the United States. Four
finalists were selected from hun
dreds of applicants and were re
viewed by two students and two
vet school faculty members who
reported their recommendations
back to the committee.
Upon receiving the recom
mendation, Twix was invited to
campus to be seen by the entire
committee.
“Everyone agreed it was a
great dog that was well behaved
with good temperament, and
had all the characteristics we
were looking for,” Reber said.
“We then asked the family if
they would donate their dog,
and they agreed. ”
REVEILLE ON PG. 6
Editor's note: The Battalion does not
publish identifying information of rape and
sexual assault victims. The names in this
article were omitted to protect the subjects'
identities.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Are you okay? It just
seemed like the thing to do.”
I turned away. Finally, I said, “It’s okay. I’m
just thinking. It’s been a long day.”
It was 3 a.m. We’d been up talking about
God only knows what. He’d kissed me, but I
didn’t want more. We’d be*m dating for only
a short time, virtual strangers. I was naive
enough to think that he shouldn’t drive back
to his apartment at that hour; it had been a
long football game day, and we were tired
and exhilarated by the victory. At least, I was.
But he was conscious enough to put his hand
around my throat, hard and unforgiving, and
bite my lip until I bled. If I’d had the breath to
say no, I don’t think I could have. I felt empty,
and he pulled my hair, he clutched my throat,
and I was gone, somewhere else. I do not know
where.
Of course there was further context, other
details. But my identity and my past have no
bearing on what happened to me, because it
was something that was done to me, by another
human being. No one asks survivors of robber
ies whether they were asking for it.
I was numb afterwards. Afraid to draw atten
tion to what happened, I deflected his ques
tions, unable to think, somehow, of a way to
ask him to leave. By morning, watching him
sleep, I’d convinced myself that it was a mis-
communication, and that what was done, was
done. I moved on because it was the only thing
I could do to remain emotionally intact; it was
the least complicated option.
But a year later found me racing out of a
lecture on sexual assault, with a constricted,
tight feeling in my throat that wouldn’t leave.
With shaking hands, I dialed HelpLine. I started
seeing a counselor. I saw my doctor, who
explained the legalities. I saw a trusted mentor,
who remains unswervingly supportive. I saw
my friends, who were, many times, the reason
I got out of bed. I kept going to class; this was
nearly all I did.
Now, I still sometimes feel like it’s all I can
do to survive. My experience isn’t uncommon,
nor is it representative of all survivors’ experi
ences, so I can only speak on what I know. I
know that it is not easy to speak up within a
system that is largely distrusting at best. I know
that we must educate ourselves on what consent
looks like, because I wouldn’t wish my pain
on anyone; no daughter, brother, friend, or
stranger. I know that we must rehabilitate our
survivors, conscious that one solution doesn’t fit
all, and we must remember that while I am the
one in five, I am more than a statistic. And I am
ready for a day when all of us can breathe easily.
Anonymous ’16
M. BASKETBALL
Juniors Jalen
Jones and Danuel
House were voted as
All-SEC performers at
the men's basketball
coaches' postseason
awards Tuesday.
House, a transfer
from the University
of Houston, was the
Aggies’ primary scorer
with an average of 14.8
points per game while
shooting 40 percent
from 3-point range.
Jones averaged 13.6
points and a team
leading 6.6 rebounds
on the season.