Over the course of the past several days, many of us at Northeastern have learned about the recent activities of the operation known as Barstool Sports. We are aware of the conversations that some of our students, staff and faculty have become engaged in around the practices and reputation of Barstool Sports, as well as the Blackout Tour event aimed at Northeastern students, scheduled for Thursday of this week. We feel we must respond to the concerns we have seen over email and in the social media sphere.

We do not want there to be any confusion about the sponsorship of this event, and take the fact very seriously that communication around the event has led some students to report concern for their safety and well-being. As noted on the Student Affairs blog and Facebook page last Friday, it should be clear that Northeastern is in no way affiliated with this event and is not involved with the planning or promotion of it in any manner. This is strictly an off-campus event organized by an outside organization that we do not support. In light of this, Northeastern University has requested that Barstool Sports immediately remove the word “Northeastern” from the name of this event.

Students are well within their rights to express their opinions about an organization that clearly holds a very different set of values from those that we abide by at Northeastern University. In fact, we appreciate the concern that students have expressed. The concept of a Blackout Party wherein those in attendance are encouraged to “black out,” or consume alcohol to the point of unconsciousness is, of course, behavior that comes with dangerous consequences and is certainly inconsistent with our standards of acceptable conduct. For their own safety and well-being, we highly discourage students from supporting an organization that encourages excessive drinking and allows event attendees to become participants in potentially destructive behavior. It is particularly important that students who elect to attend this event – or raise their voices against it – make their own safety a top priority, and understand that harassment or threats of violence are clear violations of criminal laws as well as the Student Code of Conduct. Violations of these laws are treated very seriously, in accordance with university standards.

Those familiar with the Barstool Sports blog can attest that the objectification of women is a strong theme, and comments about women and acceptable behavior toward women by both the authors and readers of the blog are damaging and unfortunate. When a public statement is made debating what constitutes sexual assault or rape, a serious response must be made. This is an issue that students should take seriously, and we as educators must support and educate students on this topic. With that in mind, a facilitated dialogue around rape culture and high risk behavior will take place on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Northeastern’s Social Justice Resource Center (SJRC), located at 106 St. Stephen St. At this event, we hope to engage students in a productive dialogue with key faculty and staff who are experts in this field. These include members of ViSION – the Violence Support, Intervention and Outreach Network at Northeastern. ViSION brings together a network of campus and community allies focused on providing prevention, response and education for sexual assault and all types of violence, for Northeastern students. All students are welcome to attend.

We also want to mention that a group of students is sponsoring a fundraiser this Thursday at Uno’s Chicago Grill on Huntington Avenue, with proceeds to benefit the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center [BARCC]. Those who visit Uno’s that day can opt to make a donation of up to 20 percent of their bill to BARCC, by presenting a coupon to their server. Coupons are available in the Office for Student Affairs in 104 Ell Hall or can be accessed at this Facebook page.

Again, Northeastern is committed to maintaining a safe environment for our entire community, and will continue to take a proactive stance in the prevention of violence. Any threat, act of aggression or act of violence should be immediately reported to the Northeastern University Division of Public Safety. We urge students to exercise good judgment in their decisions, and conduct yourselves with dignity and respect, keeping your own personal safety and that of your peers a priority.

– Dr. Laura A. Wankel is Vice President for Student Affairs