( Scientific research of whales in tanks bene- fit everyone (¥ Safe injection sites are necessary lifesaving health centres ( You're not special for being ‘politically incorrect’ And more! 2016: the year of sexual assault > Reactions and responsibility Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor (The following story discusses sexual assault in detail. If that sort of thing particularly upsets you, you should probably stop reading right now.) « Ge her by the pussy!” The words that define 2016. As far too many victims will tell you, sexual assault is a very real and horrible thing in our society. This should go without saying, but it is amazing how many people ignore and defend these actions. The president-elect bragged about committing sexual assault, although he denied committing these actions (it was simply “locker room talk”). He also brought to attention allegations of Bill Clinton committing sexual assault, and his wife defending him. Trump’s defence was misguided and ridiculous, although bringing attention to Bill Clinton’s actions is important. Image via businessinsider.com Sadly, the Trump reveal was only one of many high-profile sexual assault cases to occur this year. Brock Turner only got three months in jail for raping a fellow student. Bill Cosby was publicly discredited after over 50 women revealed he had drugged and assaulted them. Jian Ghomeshi was found not guilty for assault after conflicting victim statements, most likely due to the trauma of the incident clouding memory. UBC creative writing chair Steven Galloway was fired after serious sexual misconduct allegations, including—you guessed it—assault! Despite the alarmingly serious problem of sexual assault in our society, it is rare that the topic is actually discussed in a meaningful way. You'd think that holding people accountable for their behaviour would be a no-brainer, yet rape culture, victim-blaming, and denial or acceptance of this sort of thing remains pretty much the norm. For every Brock Turner case, there are many other rapists who receive the same sentence, or are never charged in the first place. For every Donald Trump who grabs them by the pussy, there are many other powerful men who are known by their victims to be someone who abuses women. It is impossible to turn any of these high-profile events into something positive, but it did create a discussion that badly needed to be had. As any victim can tell you, far, far too many cases are ignored and hushed up. One rapist is three too many, but the true amount of rapists in society is insanely high. It’s Dismissing sexual assault in UBC academics and culture > Students deserve adequate responses Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor hen making post-secondary decisions, I was always a bit wary of UBC. UBC is well-known for being a top 40 global school, for its high-quality education, and also for its major issues with sexual assault and rape culture. I have the privilege of being male, and thus am not constantly worried about being assaulted. Nevertheless, the amount of rape that occurs on campus that is defended or not addressed is disturbing and upsetting to me, as it should be for any reasonable person. I am a creative writing major and plan to finish my studies at UBC next year. I was going to go this year, but that didn't happen. Current events have made me somewhat relieved that I am not in the UBC creative writing department during their emotionally tumultuous period. This summer, the chair of the creative writing department, Steven Galloway, was fired due to allegations of serious sexual misconduct including assault, following his suspension last November. Ina recent statement—the first public statement since his firing— Galloway admitted to having an affair with a student and he regretted his actions. The anonymous student also spoke out recently, saying her complaints were about assault and harassment, not a “consensual affair.” The student has also criticized UBC for not releasing her report, which she herself has not seen as a result of Galloway’s appeal. Five other students have also reported to the press that they filed complaints about Galloway’s behaviour, which included bullying and sexual harassment. For privacy reasons, the exact allegations against Galloway cannot be released without his consent. It seems to be one instance in which UBC respects a person’s right to consent and not being taken advantage of. It is a well-known fact, although certainly not as commonly minded as it should be, that powerful men are still capable of being awful and sexually assaulting others. Many felt Galloway was treated unfairly during his public fall from grace. Many others, particularly within the department, feel the students who were abused by him have been treated even more unfairly. My heart breaks for every student whose education was affected by the board and by Galloway’s actions. It breaks for the many professors frustrated at and terrified of their colleague’s actions and the inadequate response. Many of the women in the department have had their personal lives and professional work suffer because of Galloway’s actions and public image, professors and students alike. If these allegations are true, and there is no reason to discredit the accusers, it should be a much bigger deal. Being a rapist is (obviously) horrible, and suggesting that his professional image is suffering in the case discredits the horrible acts. The Galloway case is only one example of UBC enabling and protecting abusers. There are many cases of inadequate responses to sexual assault victims coming forward, and of course, the many who are afraid to come forward because of this shameful response. In the past, UBC has featured students chanting pro-rape statements. UBC allowed an alleged serial rapist to remain a student despite multiple complaints. UBC built a sexual assault task force, although few of the recommendations suggested difficult to measure, as so many of these cases go unreported. If one wonders why someone wouldn't report the incident, the fallout from any of these cases more than answers the question. Trump threatened to sue his accusers. The media questioned these victim's reputations and presumed inciting of the assault. A Canadian Federal Court Justice asked a victim during a rape trial why “she couldn't keep her knees together,’ and suggested that “pain and sex sometimes go together.” I can hope, and even believe, that these high-profile incidents will continue to further the discussion. Society has a very long way to go in dealing with rape culture and holding others accountable, but we are making baby steps. There are still too many judges unsympathetic to victims and misguided societal viewpoints, but we're finally collectively stepping up and saying “You know what, these things are wrong.” 2016 was pretty awful, but maybe it helped in some way to create a better future. Steven Galloway, Image via belairnewsandviews.com have come to fruition. UBC has been repeatedly criticized for weak apologies to victims. This is just formal complaints: UBC is also a school of partying, and the amount of assaults or attempted assaults at frat parties is also an issue. Victims deserve better. Women deserve better. As students, we all deserve better. Combating and preventing abuse through serious, progressive responses should bea high priority for UBC, especially when it occurs amongst faculty members.