<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Jasmine Despain Archives - The Utah Statesman</title> <atom:link href="https://usustatesman.com/tag/jasmine-despain/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://usustatesman.com/tag/jasmine-despain/</link> <description>USU's Student Newspaper</description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2016 17:05:24 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1</generator> <image> <url>https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-screen-shot-2017-10-19-at-4.33.29-pm-32x32.png</url> <title>Jasmine Despain Archives - The Utah Statesman</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/tag/jasmine-despain/</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>Black Student Union organizes blackout for Black Lives Matter</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/black-student-union-organizes-blackout-for-black-lives-matter/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Alyssa Roberts]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2016 17:05:24 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Campus News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[black lives matter]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Black Student Union]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jasmine Despain]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Logan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Old Main]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://usustatesman.com/?p=22010556</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Utah State University’s Black Student Union was a calm voice this week amidst a cacophony of campus protests. For BSU’s…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/black-student-union-organizes-blackout-for-black-lives-matter/">Black Student Union organizes blackout for Black Lives Matter</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State University’s Black Student Union was a calm voice this week amidst a cacophony of campus protests. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For BSU’s president Jasmine Lee, the club’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations aren’t about protesting, they’re about showing solidarity to “shed light” on a national issue. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rather than shouting and picketing, the club organized a campus-wide “blackout” Tuesday, inviting all who wanted to participate to wear black clothes as a show of solidarity. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A diverse group of demonstrators then met that evening in the Taggart Student Center to discuss how the Black Lives Matter movement applied to them individually. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For some, it was a matter of showing solidarity with all humans </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">—</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for others, motivation to teach people they interacted with about awareness of their own privileges and responsibilities. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For junior Edward Borenstein, it was a means of discussing racial privilege and the hypocrisy that he says come with it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When ever have you had a problem that you say, ‘Oh stop talking about it, it’s going to go away?’ You don’t do that to problems, it’s just when it’s inconvenient to you,” Borenstein said amidst chuckles from the crowd. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Growing up in the south, Borenstein said he was taught to believe the Black Lives Matter movement was inherently racist and violent, so he felt he was in a unique position to dispel that stigma. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m trying to be a voice that shows people there is such a thing as white privilege,” Borenstein said, “and we need to acknowledge these people and what they’re facing.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For Naden Mohamed, BSU’s vice president, the Black Lives Matter movement is a means of reclaiming her identity. Growing up near Ogden at a predominantly white high school, Mohamed said she felt like she was always the “token” black person. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I didn’t realize the toll it was taking on me being that token,” Mohamed said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though she realized USU was a predominantly white university when she chose to come here, Mohamed said she wanted to use the opportunity to make a change and help dispel “the misconception that the black experience is the same.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I just wanted to be that person that could educate [people] without lecturing them,” Mohamed said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lee said she wanted to hold demonstrations at USU on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement to help promote BSU events with more long-term significance. And if the diversity of the demonstrators present is any indication, Mohamed and Lee have made a difference in educating their peers. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s been happening in society where it’s just like, this is for this group, this is for that group, and if you step over into unmarked territory, we’re not comfortable,” Lee said. “At the end of the day, we’re all human, we’re all one big happy family, we’re all getting a degree.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">– </span><a href="mailto:ac.roberts95@gmail.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ac.roberts95@gmail.c</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">om</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">@alyssarbrts</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/black-student-union-organizes-blackout-for-black-lives-matter/">Black Student Union organizes blackout for Black Lives Matter</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Students for Choice club promotes reproductive rights, health, education</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/students-for-choice-club-promotes-reproductive-rights-health-education/</link> <comments>https://usustatesman.com/students-for-choice-club-promotes-reproductive-rights-health-education/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Alison Berg]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2016 20:35:53 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Campus News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[abortion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Desiree Chavez]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Feminism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jasmine Despain]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Planned Parenthood]]></category> <category><![CDATA[safe sex]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sexual Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[students for choice]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://usustatesman.com/?p=22010139</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Students for Choice club is new to Utah State University this semester. The club focuses on reproductive health, reproductive…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/students-for-choice-club-promotes-reproductive-rights-health-education/">Students for Choice club promotes reproductive rights, health, education</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Students for Choice club is new to Utah State University this semester. The club focuses on reproductive health, reproductive rights and social justice, and the taboos surrounding sex. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We want to focus on safe and consensual sex, reproductive rights and getting to know your body,” said Jasmine Despain, president of Students for Choice.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said all students are invited to participate regardless of sexuality, gender, race or lifestyle. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “We have people in our club who aren’t having sex and that’s OK,” Despain said. “You don’t have to be sexually active to have these important conversations.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the majority of club members are female, there are a significant number of men involved as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “I think it’s important for men to be just as involved as women,” said Roy Oviatt, a junior studying elementary education. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oviatt was pleasantly surprised to find out the club dealt with much more than he anticipated. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I originally thought it was just a club to talk about women’s issues, but it’s so much more than that,” he said. “We talk about equality, social issues and sex education for everyone.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The club emphasizes feminism, which the Webster’s dictionary defines as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s about equality for all. It’s about understanding how the system of patriarchy harms not just women but men as well, in the sense that men can’t cry or show emotion. We break down those gender binaries and stereotypes in Students For Choice,” said Desiree Chavez, a junior studying psychology. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another goal of Students for Choice is to break down the taboos around sex education.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We want to focus on the positive side of sex ed and make it something that isn’t taboo,” Despain said. “We want everyone to feel comfortable talking about these important topics.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The club promotes a judgement-free, safe environment in which students can share their raw thoughts and feelings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There’s no censorship here. Everyone says what’s on their mind and they can feel and say what they need without being judged,” Chavez said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Students for Choice advertised itself during Day on the Quad in August and about 120 people signed up to be involved. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“To have that many people sign up was amazing. I’m really excited to see how many people are here and care about reproductive health and reproductive rights and want to learn more,” Despain said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Students for Choice is a national club supported by Planned Parenthood. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Planned Parenthood supports Students For Choice by providing safe sex kits — bags including condoms, lube and other items relating to safe sex. Students for Choice passed out safe sex kits during Day on the Quad and provided them at their first meeting.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you choose to have sex, we want to help you be safe and choose the right path,” Despain said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, Planned Parenthood provides other services for Students for Choice, such as flyers and social media advertisements. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some students feel Students for Choice provides the sex education they did not receive before college.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I grew up in a strict, religious family where we didn’t talk about sex. Even in high school sex ed, we never talked about consent or social rights,” Oviatt said.</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/students-for-choice-club-promotes-reproductive-rights-health-education/">Students for Choice club promotes reproductive rights, health, education</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://usustatesman.com/students-for-choice-club-promotes-reproductive-rights-health-education/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Men and women march against violence in USU’s ‘Take Back the Night’</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/men-and-women-march-against-violence-in-usus-take-back-the-night/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Whitney Howard]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 29 Feb 2016 04:12:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lifestyles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jasmine Despain]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jenna Hase]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU Aggies]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://usustatesman.com/?p=22005729</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Some students still remaining on the Utah State University campus on the evening of Feb. 26 were soaking up a…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/men-and-women-march-against-violence-in-usus-take-back-the-night/">Men and women march against violence in USU’s ‘Take Back the Night’</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some students still remaining on the Utah State University campus on the evening of Feb. 26 were soaking up a quiet atmosphere.</p> <p>The chants were faint at first. However, as a group of students and Cache Valley residents holding signs approached, their words became clearer and clearer.</p> <p>“Claim our bodies! Claim our rights! Together we stand! Take back the night!”</p> <p>“Take Back the Night” was organized this year by the USU chapter of I Am That Girl, a club that provides “a safe space to connect and have honest conversations about things that matter,” according to the chapter’s official website.</p> <p>The first “Take Back the Night” was formed by women protesters in the 1970s. The name was given to reflect some women’s fear of going out alone after dark. Over 40 years later, the event has since expanded an annual event to “end sexual, relationship and domestic violence in all forms,” according to the event’s Facebook page.</p> <p>The original “Take Back the Night” events shared a common theme: no men allowed. However, USU has never barred men from attending, said Jasmine Despain, president of I Am That Girl’s USU chapter.</p> <p>“I think that men and women should equally be involved, and we should represent men and women as perpetrators or victims. It’s never one way,” Despain said.</p> <p>Men not only came out for “Take Back the Night,” but surpassed women this year in attendee numbers.</p> <p>“There were more men than women here. It was shocking,” said Jenna Hase, a coordinator for I Am That Girl and a junior in social work. “I love that men are being involved because we can’t change the world if half the population isn’t invited. I think that because more men will be involved, we will also outreach to our male victims.”</p> <p>Some men came because they know victims of sexual assault. Others were seeking to learn more about prevention and advocacy. Members of fraternities also came to represent their chapters. No matter the reason for coming, their presence was appreciated by many attendees.</p> <p>“I’m really happy that a lot of men showed up, too, especially with the incidents that have happened on campus recently,” said Christopher Tonan, a political science major. “I think it’s important that men just show up and show solidarity, simply being a good human being. That’s what it is. It’s as simple as that.”</p> <p>The event began with a march from the Merrill-Cazier Library to the Taggart Student Center. After the march, attendees engaged in a dialogue with one another.</p> <p>“I feel like the marches and the rallies are great, but I also think it’s important to create a safe space for discussion on why we have ‘Take Back the Night’ and how sexual assault or domestic assault impacts people,” Despain said.</p> <p>The discussion gave participants an opportunity to reflect on why they were there, why they thought violence awareness events are important and what they hoped to gain from coming. Many attendees appreciated having this outlet, including Olivia Flores, an undeclared student at USU.</p> <p>“Things like this are really important because they keep the dialogue open,” Flores said. “That’s one of the biggest ways for us to help these kind of situations is to talk about it and not just brush it under the rug.”</p> <p>Despain seeks to provide participants with up-to-date statistics. According to the presentation given during the event, 34.1 percent of American Indian and Alaskan women have experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetime. These statistics resonated with Despain, who was recently crowned Miss American Indian USU and is a sexual assault survivor herself.</p> <p>Even though the topic left some with heavy hearts, many attendees came away more connected and more ready to act as activists within their community.</p> <p>“I feel more optimistic, being in a room of like-minded individuals who take this issue as seriously as it should be taken,” Hase said.</p> <p>I Am That Girl — commonly referred to as “I Am That Person” to encourage inclusivity — meets weekly to discuss other topics. Club meetings take place on Mondays at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center. The topic for Feb. 29 is “Sex and Shame with I Am That Person.” </p> <p>— <i>whitney.howard@aggiemail.usu.edu</i></p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/men-and-women-march-against-violence-in-usus-take-back-the-night/">Men and women march against violence in USU’s ‘Take Back the Night’</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>