One year after the reported sexual assault of a Northwestern student on Gone Greek Night, Greek leaders emphasized sexual assault awareness during this week’s safety programming for the annual celebration welcoming new pledges Saturday.
“I’ve heard of one occurrence of sexual assault last year,” said Sarah Personette, outgoing president of the Panhellenic Association. “I don’t really know how many (assaults) occurred last year. That is why we are saying we need to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers together.”
Jamie Jimenez, coordinator of NU’s sexual assault education and prevention programming, said she has counseled sexual assault survivors after recent Gone Greek Nights. Jimenez could not provide specific numbers or years because of patient confidentiality rules.
“There’s a strong association with (sexual assault and) Gone Greek Night in that there is some type of peer pressure to have an intimate experience or hook-up,” Jimenez said. “The whole issue of alcohol and drugs being used to celebrate this event, which are not sanctioned by the university, creates more vulnerability than usual.”
Several new activities are part of an effort to limit incidences of sexual assault and drinking during the event and throughout the year.
Steve Dealph, associate director of greek affairs, said the Interfraternity Council and Panhel have taken “ownership” of this year’s event.
Dealph said Greek leaders were enthusiastic about varying the programming in the week preceding Gone Greek Night.
“My focus is trying to help them make the changes they’ve agreed and I’ve agreed they need to make,” Dealph said.
On Thursday, an NU sexual assault survivor described to about 700 pledges and Greek leaders her assault experience during last year’s Gone Greek Night.
Motivational speaker Mike Green, a recovering alcoholic, also spoke to pledges Thursday about drinking responsibly.
“His message isn’t so much ‘don’t drink,’ but it’s a more realistic message about drinking than a lot of people get sometimes,” IFC President Dustin Cook said.
Cook, a McCormick senior, said Green usually speaks the morning of Gone Greek Night, but he spoke Thursday this year to eliminate the hypocrisy of telling students to drink responsibly while prohibiting alcohol consumption that day.
Greek leaders will continue a safety awareness exercise for pledges created last year. Pledges will divide into 17 groups Saturday and discuss six hypothetical scenarios relating to risk management, including sexual assault and drinking, Cook said.
Sororities will host fraternities Saturday for voluntary dinners. Members of the 17 participating fraternities will serenade 12 sororities on their porches after dinner.
IFC and Panhel executives and at least two University Police officers will be stationed in the quads to identify and quell any inappropriate behavior at the serenading.
“We’ve had a problem with battery and small fights, some criminal damages and open containers,” said Asst. Chief Daniel McAleer of UP.
Greek members then will board buses to Chicago or parties off campus, Personette said.
Some Greek members have said they think the increased organization and preventative programming will help raise safety awareness.
“They’ve changed the format of the day, and I think it will be safer because it’s better organized to talk about issues,” said Molly Skjei, Alpha Phi vice president of programming development.
Despite past safety issues, Greek leaders said they are confident that their planning will help raise safety awareness this year.
“It has had its problems I guess,” Cook said. “That’s kind of been IFC’s and Panhel’s role in the last year — to minimize the risks. So hopefully it goes well this year.”
