2008 Woodie Awards
Female R.O.C.K. apartment residents sexually harassed by construction workers
Issue date: 3/10/06 Section: Rocket Letters
To the Editor:
Every morning when I wake up, I shower, eat breakfast, get ready for class, walk to the happy bus stop and go to class. Oh wait! I forgot an important part of my morning:
Get sexually harassed by construction workers.
If you are a female and live in the Rock Apartments, you know what I am talking about. Without fail, every morning the females of the Rock Apartments are subject to embarrassing sexual attention. Waiting for the Happy Bus has become an "All you can look" buffet for the construction workers on their way to the site. Most of them stare as though they have never seen a female before in their lives! Although most of the time I personally do not understand what the construction workers are saying because I do not speak Spanish, cat calls, hollers, winks and 'Hey baby's" are universal. One would think that upon being hired, the construction workers would be warned not to harass the college community in anyway.
Either SRU did not bother to warn their construction workers or they did not bother to hire an interpreter to convey the message. While walking back from class after dark, instead of thinking about what I am going to do when I get home, I am looking over my shoulder and walking as fast as possible with my finger poised on my cell phone to call for help incase I need it. While I consider myself to be brave, I do not consider myself to be naive. I know that college students can be attacked, especially females walking alone. I also know that sexual harassment can start with a couple catcalls and winks, and turn into something deadly. These construction workers should be warned against harassing SRU students and be fired for violating the agreement before an innocent student becomes a victim of more than just embarrassment.
Katherine Piscopo
Senior
Psychology Major
Every morning when I wake up, I shower, eat breakfast, get ready for class, walk to the happy bus stop and go to class. Oh wait! I forgot an important part of my morning:
Get sexually harassed by construction workers.
If you are a female and live in the Rock Apartments, you know what I am talking about. Without fail, every morning the females of the Rock Apartments are subject to embarrassing sexual attention. Waiting for the Happy Bus has become an "All you can look" buffet for the construction workers on their way to the site. Most of them stare as though they have never seen a female before in their lives! Although most of the time I personally do not understand what the construction workers are saying because I do not speak Spanish, cat calls, hollers, winks and 'Hey baby's" are universal. One would think that upon being hired, the construction workers would be warned not to harass the college community in anyway.
Either SRU did not bother to warn their construction workers or they did not bother to hire an interpreter to convey the message. While walking back from class after dark, instead of thinking about what I am going to do when I get home, I am looking over my shoulder and walking as fast as possible with my finger poised on my cell phone to call for help incase I need it. While I consider myself to be brave, I do not consider myself to be naive. I know that college students can be attacked, especially females walking alone. I also know that sexual harassment can start with a couple catcalls and winks, and turn into something deadly. These construction workers should be warned against harassing SRU students and be fired for violating the agreement before an innocent student becomes a victim of more than just embarrassment.
Katherine Piscopo
Senior
Psychology Major
