In response to a rash of sexual assaults in the area last week, USM officials have issued two safety alerts to the USM community. According to university officials the safety alerts, known as “timely notices,” were released to make students aware of threats to their safety and provide them with information they need to stay safe. The two recent assaults in the Portland area are thought to have involved the use of “date rape” drugs and came on the heels of last week’s death of 21-year-old Colby student Dawn Rossingnol.
Lisa Beecher, the Chief of USM police, said that the notices were not intended to cause students to live “shrouded in fear, but rather to provide them [students] with factual and relevant information pertaining to safety in the USM community.” Beecher noted that students are busy and have many commitments. The recent incidents, however, demand students’ attention.
One of the two recent sexual assaults involved a USM student. Denise Nelson, the director of Residential Life at USM, said that she knew of “a fair number of USM students who knew, or knew of, Dawn Rossingol,” a native of Medway, Maine. Nelson added that while the recent events are tragic, they can provide an “open door” to effectively present safety messages that, often fall on deaf ears. Lisa Beecher echoed those sentiments, adding “the information [pertaining to safety] is available for students and once an issue is brought to their attention they start to think about themselves relative to the situation.”
The notices, compiled by the USM police and issued in conjunction with Residential Life and the Office of the President, were placed in well-traveled areas around campus and featured basic safety tips for students. The alerts were part of what university officials describe as a varied approach to the provision of safety information.
“A majority of students will be exposed to information that will help them make safer choices,” Denise Nelson said. She noted that residential directors are required to schedule meetings with the students on their floors to talk about issues surrounding sexual assault.
The heightened awareness of USM students was evident recently at the annual self-defense workshop sponsored by the USM police force. Jim Daniels, the director of sexual assault programs and the assistant Chief of Police at USM, lead the workshop. He said that while there was no discussion among attendees of the recent incidents, there was an unusually high turnout for the class. Daniels emphasized that while these crimes can be difficult to prevent, awareness of potential threats will reduce one’s vulnerability.
Daniels said that he was engaged in ongoing discussions with residential life about the effectiveness of existing programs relating to sexual assault and safety awareness.
“I’m constantly asking myself: are we being effective, and what can we do to be more effective?” Daniels recognized that the recent events provided himself and other officials with the opportunity to reiterate messages about safety that are often difficult to convey to students. “The challenge,” Daniels said, “is being vigilant and constantly available to talk to students.”
Paul Dexter, assistant dean of Student Life, attends several first-year classes each fall, making an approximately seventy-five minute presentation about the risks of college social life and alcohol. Last week Dexter visited an National Collegiate Athletics Association life choices class, and spoke to the first-year athletes about alcohol, date rape drugs, and sexual assault.
“It’s all about creating opportunities for students to examine their choices and make lower risk choices,” Dexter said, adding that while a victim of crime should never be blamed, better choices can always be made. “Risk does not necessarily mean something bad will happen, but it increases the potential,” he said.
Dexter is overseeing a state-wide initiative to reduce heavy drinking among Maine’s college students. The initiative, called the Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Program (HEAPP), is housed at USM, is funded by a United States Department of Education grant, and involves an annual alcohol behavior survey administered to residential students in Gorham.
“The goal is to gather information and present students with facts that will help them make better, and safer choices,” Dexter said. He said he recognized that students are adults and ultimately will act as they choose. “The job of the University is to provide students with the information they need to make better choices,” he said.
Craig Giammona can be reached at [email protected]