Lecturer to discuss assault

The terms "sexual assault" and "rape" have dominated bulletin boards across campus advertising several events scheduled for this week that deal with those topics.\nAfter the "Take Back the Night" activities, Steve Thompson's lecture at 9 p.m. today in Room 100 of Woodburn Hall will conclude the week of prevention education. Thompson, who completed his graduate work at IU, is a professor at Central Michigan University and gives frequent talks on sexual assault. He has traveled to IU in the past to speak about it.\nThompson said he calls this lecture "No Zebras, No Excuses" because, "I'm tired of excuses. Let's stop making excuses, and let's call it what it is... Behavior is a factor of choice. We address the (sexual aggression) with the bystander mentality."\nHe said zebras exemplify this mentality because when one zebra gets attacked by a lion, a nearby pack of zebras just stands there and does nothing.\n"They stand there 20 feet away watching it happening," Thompson said. "They say 'Glad it wasn't me' and go on with their life. What if they say, 'No, let's kick that lion's ass.'"\nThompson said his lecture will be different from other discussions on sexual aggression; the difference between rape avoidance versus rape prevention. Rape avoidance, he said, teaches about how to use mace and not walk alone after dark. Rape prevention means educating people about sexual aggression and making victims feel legitimized. Thompson said he hopes by talking to college students, changes will be made.\n"This is the generation that can make a difference," he said. "You . . . can draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough. They can either say all right let's do it, or they can be the zebras and say let someone else take care of it."\nEvery individual has this responsibility for action, he said, because rape and sexual aggression are not just women's issues, but cultural problems.\n"I try to get people to take it personally," Thompson said. "Whether they know it or not, they have people in their lives who are targeted . . . Everybody in the audience knows someone who has been a victim of sexual aggression."\nTake Back the Night chairwoman Julie Thomas, a visiting gender studies professor, said this is one reason she encouraged everyone to attend this week's rape-awareness activities.\n"For men, the fact that one in every five women will be raped in her lifetime could mean that their sisters or significant others could fall into that group," she said.\nDebbie Melloan-Ruiz, a counselor with the IU Sexual Assault Crisis Service, recommends students attend Thompson's lecture.\n"Steve is a dynamic speaker who gets to the heart of the issue," she said. "The talk is important for a lot of people who don't understand what sexual assault is and what behavior is not OK. Some people are committing sexual assault and don't know it."\nPaddock noted Thompson's knowledge regarding the topic and his sympathy toward victims.\n"He's done his research on people who have been convicted of sexual assault. He knows their mindset . . . when it comes to his sincerity and dedication, he means it. If you are a survivor of sexual assault, this man is on your side."\nAnd Thompson said to those considering attending the lecture, "I can guarantee people will hear things they've never heard before"