SGA to host sexual assault panel, IFC members expected to attend

<p>Student Government Association senators meet for student senate in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center in Cardinal Hall B. <strong>Sara Barker, DN</strong></p>

Student Government Association senators meet for student senate in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center in Cardinal Hall B. Sara Barker, DN

When: Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.

Where: L.A. Pittenger Student Center, room 310

What: Legal issues surrounding sexual assault

Panelists include:

  • Shelby Looper, Muncie Police victim advocate 
  • Courtney Jarrett, women’s and gender studies professor and associate director of Disability Services 
  • Shelby Leveritt, Feminists for Action president
  • Corinne Lankowicz, Step In. Speak Up. president
  • Rachael Smith, Title IX

A panel about sexual assault will be one of the events members of the Interfraternity Council have an option to attend before their social probation ends.

Hosted by the Student Government Association, the Nov. 9 panel will cover the legal side of sexual assault, SGA secretary of social justice Kandace Grimme said.

“I feel like a lot of people just don’t know about the legal process, and there’s just a lot of stigma behind it,” Grimme said. “So, hopefully, since we’re having audience participation, they can get all their questions answered.”

About eight representatives from both campus and the Muncie community have been invited to speak. Grimme said panelists include:

  •  Shelby Looper, Muncie Police victim advocate 
  •  Courtney Jarett, Women and gender studies professor and associate director of Disability Services 
  • Shelby Leveritt, Feminists for Action president 
  •  Corinne Lankowicz, president of Step In. Speak Up. 
  • Rachel Smith, Title IX

Though both Grimme and SGA secretary Lizzie Ford began organizing the panel over the summer, two factors made it happen next week — the timeliness of the IFC social probation and counseling center staff availability.

Because of the sensitive nature of sexual assault, Grimme said finding a time counselors could attend the panel was the “main issue” in scheduling it.

Ford agreed and said this timing may also help IFC.

“We postponed it a little bit just because we felt like this would be the right time now,” Ford said.

Although no other plans are concrete yet, Ford said more events IFC members can attend hosted by SGA are “in the planning stages.”

After an interview with WCRD and Newslink Indiana last week, SGA president Greg Carbó said he hopes to see support of IFC members through hosting events like this one.

"SGA would be more than willing to work with chapters about getting their feedback but also working with them explaining and answering all their questions," Carbó said. "Any of these sexual assault or alcohol prevention or bystander intervention training — we really want to be a part of. So whatever part we can play, we are going to."

The panel also supports OPTiC’s mental health initiative platform point and is the “first of many” social justice events SGA will host, Ford said.

The panel, which is open to the public, will be at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, room 310.

Contact Sara Barker with comments at slbarker3@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @sarabarker326.

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