Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912 | www.dailytrojan.com | VOL. 172, NO. 52 | Thursday April 7, 2011
InDEX 2 · Digest 4 · Opinion 7 · Lifestyle 12 · Classifieds 13 · Crossword 16 · Sports
I pity the Foo: Dave Grohl
and Co. release seventh
album. PAGE 7
Competition: Three freshmen fight
for No. 2 quarterback spot.
PAGE 16
Jennifer Schultz | Daily Trojan
Winning
Todd Choi, an undeclared freshman and vice president of Parkside International Residency College building government, stands with
Richelle Gribble, a sophomore majoring in fine arts, at the Annual Tommy Awards held Wednesday at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center
Grand Ballroom. Gribble received the Peer Achievement Award at the event and Choi won the Residential College Government of the Year.
By Lauren March
Daily Trojan
The issues of misogyny and
sexual violence have become
controversial topics of discussion
on the USC during the last several
weeks, after recent scandals
plagued the Greek community.
Take Back the Night, a national
event aimed at increasing
awareness of sexual and domestic
violence, hopes to continue this
discussion in a meaningful way
with tonight’s event at USC.
“We’re trying to start a
conversation about the mentality
and culture that is behind these
types of incidents,” said Kaitlin
Meek, a senior majoring in public
relations and the director of public
relations for Take Back the Night.
“Take Back the Night is coming at
a very interesting time this year. It
is unfortunate that these events did
happen, but it’s nothing new; this
mind set has been around forever.”
The Take Back the Night Rally
will be held tonight at Tommy
Trojan from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
and will feature performances by
multiple campus organizations.
The problem of sexual violence
is widespread among college
campuses in America, according to
Todd Henneman, assistant director
of the USC Center for Women and
Men.
According to a 2005 study
conducted by the National Institute
of Justice, one in five women in
America experiences a rape during
college, but less than 5 percent of
attempted and completed rapes are
brought to the attention of campus
authorities and law enforcement.
“There are probably many other
sexual assaults that have occurred
that we don’t know about, so the
statistics only reflect what the
students have reported to the
university,” Henneman said. “It
is very likely that there are other
students out there who have been
a victim of sexual assault and have
never told a university official.”
Meek said she hopes Take Back
Take Back the Night hopes to advance dialogue on sexual violence
The Take Back the Night rally
will be held tonight at Tommy
Trojan from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
| see Night, page 3 |
Mindy Curtis | Daily Trojan
Booth · Ava Casados, a senior majoring in psychology and fine arts, gives
a Take Back the Night flyer to Maureen Silva, an undeclared freshman.
By pia bhathal
Daily Trojan
A recent report by the National Center for Health
Statistics shows college students prefer short no-strings-
attached relationships that are short and
sexual rather than more committed, long-term
relationships.
USC’s Health Promotion and Prevention Services’s
yearly national health assessment reports, however,
do not ref lect an increase in the number of sexual
partners for undergraduates or graduates.
“Our data would show that the number of partners
has not changed in the last 10 years,” said Paula
Swinford, director of HPPS. “As to the quality of
relationships, my sense is that in general it is difficult
in this day and age to invest time into relationships.”
For some students, casual relationships are easier
because individuals can focus on their own lives
without having to be responsible for another person.
“Hooking up is definitely more common because
it’s easier,” said Natalie Reyes, a junior majoring in
international relations. “A lot of people are focusing
on developing their careers so it’s easier not to have
responsibilities with someone.”
Swinford said she does not think favoring no-strings-
attached relationships is a college-specific
issue and is not surprised students aren’t looking for
serious relationships while they are young.
“You’re not financially on your feet and the age of
marriage is trending up for both men and women,”
Swinford said.
Some students say they have seen a tendency to
engage in casual sex at USC.
“There’s a hookup culture at USC, and that’s why
Students prefer
hookups over
relationships
HPPS director said she is not surprised students
are not searching for long-term relationships.
| see sex, page 6 |
“We’re trying to start a conversation about the
mentality and culture that is behind these types
of incidents.”
· · ·
Kaitlin Meek
Senior, Public Relations
Director of Public Relations, Take Back the Night