I am deeply saddened to read about the reports of sexual assault that have taken place recently at Susquehanna University.

I attended Susquehanna in the late 90s and the same types of crimes were being committed then, although the campus climate was such that students often found it difficult to speak out after being assaulted. Assuredly, it is still difficult for the women who are now coming forward to speak of their assaults and name their attackers; these women have my utmost respect.

When I first heard of these assaults, I could not help feeling both sorrow and rage that such crimes are still occurring at Susquehanna. After some reflection, how-ever, I do find some bittersweet hope in the support of Jay Lemons and the university of the investigations into the allegations. Even a few years ago, students who had been raped relied on other students and individual faculty and staff members for support, but had little formal institutional encouragement to come forward with their stories; it seemed the university was sometimes more concerned with the bad press that rape allegations might bring than with the safety and well-being of SU students. However, from the accounts of other SU alums and the messages sent to the SU community, it seems that the current university administration has been nothing but supportive and respectful of the women who have reported their assaults; from all accounts, the university is working in earnest with local authorities to identify and arrest those responsible for these acts of violence. I hope that the actions that the university has taken over these reports will foster the possibility of a safe campus, one in which all members of the Susquehanna community understand that rape will not be tolerated.

    Jennifer Perrine
    Class of 2000

Editor’s Note: Dean of Student Life Tracy Tyree provides the following supplementary information.
In the final weeks of the spring semester, the university was investigating several reports of sexual assault on campus. President Lemons communicated with alumni about these incidents through the online community and with the campus community, parents and others through e-mail, letters, and a temporary Web site. In mid-May, about 90 faculty and staff gathered to discuss what the university can do to deter such incidents from occurring and help all students respect themselves and each other. In the coming academic year, we will address these and related issues in new student orientation events, residence hall programming, and through other educational opportunities. Thank you to all of you who expressed your concern and support during this challenging time.