Koestner provides living lessons
Campus Times
March 27, 1998
cartoon by Stephanie Lesniak
When activist Katie Koestner came to the University of La Verne last
week, something moved the student body -- at least, those who attended.
The 25-year-old Pennsylvania native spoke about her traumatic date rape
experience for nearly two hours in Founders Auditorium and also conducted
a workshop for another hour afterward.
Even though approximately 100 students actually came to hear the speech,
Koestner was powerful in her words. She talked candidly about her rape experience,
her life and stressed to the audience that date rape is a serious issue
that is being ignored and overlooked on college campuses, including La Verne's.
Her speech was based on both facts and opinion.
Koestner explained how her friend, whom she later began dating, raped
her in her dorm room, three weeks into her freshman year at William and
Mary College. After reporting the incident, the school did nothing more
than ban the rapist from her room. What was even more shocking, Koestner's
parents refused to support her, ashamed of what had happened to their daughter.
Koestner had little support, but still pursued her college career and then
went on to inform others about rape.
What was so shocking about the entire evening was the lack of attendance
from faculty. With approximately six members of the ULV faculty present
at this event, we wonder why this issue is constantly being overlooked.
It is because nobody wants to face the fact that date rape has and continues
to occur here.
When the workshop began at 10 p.m. in C-Top at the Oaks, it seemed like
more men than women, and more commuters than residents, showed up to hear
what she had to say. Not only did Koestner give many facts and information
about date rape but this time, she had the group of approximately 40 students
participate in a discussion about what to do if someone they knew had been
raped. Many students voluntarily gave answers to the questions she asked
and shared their thoughts and ideas. Koestner became a good friend and role
model during the workshop.
And what about our student government? The Associated Student Federation
(ASF) Forum allocated $3,000 to Iota Delta Sorority to host this event,
but less than five ASF members actually attended. Even though this was a
program funded for the entire student body, the majority of Iota Delta members
attended for the purpose of trying to educate and inform the La Verne community
about date rape.
Iota Delta adviser Don Morel said, "I think Katie raised some critical
issues that we need to address at ULV."
It is sad that few people cared about Koestner's arrival to speak about
this topic, although, she did inform the audience that at least three ULV
students had told of their own rape experiences previous to her speech.
Those are the cases reported. And what is worse is that she noticed that
not enough people are concerned about rape on this campus, as she saw the
lack of student and faculty presence while she gave her speech.
The fact that she found out about three incidents involving ULV students
in just the short time she was here indicates that date rape is an issue
the ULV community needs to be aware of. In fact, the campus should consider
more preventative measures to protect its students.
"I thought it was fabulous just because it got people talking,"
said senior Stephanie Osborne, president of Iota Delta. "We didn't
want somebody to come in with a scholastic approach. We wanted her to talk
about her real life experience, and she did that."
Students and faculty should realize that rape is a serious crime that
happens everywhere -- even at ULV. We cannot just sweep it under the carpet.
After all, most rape incidents that occur involve people we may know and
trust.
