Feb. 25, 2015

The now closed sexual assault case has shed new light upon UW-Whitewater and its practices. Not the whole college party scene but rather the Athletic Department. Here at UW-W it is no joke that athletics are taken very seriously, after all we are the D3 Champions right? Football, Basketball, Baseball, etc…

According to the Alexandria Zamecnik, “The female student was asked by an assistant wrestling coach to take three recruits out to parties.” Taking recruits out to parties is not consistent with UW-W or the NCAA recruiting policy. I would hope that the other coaches of the wrestling team did not know this was happening. But then again, how could they not know? One team, one mind, is how it goes right? Are we to believe that this is an isolated incident, how could it not be a tactic used by the other UW-W coaches looking to recruit?

What should really bother people and shame the Athletic Department is the use of the female body and mind by the wrestling team. In a society that is constantly trying to make a woman’s body less objective, why was it a woman who had to take the three recruits out to a party? Why could it have not been a male wrestler? Is it because since she is a woman, would she just know where parties were? Would she actually get into the party because she’s a woman?  Was she physically attractive?

One last point, on the whole topic of consent, if you are “trashed,” as Ryan Fritsch, a UW-W senior, labeled the woman who was assaulted, then you are in no mode to give consent. Drunken consent might as well be a “No.” Everyone should head those words. Sadly, this whole sexual assault issue could have never happened if someone would have stepped in after the physical altercation between the female student and Goodman.

The administration at UW-Whitewater better give this poor woman free tuition until she graduates. This is 100 percent the fault of UW-W Administration for letting its Athletic Department slip under the NCAA Ethics and Standards. The remaining coaches on the wrestling team should be ashamed of themselves for allowing such practices to exist on their team. Amy Edmonds, this is on you to fix within your department, and UW-Whitewater administration this is on you to fix your reputation.

Kyle Rovinski
Junior
Communication Major