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News from EcoMobility Changwon 2011
The congress as it happened
Check the congress photo gallery!
Monday 24 October 2011, Day 3
• Information strategies to influence human behavior
Marketing and communication are key tools to promote and sustain positive changes in human behavior. It is not just about augmenting the numbers of cyclists and walkers, it is also about retaining those numbers especially in developing countries where replacement potential is high, said Philippe Crist, Administrator, International Transport Forum.
• The ingredients of the city for people
Not only pedestrians, cyclists and public transit contribute to the perfect recipe for an eco-mobile city: public space is the glue that brings these elements together and determines the success of an integrated, efficient and sustainable urban mobility system.
• Let's walk the talk: the time for bold decisions has come!
Change does not always happen with consensus: local leaders should not be afraid to be pioneers and take formal steps towards EcoMobility implementation.
Sunday 23 October 2011, Day 2
• Real time information for a better urban mobility
How can we use modern technologies to make our cities more sustainable?
Read more
• Use and share it: don't own it!
Many presenters stressed the need to change the ownership approach to urban mobility. The future of cities will be based on shared transportation resources (bike sharing and car sharing).
• Renewables: the way to go for eco-mobile energy needs
If electric vehicles are to be integrated in the EcoMobility solution, their energy needs to come from renewable sources. Read more
• Cities in the spotlight: Challenges workshops and Mayors' roundtable
Local decision makers and experts engaged in panel discussions and workshops highlighting factors, challenges but also achievements while implementing EcoMobility policies. Read more
• Launch of the new EcoMobility Alliance
Changwon City and ICLEI have selected pioneer cities from all over the world which are eager to take on the challenge of becoming cities of EcoMobility excellence. Read more
• Announcement of the EcoMobility Festival project
ICLEI and UN-HABITAT have jointly announced the EcoMobility Festival project. Read more
Check the daily program page where the speakers' presentations are progressively uploaded!
Saturday 22 October 2011, Day 1
• Inversion of the mobility paradigm
We need to build cities around people and not around cars.
Keynote speaker, Gil Penalosa, Executive Director of 8-80 Cities, made an inspiring keynote address, encouraging cities to make fundamental changes in their approach to the challenge of urban mobility towards ecomobile solutions.
• Sharing local best practices Outstanding EcoMobile local governments around the world (Changwon and Seoul, Republic of Korea, Tokyo and Toyama, Japan and Boulder, USA) showcased the steps taken towards sustainable urban transport.
• Key messages of the day: the 3 "I"s
Intermodality, Innovation and Information
Check the daily program page where the speakers' presentations are progressively uploaded!
Check the media page for the EcoMobility Changwon 2011 press release.
Registration open
Dummy header
전체회의는 전세계의 생태교통 관련 우수사례 등에 관한 심도 깊은 발표 및 논의를 제공합니다.
주제별세션은 공영자전거시스템, 생태교통의 혁신방안, 당면과제 극복방안의 3 가지 주제를 중심으로 진행됩니다.
총회프로그램 세션 요약본 다운로드 받기
Participants' information: give us your opinion!
Have you participated in EcoMobility Changwon 2011?
Please dowload here the congress evaluation form: your opinion on the event is important for us.
The congress in your own words: download the feedback form and help us collecting quotes around the key messages of the congress.
Selected media coverage of the event
창원공영자전거시스템 "누비자"
참가자들은 첨단기술과 혁신적인 시스템을 자랑하는 창원시의 공영자전거시스템 '누비자'를 배울 수 있는 기회를 갖게 됩니다.
누비자 홈페이지 바로가기.


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On February 28 2007, mnp13 wrote:I agree 100%. When we go through again (to make a 12+ hour drive a 6 hours drive) we're going to bring the paperwork from the DSO that indicates that we have paid entry fees for all three dogs and the name address and phone number of the place we are going to. It's 4 hours in Canada so we're going to potty, get gas, etc before and after the border. If one of the dogs is not exploding out one end or the other we're not stopping.
On February 28 2007, 14:07, a-bull wrote:Good plan, because you can argue your case to an officer 'til the cows come home, but poop happens.
I could easily imagine a scenario where a dog gets confiscated and put to sleep while some poor owner scrambles for proof---and further, now you're in a different state, with different laws, your only visiting, and so on and so forth.
I see alot of potential for a mess and fatal enforcement errors.
On February 28 2007, Nypitmom24 wrote:Thanks for the info everyone! That's the kind of stuff I was worried about. I'll just pass on it this time around .....
On February 28 2007, 14:27, a-bull wrote:Sad that you need to put your vehicle in stealth mode just to travel to a dog event.
They make you feel and behave like some kind of creepy criminal.
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subset: commoncrawl


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AAA can help you keep your precious cargo safe while on the road.
SafeSeats4Kids.AAA.com is your go-to resource on child passenger safety. Here you will find helpful tips on proper car seat selection and installation, which are important in keeping kids safe while traveling in vehicles. It features expert advice, recall information, how-to videos, state law information, and more! Child passenger safety is one of AAA's traffic safety priorities. Since 2002, AAA clubs across the country have worked to enact stronger child restraint laws in every state and the District of Columbia. AAA continues to be active at the national, state and local levels in promoting child passenger safety through education, advocacy, and research.


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Hi Karel,Originally Posted by carolus
I still think your system is one of the very best I had the opportunity to listen to !
Are your tube amps and cross-over finished ?
Did Bruno came with is Digital amps to your place to make a try ??? (I know you hate them ...)
have a nice day


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Friday fabulous flower - Harbinger of spring1 day ago in The Phytophactor
Book review: The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America3 days ago in The Curious Wavefunction
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Salty and saltier: fast food has more sodium than ever before6 days ago in Genomics, Medicine, and Pseudoscience
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Darwin's First Botanizing Steps Followed His Geological Ones5 weeks ago in History of Geology
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post doc job opportunity on ribosome biochemistry!4 years ago in Protein Evolution and Other Musings
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Lab Rat Moving House7 years ago in Life of a Lab Rat
Goodbye FoS, thanks for all the laughs7 years ago in Disease Prone
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Slideshow of NASA's Stardust-NExT Mission Comet Tempel 1 Flyby8 years ago in The Large Picture Blog
in The Biology Files
Could it Be? An Non-Archosaurian Archosauriform that is Actually a Dinosaur?
Barrett, P. M., and X. Xu. 2012. The enigmatic reptile Pachysuchus imperfectus Young, 1951 from the lower Lufeng Formation (Lower Jurassic) of Yunnan, China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 50:151-159. [Free download here]
Abstract - Phytosaurs are generally considered to have become extinct at the end of the Triassic Period, but several records have suggested that they survived into the basal Jurassic in Europe and Asia. The Asian record consists of Pachysuchus imperfectus from the lower Lufeng Formation (?Hettangian-Sinemurian) of Yunnan, China. However, this specimen differs from phytosaurs in numerous aspects and is more likely a poorly preserved, indeterminate sauropodomorph dinosaur skull. The referred specimens of this species are also regarded as indeterminate, thereby removing the post-Triassic record of phytosaurs from Asia. The European records of Jurassic phytosaurs are also shown to be doubtful, suggesting that this clade was restricted to the Late Triassic.
9 comments:
Other supposed non-dinosaurian archosauriforms that ended up being dinosaurs- "Ornithocheirus" hilsensis, Poekilopleuron, Streptospondylus, Suchosaurus, Scansoriopteryx (ha!) and any bird described by BANDits.ReplyDelete
Very cool paper though. I love when old specimens are re-examined. The abstract's more accurate than your summary though in the sense that Barrett and Xu don't disprove all other Jurassic phytosaurs. While they do show Pachysuchus isn't a phytosaur, and the fragment described by Maisch and Kapitzke (2010) is Triassic, the teeth described by Huene and Mauberge (1954) and "Megalosaurus" terquemi are merely suggested to be similar to Dakosaurus based on personal communication. They might be right these are crocodyliforms insead, but that would need to be shown with actual morphological comparisons and reasons besides stratigraphy that they are more similar to Dakosaurus than to phytosaurs.
Don't forget Cetiosaurus, known to Richard Owen, but not included in his Dinosauria because he thought it was crocodilian.ReplyDelete
By know means was my list meant to be exhaustive. There is also Scutellosaurus from the Kayenta Formation. Osteoderms found were thought to be aetosaur, even as late as 1989, and therefore the Kayenta (including Dilophosaurus) was Triassic. These were later shown by Kevin Padian to belong to Scutellosaurus rather than aetosaurs and thus the Kayenta could be Jurassic.ReplyDelete
Mickey is right that someone should reexamine the Jurassic 'phytosaur' teeth using an apomorphy based approach.
Bill, regarding the Kayenta, I think you mean Scelidosaurus, not Scutellosaurus.ReplyDelete
Right! My mistake.ReplyDelete
- Paul BarrettApril 25, 2012 at 9:02 PM
Talking of apomorphy based approaches, theKayenta scutes are not Scelidosaurus...ReplyDelete
- Paul BarrettApril 25, 2012 at 10:09 PM
Indeterminate thyreophoran ...ReplyDelete
As an interesting (perhaps just to me) aside, have you noticed how often Archosauromorpha lately ends up as a toilet in phylogenetic analyses of diapsids, sucking in numerous odd taxa? ;)ReplyDelete
Markup Key:
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A 28-year-old Huntington Beach woman on Saturday reported that a man grabbed her from behind and pulled her hair as she checked her vehicle's tire pressure, police said.
The woman had pulled over about 4:15 p.m. on Langley and Dixon streets because of what she thought might be low tire pressure, according to Glendale police.
As she checked her tires, a man grabbed her waist and hair and pulled her back, police said.
She quickly turned around and saw a man, who she immediately punched in the face, police said.
The woman then got back into her car and drove into a nearby neighborhood, where she called police.
She suffered a small finger cut from punching the man, police said.
Police were unable to find the man, who she described as male, white or Middle Eastern, 6 feet tall, 30 to 35 years old, with short black hair and a beard, according to reports. He was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans.
-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News
Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.


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STERLING – James Bohms, 81, of Sterling, died Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, at his home. He worked as a laborer at Lawrence Brothers Hardware for 43 years.
James was born Feb. 11, 1931, in Sterling, the son of Herman and Tessie Bohms. He married Lucille Decker on June 3, 1961, in Sterling. James served in the Air Force.
Survivors include his wife, Lucille of Sterling; five daughters, Rita (Vincent) Rausch-Kleckner of Burtrum, Minn., Becky Rausch-Sanders and Betty Bohms-White, both of Sterling, Rene (Kenneth) Rausch-Wright of Rock Falls and Sherry (Buck) Bohms-Thomas of Okeechobee, Fla.; one sister, Ruth Waisner of St. Louis; 13 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, one brother, and one granddaughter.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at McDonald Funeral Home in Rock Falls. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with Pastor Paul Sheley of the One Eighty Church officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Knoll Memorial Park in Sterling.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established.
Visit www.mcdonaldfuneralhomes.com to send condolences.


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Dave Kolesari, Owner of Milwaukee Homesite Inc. and an AHIT Graduate
Kansas home inspection training schools from American Home Inspectors Training Institute are where we offer hands-on home inspection courses in nearby states. We are consistently adding new live courses across the country so please call the admissions department at 1-800-441-9411 if you do not see a Kansas home inspection training course in your driving area..
American Home Inspectors Training Institute has helped thousands of people create successful home inspection careers. We have been teaching for more than 26 years and our instructors collectively have hundreds of years of experience and success in the inspection profession.
Are you looking for the best home inspection training available in Kansas? Individuals come to AHIT from across the country and around the world for the best home inspection training — our home inspection master course.
Our class provides you real-life experience, including field inspections and classroom lab work, and our instructors are unmatched in the profession. Our step-by-step process makes it easy for you to understand and to get your business started.
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Despite the fact that adoption is one of most common social events that frequently take place in the United State of America and in most cases that it is more difficult to access than any other records, the interest never dies down among genealogists to procure bits of data. Online agencies like concerned departments now assist in accessing adoption records and thus help adult adoptees to trace their family history.
Morrill Public Adoption Records Search Tool now guides the genealogists and historians to accumulate massive collection of records and information identified with details about the adoptee and adoptive parents, age at the time of adoption, date and place of adoption, registration details, maiden name of the birth mother (if permissible), race, gender, citizenship, occupation of the adoptive parents, guardianship specifics and the likes. Now access information and specifics to explore your family history and learn about your long-lost forefathers.
Widespread research now can be conducted through Morrill County Public and Vital Records Search tool. The huge database now allows you to you retrieve sequential details and specifics about the most common and essential public and vital records including marriage, divorce, death certificate, census, civil court-case lookups, military, land, obituary, SSN, naturalization, immigration, will & probate records, war specifics and the likes.
To obtain the Nebraska Morrill County Records, please provide the information below. When you fill-up the form, make a note : The more fields you fill in, the more detailed result you will get.
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MONTPELIER — The Vermont Search and Rescue bill, H.182, is moving forward through the Legislature. After substantially bolstering the bill proposed by a summer study committee, the House Government Operations committee last Thursday approved the bill and passed it on to the House Appropriations Committee.
Appropriations the next day voted out the bill with only a minor technical change.


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Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
by Project Dog on 07/03/18 at 11:10 am
Brie was adopted by Gail Sievwright
Comments are closed.
Marvey has been adopted by Geraldine Britz
Pretty little Juli has been adopted by Caroline Durant
Maisha found a wonderful home with Leigh De Wet
Gigi found her happily ever after with Belinda Anderson
Max has been adopted by Belinda Anderson
Cash donations are urgently required, see bank
details below, we also welcome donations of any
of the following items:
* Puppy food
* Toys
* Collars
* Blankets
* Beds or kennels
* De-worming Medication
© Copyright Project Dog, Durban, South Africa. All Rights Reserved.


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Lanent21 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 26 designs submitted by 14 freelance designers.
We launched WearYourBeer.com 5 years ago to carry the largest selection of licensed Beer Brand merchandise.
Today, we have achieved that goal and carry literally thousands of beer brand apparel and merchandise.
We have also since added non-beer merchandise to increase sales and also just because customers asked us to do so. We are still mostly focused on Beer brand products at our site
We are targeting young professionals and beer lovers in general. We have also been working with Bars and event planners lately, and selling our products in bulk
Looking for a creative, fun logo.
Website name must be clearly displayed and legible.
Beer should be somehow involved in the logo.
.com not necessary, but if easy to integrate, please do so.
We are looking to redesign our website based on the logo, so do not worry about the color scheme.
HOWEVER we will either need a logo that can work on both dark backgrounds (see website) and light (invoices, business cards, ads) or we'll need two different versions, one for each.
Final file must be large resolusion PSD suitable for printing and web usage.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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TRIGGER WARNING: This content deals with an account of sexual assault and may be triggering to some people.
When you're being raped time does not stop. Time does not speed up and jump ahead like it does when you are with friends. Instead, time becomes your nemesis; it slows to such an excruciating pace that every second becomes an hour, every minute a year, and the rape becomes a lifetime.
On May 25, 2011, I was raped by an acquaintance in Crossett Dormitory on Amherst College campus.
Some nights I can still hear the sounds of his roommates on the other side of the door, unknowingly talking and joking as I was held down; it is far from a pleasant wakeup call.
I had always fancied myself a strong, no-nonsense woman, whose intense independence was cultivated by seventeen harrowing years of emotional abuse in my backwoods home. May 25th temporarily shattered that self-image and left me feeling like the broken victim that I had never wanted to be.
Everything I had believed myself to be was gone in 30 minutes.
I did not report the rape after it occurred. Almost immediately after the rape I flew off to California, got lost in the beauty of the redwoods, the phenomenal art, and meeting the most unique people I'd ever beheld.
I blocked the rape from my mind and tried to convince myself that it hadn't happened; that it couldn't have happened. But there was no denying the facts.
One week before I was supposed to fly back East, everything rushed over and consumed me. My memory had been restored and I wasn't sure how I would be able to hold myself together for that year, let alone for the upcoming three years.
When I returned to Amherst for my sophomore year, I designed a simple plan of attack for surviving: Business as usual combined with a new mantra I will NOT cry.
First semester passed relatively well, there were rocky times, but I kept it together. I masked fear with smiles. I mastered the art of avoiding prying questions. I drowned myself in work and extracurricular activities in order to hide my personal pain. I was unnervingly good at playing the role of well-adjusted sophomore.
It was inevitable though that this masquerade would become too overwhelming and that my façade would shatter.
In February twisted fate decided that I had to work with him on a fundraiser. E-mails. Stopping me in the gym and at the dining hall. Smirks. Winks. Pats on my back. It was all too much.
My masquerade was over.
I broke down and for the next several months, he won.
I spent most of my spring semester an emotional wreck. I saw his face everywhere I went. I heard his voice mocking me in my own head. I imagined new rapists hiding behind every shower curtain and potted plant. I bandaged the situation by throwing myself into more work and by resolutely refusing to acknowledge that I was anything but well adjusted.
Eventually I reached a dangerously low point, and, in my despondency, began going to the campus' sexual assault counselor. In short I was told: No you can't change dorms, there are too many students right now. Pressing charges would be useless, he's about to graduate, there's not much we can do. Are you SURE it was rape? It might have just been a bad hookup…You should forgive and forget.
How are you supposed to forget the worst night of your life?
I didn't know what to do any more. For four months I continued wandering around campus, distancing from my friends, and going to counseling center. I was continuously told that I had to forgive him, that I was crazy for being scared on campus, and that there was nothing that could be done. They told me: We can report your rape as a statistic, you know for records, but I don't recommend that you go through a disciplinary hearing. It would be you, a faculty advisor of your choice, him, and a faculty advisor of his choice in a room where you would be trying to prove that he raped you. You have no physical evidence, it wouldn't get you very far to do this.
Hours locked in a room with him and being called a liar about being raped? No thank you, I could barely handle seeing him from the opposite end of campus; I knew I couldn't handle that level of negativity.
When May rolled around, everything finally came to a head. My "Anniversary" was coming up and all of the terror that I had intermittently felt that year became one giant ball of horror that filled my life. He was still out there. He could get to me again. If I told anyone he would find out and do it again. No, no, no, no, no.
For my independent studies photography course I produced a series of 20 self-portraits representing myself before, during, and after the rape.
I showed them to my classmates. Their words stung like hornets: You look funny…I don't get it, why are you so upset?
I went to the counseling center, as they always tell you to do, and spoke about how genuinely sad I was at Amherst, how much I wanted to leave, and how scared I was on a daily basis. "I should just drink darkroom developer or something…"
Twenty minutes later campus police was escorting me into an ambulance. They were even less understanding: There's something seriously wrong with you; you're not healthy and normal right now. No, you can't say no. You HAVE to go, but don't worry, you won't have to be there too long. This is for your own good. Amherst cares about you and wants you to get better.
On May 5th I entered Cooley Dickinson Hospital's Emergency Room. Three hours after sitting curled up and terrified on a hospital bed I was admitted into the Psychiatric Ward for depression and suicidal thoughts. The doctor was skeptical to say the least: I really don't think that a school like Amherst would allow you to be raped. And why didn't you tell anybody? That just doesn't make any sense...Your anger and sadness right now seem unfounded and irrational, someone your age should not be this sad—it's not normal. We'll be admitting you in a few minutes, they'll take good care of you. They'll get you some drugs and they'll make you feel happy again…If you don't willingly enter we'll have a judge issue a court order legally forcing you to stay there. Trust us, this is for your own good.
So much for not having to stay.
The Psychiatric Ward was a lovely place: the top floor of the hospital, bare white walls, Spartan furnishings, and two stainless steel locked doors at either end of the corridor making sure that anyone who goes in, stays in. Doctors and Nurse Practitioners wondered around the bare hallways checking in on myself and my fellow patients—every fifteen minutes they recorded where we were, what we were doing, and whether we looked happy. In the morning we were given our drugs; if you didn't take them you would have to be there longer. It was in our best interest to take them, so they told us.
During the day we discussed our thoughts and feelings, our inhibitions, our strengths, but more often than not we did nothing.
When you're forced to sit and think about yourself for hours on end, you go through four stages of existence.
Stage 1: Hysteria—Characterized by denying that anything is wrong, "I'm perfectly fine" and "I don't belong here," are common phrases during this stage.
Stage 2: Numb and Ornery—You have finally realized that something is wrong with you, but you are overwhelmed and confused about how to go about fixing your problem. You therefore decide not to do anything.
Stage 3: Determination—You realize that the only way you're allowed to leave the Ward is if you "get better" and "solve your problems." Every fiber of your being thus goes into these two tasks.
Stage 4: Enlightenment—Everything falls into place. Your mind is no longer an oppressive hell and it begins to function again. The outside world no longer seems so daunting.
You are then permitted to leave.
My Enlightenment occurred when I least expected it. Four days into the Ward, I was sitting in on an introductory Substance Abuse and Mental Health Rehabilitation meeting since there was absolutely nothing better to do. To start us off, the meeting leader decided to have everyone go around and talk about why we were on the Ward. We went around the circle: hours in rehab, drug relapses, alcoholism, abusive boyfriends, being an abusive boyfriend, and escapism from the stresses of daily life. The stories weren't the superficial accounts that you read in a person's medical file; they were real life. Every problem, every ounce of frustration, every personal tick was laid bare that evening. And everyone was open, not proud, just blunt and sincere; the desire to improve their lives was palpable.
Over the past four days, I had yet to touch upon "what I was in for," my story was a mystery to everyone around me.
As my fellow patients went around the circle it all suddenly clicked. I realized why I never spoke about the rape, why I had refused to tell my school friends, why I had totally broken down, why I had steadily degenerated over the past few months. I was ashamed, and because of this shame I could not begin healing.
"Silence has the rusty taste of shame," a fellow survivor once wrote.
I had been far too silent, far too ashamed.
That night I told them everything.
For the first time I told my story and I was not ashamed.
Later that night, as I lay in bed—still in an adrenaline induced state of wakefulness—I heard my roommate whisper my name, and then, a question.
"Are you still awake?"
"Thought so…"
A long pause. She'd been in the meeting.
What was she thinking? What would she say?
"I just wanted to tell you, I…I know how it feels. My uncle raped me when I was 15. The police never arrested him. Rape "wasn't their top priority." It still hurts…You're incredibly brave to talk about it…I rarely do."
She was 42 years old.
I did not sleep. That night I realized that from then on I could not stay silent—if not for myself, then for my roommate.
I had reached the apex of Stage 4.
I decided that once I was released I would continue with my plans to study abroad that upcoming semester; I would be rejuvenated when I returned to campus in the winter, ready to take on the world and fight for survivor rights.
I would be strong again.
From the moment I woke, this plan hit one pitfall after another; a domino effect of roadblocks that continued for the next three months.
I sat at breakfast in bright spirits, attempting to carry on a conversation with a manic depressive woman who rarely talked. I was so genuinely happy that her lack of responses didn't even bother me—I just talked at her.
In the middle of my stimulating conversation my harried looking social worker suddenly strode into the dining room and headed purposefully over to me.
She looked grim and angry. "They're trying to prevent you from going back."
I was shocked.
She began rattling off the Administration's policy regarding students released from psychiatric care. In order for students to be allowed back they had to have parental supervision while on campus in order to make sure that the student did not relapse into substance abuse again (the most common reason for student admittance into the Ward). This meant that a parent would stay in a hotel near campus and would then follow their child around for two weeks until the "all clear" period was reached. "And since you don't have parents…"
She trailed off awkwardly and began to resolutely examine the upper left-hand corner of the dining room.
I must have been speechless for a good minute as a bizarre series of emotions plowed me over.
Shock to incredulity, back to shock, to sadness to anger, back to shock again, then back to sadness, and then an overwhelming amount of shame and embarrassment settled over me. I'm not worthy of even going back; that's how disgusting I am. I can't even step foot on campus…
Panic welled up inside of me.
Did this mean I was trapped on the Ward forever? God, no, I couldn't handle that. I wasn't crazy!
Claustrophobia and paranoia dropped on top of me and I wildly scanned the room. I met my roommate's eyes. She was looking at me with worry: What's wrong?
The room stopped spinning, the walls went back to their normal locations, I could breathe again, and now I was angry. I told her flat out: Let me get this straight. I was raped on their campus. I had an emotional breakdown because I didn't feel safe and felt harassed on their campus. I went to their counseling center, like they told me to, and I told them how I was feeling. They decided that I should be sent to the hospital. And now they won't allow me back on their campus? They allow rapists back on campus, but they won't allow the girl who was raped back? The girl who did nothing wrong.
She told me: Well, when you put it that way…
The maniacal grin on my social worker's face as she walked off was wonderful.
Needless to say, Amherst let me back on campus later that evening. Five days after being admitted, I was finally released from the Ward.
The car ride back to campus with my dean was, also needless to say, the most awkward car ride of my life. I looked at her: You know, I'm really glad that y'all let me back on campus, for a while there I was pretty worried and I was actually preparing an argument for why I should be allowed back…
Her response: No, no, no! That's not what happened, you must have just misunderstood the situation! We're so happy to have you back! Amherst is just such a wonderful place, we know you'll be happy to be back!
A big misunderstanding, I was skeptical.
In the following days I decided that my best policy when dealing with Amherst at the moment would be "let's let bygones be bygones." I quickly forgave the Administration and focused on just being happy to be out. On the inside though I was still dripping with anger, shame, and embarrassment.
Several days after my release I had to defend my chance to study abroad. My chance to leave campus for the first time in 8 months, my chance to relax and heal in a new environment, my biggest chance to revive my love of Amherst, and my chance to move on in life by studying what I truly love. The prospect had gotten me through the most frigid hours on the Ward and I was convinced that it would be the perfect way to continue my healing process.
I half-heartedly murmured, Your actions were understandable. I understand your policy when dealing with depression and students coming out of the Psychiatric Ward…during the meeting that included my dean and several of the campus counselors. Relief instantly flashed across all of their faces and the atmosphere rose in friendliness.
Then: The Ward was the best thing that could have happened to me. I have re-found my love of life and my desire to heal. I will never be 100% better, but I no longer feel like a victim. I'm a survivor, I'm strong, and I think that studying abroad will help me continue healing. When I return in the winter I'll have a greater understanding of myself and a greater appreciation of Amherst.
They responded with enthusiasm: Of course! Very coherent explanation. You seem much happier, which is wonderful! We agree that going abroad and getting off campus will do you good.
Study abroad here I come!
I felt genuinely happy for the first time in a year, and I could not wait to head out.
At Amherst though, things are never that easy.
A few weeks after my release from the Ward I had a routine check-in with my dean to make sure that I was still doing well. I was excited to be leaving soon, and I must have looked quite content, sitting in her office with a million watt smile and bright eyes. I began to rattle on about how nice the warm weather was, how beautiful commencement had been, how great life was, on and on. She seemed distracted: Nod, nod…Mhmmm…Well, excellent! I'm so glad to hear that you're excited about the upcoming summer here. I know how much you wanted to study abroad and how much work you must've put into it, but really, it's for the best. Africa is quite traumatizing, what with those horrible third-world conditions: disease…huts…lions! You'll be much better off here at Amherst where we can watch over you. It will give you some time to think about…you know…that…unfortunate incident…
My face was blank. "I'm supposed to go to Cape Town, South Africa…" Her response broke me down: Yes dear, I know. You were supposed to study in Africa. It's all for the best that you aren't though.
No one ever told me flat out that I would no longer be studying abroad. Not even the study abroad dean told me. I scheduled a meeting with her for two days after the meeting with my dean.
A few minutes after exchanging pleasantries she asked: What are your plans for the summer now that you're on campus?
For the month of June I was decrepit, nothing could perk me up. I returned to feeling the embarrassment and shame that had consumed me before going onto the Ward. If I hadn't told anyone about what happened I'd be abroad…If I had been stronger…If I wasn't such a failure…This is all my fault, I really am just a broken, polluted piece of shit…
Living was difficult. Each day I woke up and wandered around in a daze. At night I stared blank faced at a wall and curled up in my chair in a fetal position. I couldn't talk with people. If I talk with them they might become infected with my dirtiness.
I stopped eating. I stopped sleeping. I secretly hoped that one day on a run my heart would just stop and no one would have to see me again. I wasn't worth anything anyway.
I continued having to meet with my dean; she blamed my sadness on not being allowed to study abroad, but I knew that it wasn't that simple. I could live with not being allowed to go to South Africa at the moment, the country would be there for a while, but being forced to stay on campus in a dorm populated with men I did not know, that was the real psychological issue. Every time I told my dean that I didn't feel safe on campus, that I wanted to be allowed to leave , or at least be put in a different dorm, I received the same unhelpful responses that I had received in February. They told me: You were lucky to be given a room here this summer in the first place, housing is tight right now and you really shouldn't complain. All of your fear is ungrounded, Amherst is one of the safest places imaginable…If we let you leave campus we won't know what mental and emotional place you'll exist in when you return in September; you could become completely unstable! At Amherst we can monitor you, and, if need be, strongly suggest time off when the school year rolls around…
I felt like a prisoner, or, more accurately, like a harem girl. My jail was luxurious and openair, I was free to move about, the ruling power judged my worth on a weekly basis, and I was constantly reminded how lucky I was to be there.
One night, after a particularly rough meeting with my dean (I just don't understand why you've been so angry throughout all of this. You have no reason to be angry about anything.), I was curled up on my floor—I wasn't thinking, I didn't feel anything.
I went over to the mirror on the back of my door and stared. What had happened to the girl who had come off of the Ward so empowered and strong; the girl who decided to no longer be silent and feel shamed? Where had she gone?
I went over to my desk and picked up a brochure I had been given about a survivor center at UMass Amherst. I gave an exaggerated sigh. Might as well…I called the number and made an appointment for the next day.
I went back to the mirror and stared at myself again.
For the next 15 minutes I repeated: "Silence has the rusty taste of shame."
I walked over to my computer, typed up an email, hesitated for a second, and then pressed send.
I had just sent my entire sports team an email-rant about my rape and subsequent breakdown at the end of spring.
It was about time people began to realize that Amherst wasn't just majestic dorms and world-class professors.
It was about time I resumed the silent pact that I had made to my roommate on the Ward.
I will not be quiet.
The next few weeks were a blur of unending days spent resolutely working to feel better (A friend told me: You can't help other people if you feel like shit).
I was able to sleep again. I ate more. I went to free therapy sessions. I wrote and mindlessly colored in order to ground myself. I obsessively made lists of all the things imaginable. I joined a survivor group. I cried less and smiled a bit more.
I started healing.
It took a month of hard work until I was noticeably doing better. My friends, my therapist, my coworkers, and my fellow survivor group members all started commenting on how much healthier and happier I looked. I still felt uncomfortable and oppressed while surrounded by men on campus, but I was no longer afraid to leave my room after 7 p.m. I was determined to love Amherst again.
Life was tolerable.
Early July and I had another meeting with my dean: You look like you're doing better today. Well done, I'm so glad to see this kind of improvement! I think it's safe to assume that you can come back next semester, and in that regard I think that it's time that we talk about your time at Amherst over the next two years…I know you want to do African Studies through the Five Colleges, but I don't think I can support that decision. Africa is very traumatizing and I think that studying Africa is just a way for you to relive your real-life traumas; it's just not a good place to be studying.
Over the next thirty minutes several more restrictions were laid out: no Five College classes this upcoming year, no study abroad in the spring, definitely no senior year thesis, I would have to meet with a counselor twice a week, and friends off campus would have to be pushed to the wayside. She told me: Amherst is the only place that matters, and, really, you don't have a family, so where else would you go? Amherst is the only place that you can be.
At the end of our conversation I grunted out a vapid response and headed straight to my room. I sat on my bed, million-mile-gazed at the wall, and thought.
What was the point of staying at Amherst? I had been stuck on campus for eleven months straight; each day had been more challenging and emotionally draining than the previous one. I had been feeling better recently, but each time I met with my dean I felt more emotionally distraught than I had beforehand. Her comments reminded me that in the Administration's eyes I was the most base individual: a poor and parentless humanities major who was the school's token-Deep-Southerner. I was sullied, blameworthy, and possibly insane.
I made a Pros and Cons of Amherst List.
The Pro List had seven items.
The Con List had twenty-three items.
On July 14th I made one of the hardest decisions of my life.
I was going to withdraw from Amherst.
That next week I threw myself into finding a way out. Plans were made, plans were broken, Plan B was made, and finally Plan B was successful!
I did not tell the Administration for fear that they would somehow sabotage me. It was probably paranoid, but after being prevented from leaving campus multiple times I was not going to take any chances. The conversation went similarly to this:
"I'm withdrawing from Amherst."
That was my greeting to my dean when I met with her in late July.
The look of complete shock on her face was priceless. When she recovered: So you're taking a semester off? That's perfectly ok, many survivors do, I think it's best that you do what you…
No, I'm withdrawing, permanently. I ain't planning on ever coming back. I'm going to transfer to another school after taking a semester off to travel around.
You can't…You…Nobody withdraws. Where are you going to go? You don't have parents. What are you going to do?
I'm working on a Dude Ranch in Wyoming.
…I didn't think you'd be able to figure out a plan…Well, we technically won't withdraw you from the school until three years have passed. After three years we'll double-check to make sure that you really want to withdraw and then we'll remove you from our current-students system.
No, I just want you to withdraw me. I don't want to come back, I don't want to be affiliated with your school anymore. I'm sick of this place.
I think you need to meet with our sexual assault counselor again, you're way too angry right now and not thinking clearly. I have a feeling you'll change your mind and come back. Amherst is one of the best schools out there, it will be a transfer down unless you go to an Ivy…
You know, I have I feeling that I won't want to come back, but that's just a hunch.
As my dean suggested, I met with our sexual assault counselor a few days later. The meeting was uncharacterizeable by one word, but bizarre might be the closest description: This is a bad idea, you're not thinking straight.
I didn't understand this. I'd been thinking about this for quite a while; I was unhappy at Amherst and I didn't understand why I should stay at a place where I was absolutely miserable. There are other places in the world.
The next two hours was a hodgepodge of topics: Your lack of parental support makes you emotionally volatile and prevents you from following through with decisions that you make.
Apparently I had decided not to study abroad. Then there was bizarre 'concern:'You don't look very healthy. Have you been eating? I think you might have an eating disorder. You know there's a great clinic in Northhampton where we can send you for in-patient eating disorder treatment.
I don't have an eating disorder; I used to have one, I know what they're like. I don't eat a lot because I can't afford to buy food.
Then the ranch came up: Do you realize how difficult working on a Dude Ranch will be? The people in Wyoming are different from the people at Amherst, they won't be well-educated, and they won't understand you. You're going to a backwards place. Do you realize how bad it will be?
Yes, because the rest of the US is filled with ignorant savages who haven't been saved by the light of Amherst. How would I ever survive?
To the counselor's great surprise, these stellar arguments did not convince me to stay at Amherst. I became even more resolute about my decision to leave, and decided to talk with the Victim Rights Law Center, a pro-bono law firm based in Boston that my survivor group had recommended to me several weeks earlier. My preliminary intake with the VRLC was quite eye-opening: Oh Amherst? Yeah, unfortunately I know Amherst all too well. I've been down there many times to deal with the administration and their constant mistreatment of survivors. Our law firm keeps trying to force them to change but they just don't seem to understand, they keep doing the same old thing.
Amherst has almost 1800 students; last year alone there were a minimum of 10 sexual assaults on campus. In the past 15 years there have been multiple serial rapists, men who raped more than five girls, according to the sexual assault counselor. Rapists are given less punishment than students caught stealing. Survivors are often forced to take time off, while rapists are allowed to stay on campus. If a rapist is about to graduate, their punishment is often that they receive their diploma two years late.
I eventually reported my rapist.
He graduated with honors.
I will not graduate from Amherst.
The stories and statistics are miles long in regards to sexual assault on campus. My story is far from unique, and, compared to some of the stories I have heard, is tame.
The more that I learn about Amherst's policy toward sexual assault and survivors in general, the more relief I feel in deciding to transfer. How could I stay at a school who had made my healing process not just difficult, but impossible? How could I stand knowing that the Administration promotes silence? How could I spend the next two years made to feel dirty and at fault?
I could not.
At one point I hated Amherst with an indescribable amount of fury, but I do not hate the school anymore. Amherst took a lot from me, but they gave me some of the greatest gifts imaginable: self-confidence, my closest friends, intellectual curiosity, and endless personal strength. For these things I am forever grateful. For everything else, I stand back and behold the college with a feeling of melancholia.
The fact that such a prestigious institution could have such a noxious interior fills me with intense remorse mixed with sour distaste. I am sickened by the Administration's attempts to cover up survivors' stories, cook their books to discount rapes, pretend that withdrawals never occur, quell attempts at change, and sweep sexual assaults under a rug. When politicians cover up affairs or scandals the masses often rise up in angry protestations and call for a more transparent government. What is the difference between a government and the Amherst College campus? Why can't we know what is really happening on campus? Why should we be quiet about sexual assault?
"Silence has the rusty taste of shame."
There is no reason shame should be a school's policy.
UPDATE: President Carolyn "Biddy" Martin has released a statement concerning this article and the follow-up steps being taken by the administration regarding sexual assault: https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/letters_president/node/436469
Thank you for this. I dont go to amherst but unfortunately I think the administration's way of dealing with sexual assault is not as singular as one might hope. I know that my college has had significant, and public, issues with sweeping rape under the rug as well. As a survivor of sexual abuse, I know how hard it is to talk about it and unfortunately no matter how much time has passed, the shame always manages to edge its way back in to my heart. All I can say is that you are not alone Angie.
This is so beautifully written and so heart wrenching. As a student at another 5 college school, I know at least TWO girls who have been locked in rooms by Amherst boys (and I'm only two months into my first year). To know what could have happened and how the school would have handled it, is heartbreaking. I truly hope many people outside of amherst see this, because this is story that needs to be told. I hope maybe this is a wake up call for Amherst, because how they treated you and other victims is wrong. I hope you are having a wonderful time at the Ranch, and have a successful career at another school where you can truly be happy.
You made me feel like I'm not alone and I'm not crazy.
Thank you for giving us a voice.
You are wonderful.
Sexual assault is a very difficult issue, one that requires an extreme amount of courage to confront (as noted by many other comments). However, from an administrative perspective, it is an especially difficult issue on a college campus where alcohol is typically added to the mix. And it becomes near-impossible to address when so much time has passed since the incident occurred. For that reason, administrators really have no choice but to deal separately with the emotional healing process (through counseling, etc.) while leaving the perpetrator out of it (unless the victim is willing to brave a very difficult and likely fruitless disciplinary hearing process--which I want to reiterate would likely be fruitless not because of the administration and not because the allegations are necessarily untrue, but because of the inherent difficulties of proving what happened/consent). Now add to that mix a fear on behalf of the administration that the victim might hurt herself.
I read this tragic story, and I feel great sadness for what transpired. But hurt and tragedy should not equate to nonconstructive blame. Is this representative of administrative failure? In part, yes. But could it possibly represent a good faith attempt by administrators to protect a victim of rape from what they saw as potential for even worse harm? I, for one, am not ready to grab my pitchfork without hearing what the thought process was on both sides of the table.
Amherst is being unfairly demonized by a self-selecting group of commentators without giving any real weight to how hard the College works to foster a safe, community environment. There is ample room for improvement, that much is clear. This Opinion piece is a success inasmuch as it generates dialogue, but let's not smear a college that may in fact be one of the better examples out there of a small community-based learning experience.
"But could it possibly represent a good faith attempt by administrators to protect a victim of rape from what they saw as potential for even worse harm?"
Who gives a fuck? It doesn't matter how much "good faith" the administration may or may not have tried to display. Their actions are indefensible, and clearly the programs for supporting victims of sexual assault need a massive overhaul.
Others have reported issues with the administration in attempting to report rape. Do you truly believe that, in the case of every one of these rape survivors, the situation was indeed "hopeless?"
Silence is not protection. It allows these violations to continue while the school maintains its ideal image.
Contrary to your opinion, this is *constructive blame*-- it has promoted the serious discussion of rape and sexual assault on the Amherst College campus. 15 forcible sex offenses were reported in 2011 (three higher than UMass Amherst... which is much larger). Regardless of what you think of the administration, you can hardly call this a "safe, community environment."
I hope that the administration does respond. And if there are indeed problems with its handling of sexual assault, I hope that the response (which I'm assuming will likely deny or make light of the claims) provokes more survivors to speak out. I have yet to read a survivor's story that mentions how supportive the administration is.
I also hope that this will encourage more dialogue on other area campuses.
This is hardly a case of unfair demonization. The highly reactive decisions made that never acknowledged trauma from rape as a likely source (yet were happy to point to nonexistent drug abuse when citing the need for parental supervision on campus), the lack of transparency with regards to studying abroad, the restrictions on experiences crucial to academic growth, the restrictions on leaving campus justified by concern for safety without acknowledging the safety issue presented by the presence of her rapist (and doubt as to the guilt of her rapist is not an acceptable excuse for claiming that the campus is a safe environment, since by experiencing concern for her health and referring back to a traumatic experience, they are relying upon some acknowledgement that the rape DID happen as justification for restricting her time abroad), all of these things are such extreme decisions that revealing the thought process of the college would not really justify the choices made.
Plus, when administration is this intricately involved in a student's personal life, the thought process on the administration's part should have been made clear to Angie. This is another failure on their part.
You betray any pretense of neutrality with the thoughtless, damaging language that you use. To call the readers and commentators of Angie's story (it's not an opinion piece, learn the difference before you write something, particularly when it's your own misguided opinion), some of whom have shared that they are victims of sexual assault themselves, self-selecting is to suggest that somehow those individuals chose to be assaulted or raped. Your choice of language, while subtle on the surface perhaps, is a disgusting example of the way in which people blame the victims of rape and sexual assault. Before you ask people to look at both sides of the story, make sure you can see beyond your own muddled version of reality.
I completely understand the sentiment, and a good faith desire for a balanced approach. While what you suggest does seem at first reasonable--waiting to hear from the administration about THIS particular case--it isn't anything new that women who experience sexual assault, of ANY degree, has very little recourse on campus. I do think that this is an example of the administration's failure, and of a cultural failure, that female students have so few options.
To illustrate my point, below are some options I have seen materialize.
1) Not say anything--who knows how many women don't bother to do anything?
2) Say something in counseling. Forgo any administrative procedure.
3) Pursue disciplinary procedure, and then endure severe attack on character, past experience, etc.
4) Endure those attacks and still have the attacker walk away without consequence.
Who would want to go through this? The whole experience really is like extending a nightmare you desperately wish never happened in the first place.
I worry that implicit in your concession that these incidents carry "inherent difficulties of proving what happened" you sacrifice the well being of women on campus. Perhaps we should think more about defining proof, or think of constructive punishments, in order to provide women with the same sense of personal safety in campus.
According to some stats, Amherst had 36 reports of "forcible sex offenses," but almost no repercussions for the offenders. This to me seems like a trend. You can't possibly claim that all 36 reports are false. Hard to prove, sure. But false? That would be a bold claim to make. And if these claims are true, and I believe they are, then the College should be ashamed for this huge injustice they perpetuate against Amherst women.
*36 is from sources: http://ope.ed.gov/security/GetOneInstitutionData.aspx
https://www.amherst.edu/media/view/122491/original/Clery%20Report%202008... "
Even if only half of what Angie said is true, what the administration did is utterly shameful. Even if you want to believe that the administration was motivated by wanting to keep survivors safe, isn't it abundantly clear by now that their system for doing so ISN'T WORKING? That change is sorely needed? Amherst definitely deserves to be smeared for this. If they're not, change won't happen. Just one state over, a certain Mr. Sandusky was sexually assaulting dozens of prepubescent boys, and it wasn't until the university was publicly shamed over it that the system that had allowed it to happen was finally brought down. If this problem is as widespread as the dozens of people on this comment page are suggesting it is, Amherst not only deserves, but needs, similar treatment.
with respect the the good faith response of administrators it is important that school like amherst ( and my alma mater williams) invest more substantially in well articulated public education, well informed staff and fairer systems achieving just outcomes for victims. liberal colleges send their students out in the world to champion every cause under the sun but would rather build a fancy student centre that have a well funded mental health/specialized mental health response. the high incidence of sexual assault would justify special staffing to deal with these needs. the high incidence of depression/anxiety/suicidal ideation amongst high achievers demands a far better mental health response mechanism than is currently the norm in these "idyllic" new england settings. we have the best academics in the world but the same cannot always be said of the support staff. academic deans with no specialized training should not be the first point of contact for a sexual assault victim.
until these things change, these colleges are enacting the worst kind of bad faith and unlike "traumatic" spaces in the global south, these institutions have the resources to address these problems. my alma mater's endowment is 1000x the budget of the entire police force in my home country.
in short, those of us who have had to navigate similar situations are far to common and those of us who have the privilege (you cannot read this story without being bashed over the head with the enforcement of traditional privilege) should use these relatively infinitesimal resources to try harder to do better.
If you are not yet willing to grab your pitchfork, read through the comments posted in response to this article. In mere hours, there are multiple students who have echoed not just the sentiments, but the reality painted in this piece. One victim isn't enough for you? How about two? Three? Four? Five? More. Hard to swallow? Tough.
As a reader, I am willing to stand by this young lady's account until not just one - but every last - detail is disproved. Why? Because clearly no one else was willing to support her in this incredibly difficult journey. Instead of giving the administration the benefit of the doubt, I am going to give this one young woman the benefit of the doubt. And since some of the details may come down to a she-said, they-said, guess what? I will stand by her account again. Doesn't seem fair? Tough.
If you sincerely believe that the efforts made by the administration were in good faith, I encourage you to consider the impact on the student. I believe that they said EXACTLY what Angie has indicated here. But if they did not, in part or in sum, know that their efforts were interpreted this way by a victim of a traumatic assault. So let that bear weight for you as well.
The institution should be investigated and ultimately prosecuted. And if that occurs, let's count how many people support the victim versus how many back the college. I believe her story....and I'm confident a handful of other people might feel the same.
I'll post this link again for you because it seems like you didn't look at the other comments: http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/college-crime-reports.... AC has one of the highest forcible sex crime rates. If the administration was trying to help they should have heard what the student wanted and helped to accommodate her- not to send her to a psych ward, remove her study abroad privileges, and discourage any attempts to leave/grow. No one wants to grab pitchforks and torch the campus, but the administration should be held accountable for discouraging real healing or justice for so long, and for suggesting her emotional stress was from anything other than the rape.
Women (and men) who are sexually abused need to know their voice will be heard, and schools across the country need to encourage the truth, not what is most convenient for their reputation.
Being a "better example" than most of an institution of higher learning does NOT, under any circumstances, give the Administration of Amherst College a free pass for mishandling this woman's situation. It is clear from Angie's story that there was a severe failure on the part of the college to deal appropriately and sensitively with this woman's rape, and the rapes and assaults of other people as is evidenced by the comments here. Of COURSE rape is difficult to deal with on both sides - it takes courage from BOTH sides to address sexual violence. However, I would argue against so many of those who have said that "rape is complicated." One CANNOT legally give consent if one is under high levels of intoxication. If there is no consent between the parties involved and someone in that equation feels victimized, it is rape, no matter if alcohol was involved or not.
Colleges and Universities love to play the blame game with alcohol to escape bad publicity, but that is absolutely no excuse (not to mention that they should take responsibility for unhealthy alcohol use on their campuses). Educate your students, your faculty, your staff, on how to deal with sexual violence in an appropriate manner that does not shame or blame the victim! Spread the message (not through empty words, but through concrete actions) that rape and assault are absolutely not ok, and adopt a zero-tolerance policy. Let rapists know that the difficulty of proving rape will not stop the administration from giving full support to victims and helping them to pursue legal/disciplinary action if they wish - they more cases are heard, the easier it will be to prosecute rapists. Too many times have I heard stories from women discouraged from getting rape kits or pressing charges if they wanted to do so. This is absolutely unacceptable, and our colleges and universities have a responsibility to their students - past, present, and future - to take action.
And, Angie, if you read this, thank you for having the courage to put yourself out there like this. You are a brave, strong woman and Amherst should be f*ing proud to have had you as a student.
If alcohol-related cases are so simple then answer me this: Two students are both equally drunk and have sex. The next week, one of them regrets it and believes he/she has been violated and files a complaint. (Yes this happens.) What would you do as an administrator?
I disagree with you completely. There a literally dozens of administrative errors here. This college needs to be held responsible and made an example of.
I wish more of the comments I've read on FB and here show the kind of reasoning and critical thought that you display here. Sexual misconduct on campuses is a very tricky issue, and it doesn't serve anyone's interests in the long term when people jump straight from hearing an emotionally compelling complaint to broad generalizations and getting out the pitchfork.
This comment is absolutely disgusting. What is wrong is wrong, and the victim should be allowed, and supported administration to pursue her case to the greatest extent possible.
It cannot be said enough: Thank you for being so brave and giving voice to the experiences of far too many women in the Five Colleges.
I get it, it's really difficult to prove acquaintance rape, it's really difficult to clear up the fuzzy lines. Women are from mars, men are from venus, right? Communication is not always clear. All I know is that I felt it, I felt it for awhile. My body felt it. I only cried once. And I felt like I was reassured that the two resources, the two of which I was taught were THE ones to go to for help, wouldn't make it worth my tears again. Amherst DID provide the self-defense class over interterm, which is probably the best thing that Amherst, albeit passively, did to help me.
Two acquaintances sent this to me within minutes of eachother. I am shocked, and cannot find the adequate words to condemn what happened. As a prospective student in the middle of the college admissions process, I feel betrayed, and sanitized by the the cycle of information sessions and campus tours that now seem at best cold and at words, dishonest. When I visited Amherst College this summer, I found it relatively pleasant and interesting, but now I can no longer find it within myself to even consider applying when such atrocities happen. I cannot believe that a college so prestigious as to congratulate itself for graduating many well known alumni could be so abhorrent as to leave people as honorable and earnest as Angie to fall through the cracks. Rather than worrying about "damage control" and attempting to weaken her strength and her story, they should be deeply humiliated. It seems that a lasting policy and social change is in order.
It happens at many colleges. It happened to my son at Colgate. The rape was one thing... The administrations handling was worse... And the rapist is a security guard. My son is mad at the world... Hates everyone. Fights therapy. Do something great and make these beauracracies accountable.. Make them change...
I too have been raped at Amherst College and all I can say is that there needs to be CHANGE.
In my experience, the administration meant well but were truly ineffective.
I hated going outside. I was stared at and was continuously harassed by my rapist's family and friends. How DARE I report my rapist. How DARE I stand up for myself. After my hearing, I tried to keep in contact with the sexual health counselor. This was only because she was the only person I could talk to and because my mother would repeatedly call me a slut and tell me I "deserved" everything that happened to me. After several times of being put down by my mother and feeling helpless, I emailed the sexual health counselor. The response was essentially "Oh, I'm sorry you're in this situation. Here's the Suicide Hotline number." I stopped speaking to her at this point.
All the administration and sexual health counselor did was make me feel isolated and powerless.
Angie, thank you for writing this. I feel that it reflects my experience, although I described it vaguely, very well. No one should feel this way or experience this. Ever. You are truly an inspiration to everyone.
I wish you the best. I hope your pain is relieved even slightly by the overwhelming responses of love and support.
I want to say thank you for giving me a voice. I was let down by Amherst, too. As an employee of the college, trained in supporting the health of fellow students, I thought I would know what to do when I was raped. I used to date this boy, and during a conversation about our relationship, it happened. I said no several times, and then I just stayed silent and still until it was over. I contacted a counselor at 10PM and met with her. She let me tell my story and let me tell her how confused i was because this boy was my best friend. I wanted to get back together with him, but how could i? I could never let him touch me again. I felt like throwing up. He is my best friend-- how could I get him in trouble?
Per her advice, I had him go to the counseling center so he could get help, and ask if we could do a couples session and discuss how to get over this. I was told that 1) the male counselor assured him that he did NOT rape me, 2) that i was overreacting and had "control issues" and 3) that couples counseling was unprecedented and he recommended that we go separately or find someone in town. NO way I was seeking more help about this-- I was already ashamed and felt as though I was being dramatic. We got back together and sex was never the same... but as I felt was my only choice... I moved on and let it go.
I get it, it's really difficult to prove acquaintance rape, it's really difficult to clear up the fuzzy lines. Women are from mars, men are from venus, right? Communication is not always clear. All I know is that I felt it, I felt it for awhile. My body felt it. I only cried once. And I felt like I was reassured that the two resources, the two of which I was taught were THE ones to go to for help, wouldn't make it worth my tears again. Amherst DID provide the self-defense class over interterm, which is probably the best thing that Amherst, albeit passively, did to help me.
Thank you for sharing your story. You may not be angry at Amherst, but I am!
Our university has a center for Sexual Assault and Relationship Abuse, and I know it has caused improvements in things like this. I really hope administration in universities across the country considers your story and how it applies in their world.
You're strong, and brave, and wonderful.
I wish you the best. I hope your pain is relieved even slightly by the overwhelming responses of love and support.
I want to say thank you for giving me a voice. I was let down by Amherst, too. As an employee of the college, trained in supporting the health of fellow students, I thought I would know what to do when I was raped. I used to date this boy, and during a conversation about our relationship, it happened. I said no several times, and then I just stayed silent and still until it was over. I contacted a counselor at 10PM and met with her. She let me tell my story and let me tell her how confused i was because this boy was my best friend. I wanted to get back together with him, but how could i? I could never let him touch me again. I felt like throwing up. He is my best friend-- how could I get him in trouble?
Per her advice, I had him go to the counseling center so he could get help, and ask if we could do a couples session and discuss how to get over this. I was told that 1) the male counselor assured him that he did NOT rape me, 2) that i was overreacting and had "control issues" and 3) that couples counseling was unprecedented and he recommended that we go separately or find someone in town. NO way I was seeking more help about this-- I was already ashamed and felt as though I was being dramatic. We got back together and sex was never the same... but as I felt was my only choice... I moved on and let it go.
I get it, it's really difficult to prove acquaintance rape, it's really difficult to clear up the fuzzy lines. Women are from mars, men are from venus, right? Communication is not always clear. All I know is that I felt it, I felt it for awhile. My body felt it. I only cried once. And I felt like I was reassured that the two resources, the two of which I was taught were THE ones to go to for help, wouldn't make it worth my tears again. Amherst DID provide the self-defense class over interterm, which is probably the best thing that Amherst, albeit passively, did to help me.
I have never been so disgusted with an institution. What an embarrassment.
Angie, your courage to speak out is an inspiration. I can't applaud you enough. Stories like yours call attention to so many tragedies that go unnoticed in favor of maintaining image and status. If Amherst truly valued either, this would not have happened on campus in the first place.
Take a tip, Amherst. Fix things now or watch your applications plummet. Sickening rape apologists.
I get it, it's really difficult to prove acquaintance rape, it's really difficult to clear up the fuzzy lines. Women are from mars, men are from venus, right? Communication is not always clear. All I know is that I felt it, I felt it for awhile. My body felt it. I only cried once. And I felt like I was reassured that the two resources, the two of which I was taught were THE ones to go to for help, wouldn't make it worth my tears again. Amherst DID provide the self-defense class over interterm, which is probably the best thing that Amherst, albeit passively, did to help me.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, and thanks to the Amherst paper for publishing it.
Angie, your strength and courage amazes and inspires me. Good luck in all that you strive to achieve.
Thank you for sharing this story. As a recent/former 5-College Student (I transferred from Mount Holyoke to an Ivy fairly quickly), I know both an Amherst woman who was raped, and women from Mount Holyoke who were assaulted by Amherst men - and that's after spending only a handful of semesters in the Pioneer Valley. All of these went unreported, or were quickly dropped, due to a similar attitude among the administration.
To hear that Amherst staff/faculty asked Angie, "Are you sure you were raped?" makes me sick to my stomach - what utter ignorance on the behalf of grown adults who should know much better than that.
A girl I know from high school who now goes to Amherst posted this on Facebook, and I was captivated by this entire article. I am so sorry you had to go through all of that, and do know that sexual assault cases are more common than colleges like to admit. Just know that your story is getting around, and I genuinely hope that it can shed some light on the corruptness of Amherst's administration as well as other schools. The fact that this all happened to you and Amherst responded in that way is appalling to me, and I wish you the best of luck as you continue to recover.
You are so incredibly brave. I am so sorry for what has happened to you.
Thank you for your honesty and bravery. Although it is far from perfect, you have made me appreciate my own school's attitude toward sexual assault all the more. Solidarity from Vassar.
I get it, it's really difficult to prove acquaintance rape, it's really difficult to clear up the fuzzy lines. Women are from mars, men are from venus, right? Communication is not always clear. All I know is that I felt it, I felt it for awhile. My body felt it. I only cried once. And I felt like I was reassured that the two resources, the two of which I was taught were THE ones to go to for help, wouldn't make it worth my tears again. Amherst DID provide the self-defense class over interterm, which is probably the best thing that Amherst, albeit passively, did to help me.
Thank you for writing this. I hope you can continue to be as brave and inspiring as you are now.
People who deny survivors: did you know that most sexual assault cases are NOT reported? People have NO reason to make this stuff up: there is a HUGE social stigma against survivors. Those who try to pass themselves off as "analytical thinkers" can take a few moments to think some more and realize that there is more to it than those who have not experience the intense shame of being a survivor. Please.
Angie- you are amazing! Down with Amherst's stupid policies- you are doing good in this world.
Thank You for sharing this story. As a male who is just about to apply to college, I am crossing Amherst College off of my list. I am disgusted something like this could happen to you and at the apathy from the college. Don't stop fighting and just let things go. Report the bastard again and again cause there are men like him who get away with it once and won't stop. You should never let things go quiet for they'll fade away. Make your cause known with this article and find justice that you deserve.
You have an ally in Cambridge. Thank you for doing what I and so many others will never be able to
Yeah, this is appalling. I did a lot of work around Sexual Violence prevention at Columbia and the characters in this retelling would be severely disciplined (read: fired) if this was happening at such a large scale at CU. I'd like to thank you for writing about this and creating awareness around the way Amherst handles these cases (its spread like wildfire through New York City). I'll be bringing this to the attention of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Program at Columbia and hopefully people/schools around the country can start putting pressure on Amherst to fix whats broken.
Thank you for sharing from an Oklahoma student. I admire your strength and bravery in telling this touching story. Much love.
What an amazing piece and powerful story. Unfortunately, sexual assault and mental health problems are often poorly addressed in college campuses across the country. I go to Northwestern and was very, very frustrated with how they handle students that seek help for mental health issues. Thank you, for speaking out and taking a stand. Best of luck to you and your future plans.
Lots of love from a Northwestern University student.
you are such a strong, wonderful person for being able to get through all of this and tell yr story. victim-blaming and oppressive institutions are no joke, and you took both issues head-on. much love and support coming yr way & i wish you the best of luck in the future.
Thank you for sharing from an Oklahoma student. I admire your strength and bravery in telling this touching story. Much love.
It's stunning and scary to see how similar your story is to my own. Although they lack the same details with the school and hospitals, I can really relate. I was raped when I was 16 (almost four years ago) and never reported it. Thank you for doing what so many people don't have the courage to do. I admire you. I only wish I had the strength you do. I really do.
Thank you for your bravery, Angie. You will always have support here and a student body who will stand behind you. . Although everybody's tearing us apart tonight, hopefully you haven't given up on some good memories of Amherst. The soul of Amherst is in the professors and the students, including you, not some joke of a dean.


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Routine & Preventative Care
Pregnancy & Birth
Infertility Services
Gynecological Surgery
Urinary Care
Common Concerns & Medical Issues
Menopause refers to the time, usually in your 40s and 50s, when hormone levels change as a normal part of aging. Eventually your periods stop altogether and you are no longer able to become pregnant.
Perimenopause describes the transition that starts before menopause. These changes may include irregular periods, mood changes and even difficulty remembering words. Other women feel greater energy, while some women may not notice any differences.
At ECU Women's Physicians, we will check your general health and talk over any concerns you have. We will also address any problems such as heavy bleeding or bleeding after menopause. We can recommend nutritional changes, medications or supplements during menopause.
While menopause usually ends by your early- to mid-50s, the hormonal changes may begin years earlier. You may experience irregular periods and changes in blood flow leading up to true menopause. Women are able to become pregnant until menopause has ended.
During perimenopause and menopause you may experience:
Hormone replacement therapy may help with some symptoms, but there may be health risks. Some women find relief with herbal, vitamin and nutritional supplements. We can discuss these options during your appointment.
Weakening, or thinning, of the bones, known as osteoporosis, may occur during and after menopause. It's important to monitor the density, or thickness, of your bones when you begin to have menopause symptoms.
To learn more about menopause, here are some links and resources:


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Olli Jokinen: "Is that what winning looks like?"
A single tear rolls down his cheek as he remembers that one time he was in the playoffs.
(Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)
Game Day Recon: Game #81 – Canucks @ Flames
Ah, it's now a Rite of Spring in the West. The flowers start to bloom, the animals awake from hibernation and the Flames are either out of the playoffs or die in the first round. Since the Calgary Flames won that precious Cup that Flames fans like to hold over the heads of lowly Canucks fans like some sort of mythical hammer, the Flames have progressed past the first round of the playoffs once. That's one time in 22 seasons, including a current string of 3 straight years of missing the playoffs.
Spring has sprung and the Flames are done. On to REAL hockey!
Broadcast Info
Game Time: 6:00 PM PT
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Team 1040
The Setup
It could be Jarome Iginla's last game as a Flame against the Vancouver Canucks. It COULD be. Rumours and murmurs have been swirling since the trade deadline that this could be Iginla's last year in Calgary. Iginla has one more year remaining on his $7m-per-year contract and dealing Iginla, who turns 35 on July 1, could be the catalyst that sparks the necessary rebuild in Calgary. Iginla has had some stellar games against the Canucks over the years. His 75 points in 85 career games against the Canucks (27G 44A 75 Pts) puts him in sixth place on our active Canuck Killers list. That said, his Canuck Killerosity has trailed off in the last three years, with a mere 2 goals against the Canucks in the last 3 seasons (17 GP 2G 8A 10Pts). Of course, this somewhat mirrors the Flames own decent into ineptitude… Iginla and the Flames have been uninspired against the Canucks over the past three seasons. And Iginla and the Flames may soon part ways, as Jay Feaster sets Iginla off to ride away into the sunset in order to bring in some new, younger horses.
Cory Schneider gets a scheduled start against the Flames tonight, for only the third time in his career. Despite the number of times that the Canucks and Flames have met since Schneider joined the Canucks, he's only played them twice (2GP; 1-1-0; 2.45 GAA; .945 Sv%). While Schneider doesn't exactly have a repertoire against the Flames to use as a reference, he does have a strong body of work when playing on the road, as he'll do tonight. In the 16 games that Schneider has started on the road this year, Schneider is a monstrous 11-4-1 with an absurd 1.89 GAA and a .939 Sv%. GOOD LORD. Yeah it might be a good idea to play Schneider in road games.
Normally, games against the Flames at the end of the season mean one thing – The Sedin Show. With Daniel on the shelf for an undetermined amount of time, it's up to Henrik to carry the mantle. He got up to some tricks on Tuesday against Anaheim, with a ridiculous play on Saku Koivu to set up Alex Burrows for the Canucks' first goal. So with Henrik set up with Burrows and Lapierre, some Wizardous Sedinery is not out of the question. Something like this would be just fine:
Numbers Game
This table includes what we believe to be the best "predictive" team metrics in hockey. Beyond the self-explanatory stats like record, powerplay percentage and goal differential, the table includes: 5-on-5 Goals For and Against Rate, which measures a team's even-strength goal differential on a per game basis. Also included are the team's shot% rates, and Fenwick % rates – both overall and in a tied game state. Pay especially close attention to Fenwick % Tied, it's as good a metric for judging team quality as we've got – and was nearly perfect at predicting outcomes in the 2010/11 postseason. Finally, we've included PDO to help contextualize team results.
|Venue Record (Home/Away)
|Last 10
|Goal Differential
|5-on-5 Goals F/A
|Shots %
|Fenwick %
|Shots Tied %
|Fenwick Tied %
Game Notes
Cory Schneider gets the start tonight, as was announced Monday. Keith Ballard and Kevin Bieksa made the trip to Calgary but neither is likely to play tonight. Despite taking a maintenance day yesterday, Chris Tanev is likely to play. Zack Kassian is expected to be out for a couple of weeks. Byron Bitz was called up yesterday and will slot in on the fourth line in Kassian's place.
From Jim Jamieson on Twitter… Manny Malhotra, Chris Tanev and Keith Ballard will NOT play in tonight's game, while it is confirmed that Byron Bitz will play. The assumption is that Kevin Bieksa and Aaron Rome will both return to the lineup tonight.
The Three Keys
Here are the three keys for the Vancouver Canucks tonight:
- Just get the points. If the Canucks are really gunning for 1st in the West, which we assume they are, all they really should care about is getting the points. Even a single point put them three points up on the Blues with a game to go. So, if your goal for the next two games is to take the top seed in the West, then just get the points. Don't worry about style points.
- Any day now, Kes. If you told me at the beginning of the year that Ryan Kesler would likely finish 5th in team scoring, I would have punched you square in the face. Well, Kesler is currently 5th in team scoring with a paltry 22 goals and 48 points. Canucks fans are waiting with bated breath for Kesler to get going. If he is holding back for the playoffs, then this season has been one HELL of a game of possum by Kesler. Now would be a great time for Kesler to turn on the engine and step on the gas to get up to speed for the playoffs.
- 5-on-5 is where it's at. With the Canucks power play clearly in the pooper of late (though it showed some signs of life against Anaheim, despite not capitalizing), and the lack of penalties called in the playoffs, getting their even-strength game in order is of paramount importance. They've been fairly decent at even-strength of late, but the Canucks should be using today as target practice for their 5-on-5 play. The Flames are ranked 27th in 5-5 GF/GA at only 0.85. The Canucks are ranked fourth at 1.19. FINISH THEM!
The Links
Here are your top 5 links for today's game:
- Tale of the Tape (Vancouver Canucks)
- Canucks: Mason Raymond, David Booth and Ryan Kesler all need jump starts (The Province)
- Grizzled Flames flicker out early again (Vancouver Sun)
- NHL playoffs: Luongo should start for Canucks says Schneider (The Province)
- Canucks, Flames ready for rematch (CBC Sports)


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Not all news is good news
In the world of journalism, it's never easy for a publication and its staff to handle reporting on the tough situations that deal with crime, death, abuse and other unpleasant topics.
For every story that celebrates a town rallying together to raise funds for a sick child, there's usually a story about a fatal car accident or sexual misconduct at a school.
These things are not easy to report on, but they are a necessary evil that's part of the job.
In recent weeks, many of these types of stories have made waves in our coverage areas.
From bank robberies to alleged criminal sexual misconduct and reported drug busts, some of the more negative news in our area has cast a shadow over some of the more positive news.
While there have been some questions of late as to if these stories highlighting negative events are efforts of to "sensationalize" the news, the fact is, you can't ignore something that happens just because it's considered "bad news."
It's never easy to head out to a car accident and see someone get carried away in an ambulance, not knowing if that person is going to live or die.
It's never a pleasant situation to have to interview school officials about alleged criminal sexual misconduct cases that occur at their schools.
But, if we just decided to ignore these issues and let others handle the dirty work, we'd be doing each and every one of our readers a disservice by failing to report on the news that is happening in your communities.
We take great joy in being able to report on the more positive news in our area. It's always a pleasure to highlight a local youth who helped to collect food and clothes for the less fortunate, or a local business that is celebrating a milestone anniversary.
It can seem that we do nothing but report on negative news at times because these more recent rashes of negative news have happened in rapid succession.
In reality, if people would stop doing stupid and wrong things, we wouldn't have to report on such activity. But, please realize that despite the actions of a select few, there are good honest people that do wonderful things in our coverage areas.
It's never an enjoyable thing to cover negative events, but we're not in the business of being popular. We're in the business of reporting the news.
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|Head Coach
|Charlotte, N.C.
|Alma Mater:
|Graduating Year:
|5 Years
In the summer of 2010, a national search to find Charlotte's 16th head men's tennis coach led the 49ers to points far and wide before choosing a familiar candidate with conference ties in Billy Boykin. Boykin came to Charlotte from then fellow Atlantic 10 Conference team the University of Richmond, where he had been the head coach for two years.
In his five seasons at the helm of the 49ers men's tennis program, he has guided the 49ers to 50 wins and the first national ranking for the 49ers since 2002 when the 49ers earned a spot in the ITA National Rankings in February and March, 2014. Eleven Niners have earned All-Conference honors and three 49ers have earned Conference All-Academic team honors in his four years at Charlotte. Boykin has guided the 49ers to at least 13 wins for three straight seasons which marked the first-time since the 1997-2000 that the 49ers have recorded three straight seasons of at least 13 wins.
In 2014, Boykin guided the 49ers to a 13-7 record and the first ITA National Ranking since 2002 when Charlotte reached number 70 in the ITA National Rankings in February. Under his guidance, the doubles team of Jordi Massalle Ferrer and Kamil Khalil were ranked 31st in the ITA National Doubles Rankings (February 25) which is the highest-ever ranking for a 49ers doubles team.
In 2013, under Boykin's guidance the 49ers won 14 matches and reached the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The 49ers 14 wins (15 wins in 2012) gave the 49ers at least 14 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1989-90 seasons. Four 49ers earned All-Atlantic 10 honors last season.
In 2012, Boykin guided the team to a 15-8 overall record and an undefeated season in Atlantic 10 Conference play. For the second time in school history, Charlotte earned top seed in the conference tournament. They tied for third in the tournament and placed a school record four student-athletes on the All-Atlantic 10 team.
In his first season at Charlotte in 2011, Boykin led the 49ers to a fifth-place finish at the conference championships and an 8-16 inaugural campaign, placing a pair of student-athletes on the All-Conference lists.
Billy, the son of former head coach, Jim Boykin, who retired after 17 seasons, came to Charlotte in the midst of a tennis renaissance, as the 49ers unveiled the brand-new, state-of-the-art Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex in 2011, featuring office space, locker rooms, conference space, box seating a team lounge and a training room.
"Billy brings a wealth of experience both as a highly rated collegiate player and as an experienced coach within our conference," said Director of Athletics Judy Rose.
Boykin inherited a Richmond team that had come off of back-to-back five-win seasons before taking the Spiders to 12 matches in his second season in 2010, its biggest total since 2005. The 2010 Spider team had the A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer, Sebastien Fauchet, giving the team its first such honoree since its first year of A-10 membership in 2001. A lot of that team's success can be traced to Coach Boykin's recruiting class, which was ranked the 18th-best nationally for a mid-major school by tennisrecruiting.net that season.
Prior to Richmond, Boykin was the men's and women's assistant coach at the College of Charleston. He was involved with all phases of the Cougars' nationally ranked tennis programs. Before Charleston, Boykin served for one year as the assistant coach at his alma mater, Davidson College.
A native of Charlotte, Boykin received a B.A. in political science from Davidson in 2001. Coming out of high school, Boykin was the United States Tennis Association's #1 ranked junior player in the state of North Carolina and earned Davidson College's Dalton McMichael Scholarship for excellence in academics and athletics. While at Davidson College, Boykin served as team captain and finished undefeated in singles play during Southern Conference regular-season competition in 1999.
Prior to coaching, Boykin served as a tennis professional at Charlotte's Olde Providence Racquet Club and worked as a financial analyst for a brokerage firm in Charlotte, N.C.