RCSGA hosts forum on sexual violence, mental health, sustainability

Around 20 students gathered in Jepson Hall on Nov. 19 for the Richmond College Student Government Association town hall forum, which focused on issues such as sexual violence, mental health and sustainability.

RCSGA welcomed Dave McCoy, chief of campus police, Rob Andrejewski, director of sustainability, and Peter LeViness, director of CAPS, as the guest speakers for the event.

McCoy spoke first about sexual violence issues and how students and the university can work together to eventually lower the amount of sexual violence cases.

“If we get a complaint, it’s more likely than not that a sexual violence case occurred,” McCoy said. “The university then has to make a decision whether or not to move forward and look deeper into the case and determine who was responsible.”

The university encourages victims to come forward and bring their case to the police or to CAPS, McCoy said.

Following McCoy, Andrejewski informed students on the importance of maintaining sustainability in all aspects of the Richmond campus.

“Sustainability basically just means keeping something positive going,” Andrejewski said. “We want to sustain everything in our lives and make sure that for generations to come, they have good quality lives.”

Beginning in December, the university is going to be moving toward using more renewable energy and will begin the construction of solar panels on the roofs of the Weinstein Center, Andrejewski said.

“The solar panels will take up two roofs and will power only one percent of the campus electricity,” Andrejewski said. “But it is a huge step for the future because other schools will see that it is possible and that it can be done.”

LeViness concluded the forum by touching on the issues surrounding mental health cases on college campuses.

“A national concern for college mental health is that the demand for help is quickly outpacing the resources,” LeViness said. “I began working here in 2002, and the number of mental cases has pretty much gone up every year since.”

There has been about a 100 percent increase in students coming to CAPS to get help in the past nine years, LeViness said.

Among the students in the audience were Max Thornton, RCSGA vice president of administration, and junior Kate Lafayette.

“It was really interesting to see how each issue relates to the others,” Lafayette said. “It’s good to know we are doing something on campus to address the issues.”

Thornton, a junior majoring in history and international studies, felt that the forum gave him ideas on how to get involved and make a difference on campus.

“It was a fascinating discussion that informed me of how as a student I can translate my passion into action,” Thornton said.

The RCSGA plans to go to the Virginia General Assembly in mid-January to bring up these issues.

Contact reporter Matt Davison at matt.davison@richmond.edu.