Posted on March 29, 2007
Not all the information has yet to be released about the rape that was brought to the attention of JMU Police on Nov. 1, 2006. What we do know is this: it happened in a dorm on campus, Eric Paul Gustafson was charged by the Rockingham County Grand Jury last Thursday as the alleged rapist, and he is still enrolled as a freshman right here at JMU. Because of the privacy rights rape victims have, the young woman’s name is unknown, as well as her affiliation to the university.
However, logical assumptions can be made about this particular case; that she was raped in either her dorm or Gustafson’s, which is justified by the fact that they were acquaintances of one another (confirmed by the Daily News-Record). According to JMU’s Women Resource Center, 85 percent of on-campus rapes are “acquaintance rapes.”
The incident occurred last semester without the community’s awareness of this violent, forceful act that took place on our own campus. When thoughts of brutality and illegal activity come to mind, they are usually associated with off-campus living.
On-campus dorms are a place where students live sleep and keep personal possessions safe, protected by the secure supervision of RAs, hall directors and a small piece of plastic that swipes us to safety.
However, RAs and hall directors cannot be everywhere at the same time. And that piece of plastic that protects our identity and personal security is just a card that can be stolen or naïvely used to let in anyone who innocently says “I forgot my JAC Card.”
The sad truth is that leaving the door to your off-campus house is just as unsafe as leaving your dorm door unlocked. Especially at a school like JMU, where people wander from unlocked door to unlocked door on Friday and Saturday nights, it’s no wonder that this carefree sentiment travels into dorms where doors are left open, students get robbed, and — most unfortunately — very bad things happen to good people.
As a female student who has lived both on and off campus, this issue is one that concerns me a great deal — especially since the DN-R, an undoubtedly huge resource to this community — got word of this incident before our own school paper. I personally did not receive any “Timely Notification” from the university that indicated such a heinous act occurred on our campus. The victim did, and very admirably so, come forward on Nov. 18 and told JMU Police about the rape.
Under the Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1998, information (not specifically about the young woman, but rather the rape itself), should have been released to the community. With no information, students, faculty and staff are all left in the dark, and cannot even assume the worst, because there is nothing to assume when JMU withholds facts. Although this rape took place over five months ago, to the public it may as well have happened March 25 or 23 — depending on if you read the DN-R or The Breeze first.
It would be nice if we lived in a world were nothing terrible happened; we could leave doors open knowing nothing bad would happen to us or our possessions, and we could sleep safely on or off campus without being attacked. This is not our world — it’s not even close to it.
The fact of the matter it is that no matter how many posters or pieces of furniture you bring into your dorm or room offcampus — you are not at home anymore, nor do you have the safety home provides. Mind your surroundings, know the people around you, and trust that information that should be made available to you will not always be there.
Sarah Delia is a sophomore English and art history major.
