Girl at the U of Arkansas says she was raped at the Kappa Sig house

The1calledTKE · #1 12-12-2002, 11:04 AM

Only thing different about this story than most the rest on here, she wasn't passed out and said no clearly...

http://www.nwaonline.net/283659096104703.bsp

Dionysus · #2 12-12-2002, 11:26 AM

Had some of these women fell out of the dumba$$ tree and beat with the stupid stick?

In NO WAY I mean that these ladies deserved it, I'm just saying some young women need to use more common sense. For example, I would be scared to death to fall asleep at a fraternity house.

AXOLiz · #3 12-12-2002, 12:00 PM

Granted these girls could've been a little more careful (like Dionysus said - no woman deserves to be raped, but a little common sense like watch your drink, stick with friends, etc. can prevent a lot of bad stuff)...but what never ceases to amaze me is why a guy would EVER want to have sex with someone who wasn't willing or was passed out cold, etc. Ok, alcohol impairs your judgment, but THAT much? I know a couple guys who've been pulled off girls who were passed out, and I guess I don't get what would make a guy go, "She's not going to run away, I'm going to get on her." Maybe it's just me, but I like anyone I'm interacting with - even if you're just talking - to actually be responsive. I know it's a power thing, but I still don't get it. I'm guessing this might be one of those things that most people just couldn't fathom, though.

carnation · #4 12-12-2002, 12:19 PM

Oh wow. If he did it, I hope they fry him.

It won't help her story, though, if the case goes to a jury and she tells them that they were at George's. That's this raunchy bar down the street from the Kappa Sig House. Crap.

33girl · #5 12-12-2002, 12:29 PM

OK, it sounds like she met this guy at a bar, went home with him and was allegedly raped. Why the @#$% does it matter if his home happened to be at a fraternity house??

That makes it sounds like the fraternity gang-raped her and the writer knows it.

DeltAlum · #6 12-12-2002, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl
OK, it sounds like she met this guy at a bar, went home with him and was allegedly raped. Why the @#$% does it matter if his home happened to be at a fraternity house?? That makes it sounds like the fraternity gang-raped her and the writer knows it.

I know we've had this debate before, but part of any news story is location. Who, What, When, WHERE, Why, How? At least this reporter had the professionalsim to list the location of every attack:

"In the third incident, an 18-year-old female student told police she was raped in her dorm room in Pomfret Hall on Nov. 13. The woman said her attacker was a 19-year-old acquaintance who lived in the same hall.

In the fourth incident, a 20-year-old female student told police she was pushed to the ground and knocked unconscious outside of the Fine Arts Building on Nov. 19. She awakened to find her pants had been pulled down. She was treated at Washington Regional Medical Center, and police said she was unable to identify or describe her attacker."

It is disheartening that three of the five allegedly happened in fraternity houses.

KillarneyRose · #7 12-12-2002, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum

I know we've had this debate before, but part of any news story is location. Who, What, When, WHERE, Why, How? At least this reporter had the professionalsim to list the location of every attack

True enough, DeltAlum! But...it would have been more accurate if the writer had put down the address of where the rape allegedly took place. (i.e. The woman told police she walked with a male acquaintance to 210 Fratboy Lane after seeing him at George's on Dickson Street) The writer has determined that the location of this fraternity house is common knowledge but, to someone who is a random and not familiar with the greek scene, it might not be.

*****edited to add another point*****
IMO, including the name of the fraternity house in the article is akin to writing something like, "The woman told police she walked with a male acquaintance to Kent Dorfman's house after seeing him at George's on Dickson Street". Not everyone is going to know where Kent Dorfman lives.

33girl · #8 12-12-2002, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum

I know we've had this debate before, but part of any news story is location. Who, What, When, WHERE, Why, How?

True, and I completely agree. I wouldn't expect him not to mention where it happened in the story. I just disagree with the headline. As far as I'm concerned the headline should sum up the biggest fact of the story. That is NOT that this occured at a fraternity house - that is that it's the fifth rape (allegedly) to occur at the campus so far this year. "Fifth attack of year alleged at U of A" would be more accurate and not so sensationalistic.

DeltAlum · #9 12-12-2002, 02:35 PM

A couple of comments:

First, if, in fact, the reporter is a he (I looked but didn't see a byline), the headline could easily have been written by someone else -- they often are. I also suspect, in another story the headline probably read something like "Woman allegedly raped at Fine Arts Center." Or, "Woman allegedly raped in dormatory room." I don't see a whole lot of difference here.

Second, using the street address is not the normal convention when talking about a place which is probably known better to most readers by using it's name. I think that the name of the house would be a much more easily identified location on most any campus.

You wouldn't, for instance, say that the anti-crime bill was signed today at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- you would say, at The White House.

We have to stop seeing the media as always being bad. Would you complain if the paragraph said that $10,000 was raised for charity at 123 Second Street (or wherever), instead of at the XYZ Fraternity House? How about $10,000 was raised by a group of local students who live at 123 Second Street? I'm guessing that you would rather have the letters/organization mentioned, wouldn't you?

Can't have it both ways.

FuzzieAlum · #10 12-12-2002, 02:36 PM

The writer of a story usually has zero control over the headline - the headline was probably written by a copy or news editor - so I wouldn't blame the writer for it.