Pace F.I.R.E. (Fight Ignorance and Rape with Education), Title IX, and seven panelists Pace affiliated and non-affiliated came together in order to answer questions Pace students have about Title IX and their resources on and off campus on Thursday at Title IX and Dine in Butcher Suite.

The forum opened with introductions from the panelists including how they interact with the issues of sexual and relationship violence in their day to day job to establish their credibility for answering the questions to come.

Some of the panelists representing Pace University include: Lisa Miles (Title IX coordinator), Cornell Craig (Director of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Programs), Erin Doolin (Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Specialist), Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo (Dean for Students, Pleasantville), and Susan Carroll (Director of the Women’s Justice Center at Pace Law School).

The panelists representing outside resources were: Ariana Cember (representative of WestCop community and services) and Jesse Zayas (representative of the Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center).

Aside from two questions from the audience, the open forum answered questions that were prepared earlier by students in order to ensure that as much information about sex-based misconduct policies were answered.

“It is so important that students know their resources on campus, sex-based misconduct is not something that Pace takes lightly and students have a right to know every policy there is to know regarding it,” said Maura McCarthy, Pace F.I.R.E. peer educator.

Title IX, a policy originally created in order to prevent discrimination against gender turned in to a policy with many facets including sex-based misconduct in order to create a safe environment for all students on college campuses.

Many of the questions the panelists answered were regarding resources, the investigation process, sexual assault prevention in the media, underlying power constructs, and the difference between reporters and confidential resources.

“Pace has always been in the forefront of the more aggressive forms of sexual assault prevention,” said Miles.

Miles, personally handles each investigation and believes that due process is vital in order to appropriately handle each case.

Although the audience was given a lot of information on resources: they acknowledged that often times the survivor may want space and time in order to process what happened to them.

“Sometimes friends will righteously angry on behalf of their friend which is really sweet and wonderful but I also think we need to be letting a survivor choose or drive the bus and decide for themselves, what they need because what you think they need may not be the same thing” said Doolin.

The panelists agree that the survivor can take control of how they want to cope and what route they want to take, however, one Caroll argued that this decision needs to be made sooner rather than later in order to preserve evidence.

“As much as someone might want to sleep it off and not report it, there is evidence that is not going to be available seventy two hours, two weeks from then,” said Caroll. “As much as I think supporting the victim is important, knowledge is power.”

The panelists closed the forum by informing the audience that the best way to  support all survivors and to help prevent sexual assault, the panelists believe that conversations are essential among all people, regardless of gender identity, race, sex, or sexual orientation.