HRE grad. associate talks on 'rape drug'

In an attempt to foster community spirit and inform students about the potential dangers of dating, Harnwell College House sponsored a seminar on the link between rape and drugs last week. Jonathan Gilbride, a first-year Nursing graduate student and a graduate associate on the dormitory's eighth floor, addressed more than 20 Harnwell residents on the hazards of date rape and the use of rohypnol, commonly known as "roofies," in date-rape scenarios. The event took place Thursday evening in the eighth-floor lounge. "One out of three women will be raped or sexually assaulted at least once in their lifetime," Gilbride said. "And on college campuses, 50 percent of rapes are estimated to be date rapes." Many factors, according to Gilbride, make rohypnol dangerous. Particularly harmful is its strength, measured at 10 times the potency of Valium, and its effects, which include sedation, amnesia and a "drunk-like state." In addition, the drug's inexpensive price and physical resemblance to aspirin make it easily obtainable. The talk specifically warned students about the use of rohypnol at parties, where it can easily be slipped into a drink. Gilbride researched and presented information on acquaintance rape and rohypnol not only as an assignment for a course he's currently enrolled in called "Victimology," but also as an opportunity to build a community-like atmosphere in the college house. He concluded by emphasizing the need for people to be aware of the fact that drugs and alcohol are often related to date rape. Gilbride also listed numerous resources available to the victims of rape and other sexual assaults, including the Penn Women's Center and the Counseling and Psychological Services. Reaction to the event among several students was mixed. College freshman Karly Grossman supported the aim of the seminar. "It's mainly an issue of knowing your surroundings," she said. "It's really important that people who are going to parties watch out for each other," she said. But College sophomore William Snyder said that events such as this one which try, in part, to build community, are not totally effective. "We go there; we get the information, and we go home," Snyder said. "It's not really that much of a college house thing -- it's more of a personal benefit."

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