By: Shannon Kaminski This deliberation is the last deliberation I was able to attend, but it was definitely on a topic that I find very important to discuss. Sexual Assault is a growing issue on our campus as well as in our society and we need to find ways around the current state.
This group framed the issue in three ways-- Alcohol, Help Available, and Bystander Intervention. I thought all of these ways can contribute to changing the high levels of rape in today’s society. Approach #1-- Alcohol This approach highlighted the fact that alcohol plays a huge role in sexual assault cases, as it often makes lines of consent that seem clear without alcohol, very blurry. People aren’t sure about how far they can go, or whether the other party is comfortable, or if the entire experience is truly consensual because being under an influence can change everything. People often expect a “hookup” solely because they are going to be drunk, and so will some other party that will show interest. We discussed how alcohol consumption could be stopped, but the fact of the matter is, people aren’t going to stop drinking. We decided that, if anything, the university should implement safe drinking education, as well as a relaxed approach towards drinking so that students feel safe asking/seeking for help when they are in trouble and have been drinking. Approach #2-- Help Available While discussing this approach, our group realized that while we were given plenty of different resources for services to offer help to someone who feels endangered at night, or for people who have been assaulted, none of us still have that information, and are not sure how to access it. We also thought that SafeWalk is a great resource, but waiting for 15 minutes on a street corner for someone to come escort you home or offer you help seems to be pointless, and may even be counteractive. We decided that it may be up to the final approach, the bystander approach, to be the most effective plan at preventing sexual assault. Approach #3-- Bystander Intervention We talked about how sometimes being a bystander for a situation that could be potentially harmless for someone else can be uncomfortable, but that it is worth an awkward moment or two if it means saving somebody else from a whole new uncomfortable and terrifying situation. The problem is, a lot of people are unwilling to say anything. Because of this, we decided that our culture’s ideals need to change-- people need to learn to be confrontational, honest, and outright-- if they see someone who looks uncomfortable, all one needs to do is ask if this person is okay, or if they need help. This gets down to our community’s sense of unity. People need to feel connected to one another, people need to care about others, in order to be able to get involved in these types of situations. We also talked about how staying in a buddy system is usually effective, and that the implementation of “Angel shots” in all bars are a great way to give a man or woman on an uncomfortable date the option to opt out in a low-key and safe way. Conclusion The conclusion of this event was that bystander intervention is the best approach at fixing this issue. And the best way to make bystanders inclined to help is to give people a sense of community and compassion for their peers. If everybody cared about the well-being of the people around them, then the moment that someone seemed uncomfortable in a situation, people would be willing to confront it immediately. While the deliberation, in my opinion, did not frame the issue of sexual assault completely, I do think some progress was made while discussing the issue, and that a solution is possible through different programs and implements.
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By: Shannon Kaminski This next deliberation was one I was excited to attend because a lot of political talk is going on about Roe v. Wade and abortion rights currently, so I find it a relevant and significant topic to discuss.
In this deliberation, we were split into separate tables and went through each approach as a small group. After going through each discussion, we then collaborated as one big group to draw conclusions. The issue was framed based on who gets to decide about abortion and birth control, the nation, the state, or the individual. Approach #1- The Nation The first approach focuses on the nation’s involvement in reproductive/abortion rights. Currently, we have Roe v. Wade, which prohibits states from outlawing abortion- a constitutional right to every individual. We discussed how this is a very necessary law in place, because women have a right to decipher whether they can carry a baby, and then support a child when they are pregnant unplanned. Based on health conditions, circumstance (for example, sexual assault), and financial ability, it is not always an option for a woman to safely and healthily have a child-- and the government doesn’t, and shouldn’t have any say about the matter. With this said, federal funding for abortion is also prohibited, which is fair; as is the inclusion of contraceptives in health care plans. The prohibition of federal funding prevents those who don’t believe in abortion or the use of contraceptives from indirectly paying for other’s abortions or medications. We were adamant on the fact that contraceptives are a necessary medication for many people (not just for avoiding pregnancy) and should be treated as such in health care plans. Approach #2- The State The state level approach is a better option for local communities with different types of cultures and mindsets. We talked about the differences in beliefs that overpower certain areas, and realized that some places need more sex education at the teen level to make up for certain laws (for example, some places make it a lot harder to actually get an abortion)-- so there needs to be some sort of compromise in order to decrease the level of accidental pregnancies in the first place. Additionally, while some communities may find the use of contraceptives “taboo” and look down upon those who use contraceptives, there are other communities in which the use of contraceptives is almost universal. Overall, we decided that the sex ed in schools must be implemented so that teens know how to practice safe sex, and prevent accidental pregnancy. Parents who do not want their children learning about these things can choose to opt out of it, however it is very necessary for young adults to have the understanding and the acknowledgement that unplanned pregnancy can happen and how it can happen. I believe personally that the talk about the “birds and the bees,” is necessary for every highschooler to experience, as it is a natural part of becoming an adult. We also agreed with the majority of states having laws in place prohibiting abortion after a certain number of weeks of pregnancy, as this is for the safety of the mother, and for the morality-- a baby after 5-6 months is in a developed stage. State laws allow fine-tuned control of abortion access, which is necessary for different areas. Approach #3-- The Individual The final approach is what my group agreed was the only constitutional and fair approach at reproductive rights. Each person is different: each person has different health needs, different beliefs, different sex lives, different financial status’, and the list goes on. With this being said, everyone has their own reasons to either prevent or abort a pregnancy, and therefore has the right to decide for themselves. Conclusion At the end of this deliberation, we all agreed that it is only constitutionally fair if each person has a right to their beliefs and reasoning. While the national government can prohibit abortion after a certain amounts of time for safety precautions, it cannot take away a woman’s birth-given right. Thus, the only plausible approach to this issue is to give reproductive rights to the individual. By: Shannon Kaminski Being my first experience of a deliberation, I was not sure what to expect as a couple of group members and I walked to the church on College Ave and made our way into the upstairs room of the attic.
I was welcomed inside by free donuts and coffee, and a big room where people sat in a single, large circle. I was also handed a packet that delineated three separate approaches for affecting the current status of binge drinking at our Penn State: The relaxed approach, the current approach, and the strict approach. Students began by introducing themselves and describing why they were attending the deliberation. Then, we began the discussion with Approach #1. Approach #1- The Relaxed Approach In order to fix the negative effects of binge drinking, the group first suggested a more relaxed approach-- one which the University would release the reigns, become a wet campus, allow parties with alcohol with specific regulations, and/or decrease the amount of underages given out as long as students are drinking responsibly. Additionally, we discussed what would happen if PA was to lower the drinking age. We were able to reach the general consensus that the relaxed approach, while it would certainly result in a large spike in binge drinking immediately after initiation, would actually decrease in binge drinking, and the dangers behind it. We came to this conclusion by discussing our personal experience with drinking, and how, in high school, have a parent that is very strict can often result in a teen that is overly rebellious and more inclined on breaking the rules for the thrill. Meanwhile, having a european style family, which begins drinking at an earlier stage, helps young adults understand their limits, and principle of drinking as a whole, or relaxed parenting style, where teens feel comfortable coming to their parents if they need help with a bad situation. Similarly, we thought that students would find the relaxed, wet campus approach to make drinking a more casual and safe activity. The thrill of having a wet campus would go away quickly and people would drink on a more casual level without having the feeling of being rebellious and law-breaking. Also, and more importantly, if students did run into danger involving binge drinking, they wouldn’t have to hide it behind the walls of their dorms, they could ask for help from an RA who could help control the situation without the fear or risk of getting cited or in trouble with the University. Approach #2-- The Current Approach We also discussed how the current approach of PSU affects binge drinking, and whether it does a good job with keeping the students safe. In opposition to the relaxed approach, we decided that the current approach of a wet campus adds to the thrill of drinking and not getting caught. We also assessed that the current consequences of drinking do not deter students who get cited from continuing to drink. So, the current approach isn’t all that effective in terms of driving students away from binge drinking. We also noticed that the current forms of educating students on drinking safely are not very effective because it is an unrelatable, online course that many students click through without paying much attention. Approach #3-- The Strict Approach This approach includes the addition of more strict policies and consequences for underage drinking on and off campus. We had a general consensus that stricter policies might deter some students from binge drinking/drinking at all, but also decided that students would only find better ways to dodge the authorities while they continue to drink heavily. Possible consequences would include expulsion after getting an underage or citation for drinking. Clearly some students would not be willing to risk their enrollment at the university, however it is very likely that this implementation would drive a lot of students away-- both students already enrolled, as well as prospective students-- which would decrease the amount of students here and cause a decrease in applicants in the future as well. Conclusion Altogether, the deliberation drew several conclusions. The main consensus was that implementation of a more relaxed approach by the university towards drinking could result in less binge drinking. With this said, the University could educate the students with a more relatable teaching method on safe drinking in order to ensure that students know how to handle themselves and certain situations in this environment. Of course, no matter what approach is taken, students will inevitably experience the negative effects of binge drinking and there is not yet a foolproof solution to control each and every individual’s drinking habits. |
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