Located in a high-crime metropolitan area and permeated with extraordinary academic minds, Washington University’s bubble-like environment seems almost unreal. But there is definitely comfort in that, says an anonymous junior female in the Olin School of Business: “It just never crossed my mind. It never occurred to me that someone at this school would attempt to [rape someone].”

As positive as it is that very few students feel sexually threatened on or off campus, perhaps this bubble-like mentality can also lead to an increase in sexually compromising situations, maybe even without the victim’s awareness. As one anonymous senior female professed, “I think it happens way too often for it to be ignored. People just don’t see it. They are like hey—look: I just got handed a drink!” And that is where the process of date or acquaintance rape often starts. Awareness and education, as with any social issue, is the key to prevention.

So how does date rape typically occur in a party or social situation? According to professor and clinical psychologist Felicia Romeo of Florida Atlantic University, a date rape perpetrator will first attempt to isolate the victim from his or her peers or social surroundings, with or without administering drugs or alcohol. The drugs normally used in date rape situations are Rohypnol (“roofies”), Gamma Hydrobutrate (“g-juice” or “GHB”) and Ketamine (“Special K”). All of these drugs work especially well for sexual assault perpetrators in that they can all be easily ground into colorless powders that dissolve seamlessly into alcoholic beverages. Even beyond date rape and loss of consciousness, these drugs, when combined with alcohol, can all result in death. Although GHB takes about 30 minutes to affect one’s system, Ketamine and Rohypnol act almost instantly. Both Ketamine and GHB are legal (although they are tightly distributed through prescription only) in the United States.

But are these drugs “real” in our Wash. U. bubble? Although those involved in positive social groups such as S.A.R.A.H.  (Sexual Assault and Rape Anonymous Helpline), Uncle Joe’s or R.A. programs verify their existence and even significance in party situations, many fraternity members contend that it “just doesn’t happen.” One member of an off-campus fraternity even questioned if any Wash. U. students were able to gain access to such drugs or if they would go out of their way to try to access these illicit substances. When asked if any fraternity members have ever expressed “crossing the line” with a girl or using substance to initiate sexual encounters, an anonymous senior from an on-campus fraternity merely remarked: “Wash. U. students don’t have enough sex to begin with to start venturing into the date rape scene.” Another anonymous senior quaffed, “My brothers? Never. Their brothers? Never. To be in the company of a woman, whether or not either of us is lubricated by alcohol, is something that most Wash. U. [males] cherish—given that this is a rare occurrence.”

Is it true, however, that a relatively tame and inexperienced sexual community prevents date rape? Perhaps not. With our bountiful reservoir of services like S.A.R.A.H., Student Health Services and even WUPD that support date rape victims and promote prevention, the existence of date rape and acquaintance rape at Wash. U. must be a reality. Nonconsensual and “gray-area” sexual situations do occur, but perhaps they are underreported due to their supposed rare incidence or the victim’s lack of knowledge. More specifically, those without much sexual experience may find themselves in compromising sexual situations and not be aware of how to handle them. As a consequence of such compromising situations, victims feel guilt and shame but are often unable to articulate what happened. Was it rape, or was it just a misunderstanding? These experiences go unreported, and the occurrence of date rape remains elusive, right here in our Wash. U. bubble.

The news that Kim Webb will lead a new Office of Community Health and Sexual Assault Services next year is long overdue.

For far too many years, the University has had no centralized way of coordinating the campus’s violence prevention and survivor support networks. Our community remains woefully unprepared to handle the needs of the victims and survivors of sexual assault, both objectively and compared to our peer institutions. Student organizations like the Sexual Assault and Rape Actions Hotline (S.A.R.A.H), the Committee Organized on Rape Education (C.O.R.E) and Men Organized for Rape Education (M.O.R.E) have collectively made significant contributions to the campus culture; their achievements, however, have been tempered by the absence of clear support from the University’s central administration. Webb’s office will be vital in resolving each of these problems.

The new position will help centralize and streamline the violence prevention and education efforts on campus. It will give survivors a clear way to navigate the network of clinical and legal resources that already exist in Student Health Services and the Washington University Police Department, respectively. It will send a clear message to students, faculty and staff that sexual assault is a serious problem that cuts across our campus, requiring community-wide action. But it will not—and must not—be an end to the conversation about sexual and relationship violence.

The most recent study of sexual assault prevalence at Washington University reveals the same horrifying reality as at every institution of higher education around the nation: One in four female students will survive rape or attempted rape during their time on campus. Given this reality, Webb must hit the ground running when she begins her new position on June 1. Beginning on her first day of work, Webb will have approximately two-and-a-half months to prepare for freshman orientation; although she may be tempted to spend the summer acclimating to campus, Webb must spend it working hard to prepare for what is statistically the most dangerous time for new students. In her job, she will need to be creative, innovative and at times forceful. She must challenge our community’s definition of itself and strip away the assumptions that make sexual and relationship violence endemic on campus.

Webb must learn from the lengthy process that has led to her hiring. Like most institutions, the University operates at a glacial pace. The nature of Webb’s job will often put her at odds with the way in which both students and the administration have behaved in the past; nevertheless, she must remain resolute and rock the boat when necessary.

The most important determinant of Webb’s success will be the degree to which our campus participates in efforts to reduce sexual violence alongside her own attempts. This problem affects our entire community and the solution is similarly communal. Together, students, faculty and staff must be willing to support survivors who come forward, speak out when they see high-risk situations and recognize sexual assault prevention as the priority that it must be.

As a member of the Washington University community, I find it deeply alarming that ignorant, hurtful statements like this are included with suggestions for Halloween costumes. The 2007 American College Health Association’s survey of Wash. U.’s campus revealed that 11.4 percent of Wash. U. women and 6.5 percent of Wash. U. men have been in emotionally abusive relationships in the last 12 months. That adds up to hundreds of men and women on this campus being victimized by their partners. Right here at Wash. U. The survey also showed that between 0.5 percent and 0.7 percent of students report being in physically or sexually abusive relationships. It is important to note that these numbers, like all numbers involving sexual assault and relationship violence, are under-representations because survivors of these crimes are unlikely to report. Surveys of colleges nationwide reveal that nearly one quarter of students experience physical violence in a relationship in college. Of course, just one student being victimized—emotionally or physically—by his or her partner is far too many.

I understand that Spera was trying to be funny. Humor is not a bad thing—I’m kind of a fan. The problem comes when the humor actively and willfully contributes to the oppression of a group, especially to an already traumatized and victimized group, for absolutely no reason. What is to be gained by poking fun at Rihanna’s face being pummeled by Chris Brown? Where is the humor in that? The reason Spera’s comment comes vaguely close to almost being socially acceptable is that relationship violence is a largely invisible crime, especially on college campuses. That is why many students may be shocked (and hopefully outraged) to find out that a sizeable percentage of their peers have been abused by a partner. When we joke about domestic violence, about a man beating the crap out of his girlfriend, it makes her suffering seem trivial, which only serves to minimize the trauma that survivors experience. Survivors of abuse have enough to deal with. There is no reason to add insult to physical and emotional injury by mocking their pain. We need to stand up and show our peers that we are willing and able to discuss these issues in a mature and understanding way so that those of us who are in violent relationships can feel comfortable asking for support. After all, if we can mock Rihanna for getting beaten bloody, how are we going to treat our peers whose injuries are not so conspicuous?

I would also like to remind everyone that the Sexual Assault and Rape Anonymous Helpline (S.A.R.A.H.) is available 24 hours to be a listening ear for any member of the community. It can be reached at (314) 935-8080.

Bobby is a senior in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at bobharvey7@gmail.com.