Student organizations promote suicide prevention

One thousand, one hundred yellow flags were arranged to display “1,100,” on April 16 in an effort to represent the roughly 1,100 college students that commit suicide each year. The Psychology Club organized the display with the help of Pathways. They drew inspiration from the organization Active Minds, which regularly displays 1,100 backpacks on college campuses across the nation in an effort to “send the silence packing,” as their website states.

Senior Keith Morris-Schaffer, president of Psychology Club, said this was the club’s first suicide awareness initiative.

“This is [Psychology Club] just breaching into the territory, but it was really successful. We had a lot of volunteers, and we think we’ll probably extend it to two days. We also had a candlelight vigil at night,” Morris-Schaffer said.

Psychology Club decided to host a suicide awareness event because they found a lack of campus events that drew attention to the issue. Because this event went so well, they plan on expanding their initiative next year to include workshops and fundraising.

“We plan on doing it again and making it a fundraiser for Active Minds. We don’t know if they’ll be able to come... but we’ll be doing the same event, because we had a lot of interest. So we spread awareness effectively, but by fundraising next year we can hopefully broaden the scope,” Morris-Schaffer said.

The event had roughly 30 volunteers, from both Psychology Club and Pathways. This helped students realize that the campus does have resources for support, such as Pathways. Next year, Psychology Club wants to extend the awareness initiative.

“We’re hoping to maybe get [Residence Life] involved, so that they could hold workshops of some kind, and that would really help towards making it an awareness week initiative instead of just a couple of days,” he said.

Psychology Club is not the only organization on campus that has suicide awareness in its scope, however. Sisters Making a Change will be hosting an “Out of the Darkness” walk, sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The walk will take place on Sunday April 27, with registration beginning at 11 a.m. and the walk starting at noon. Tim Hortons made donations and Subway is expected to donate as well, however, their participation is tentative.

Co-Service Chair for SMAC sophomore Jane Skinner said that fundraising is successfully underway, and the organization expects to meet its goal of $1,000, having roughly $660 already raised. They expect roughly 100 attendees.

There is no registration fee for the event. While that is a relief to some, it does hurt the fundraising initiative.

“Our whole walk is through AFSP, and they don’t charge a registration fee so we really can’t impose one, and that hurts our fundraising,” Skinner said.

Ultimately, the campus is seeing more attention given to the cause of suicide awareness and prevention, and that attention will likely grow in coming years.

Campus safety evaluated upon assault report

Sexual assault is widely discussed on college campuses. While an unknown amount of sexual assaults go unreported, when a report is made, it can have a clear effect. On Sunday April 13, Geneseo’s University Police Department sent out an email alerting the campus that two suspects had committed a sexual assault on campus. The email provided a brief description of the two suspects, detailed as white, short males.

Interim Chief of UP Thomas Kilcullen said the investigation is ongoing, and thus no information can be released at this time.

“We have interviewed a number of people and we have scheduled more interviews, so the case continues to move forward at the point,” Kilcullen said.

Following the incident, UP implemented some increased immediate security measures in response as well as planning some other long-term changes, such as better visibility in remote areas.

“We have implemented patrol special attention, and we have officers and staff that are dedicated to surveillance in the area where the incident has taken place. In addition to that we are stepping up visibility in remote areas and parking lots, and we’re directing the officers’ activities in those areas and having them document times,” he said.

Most importantly, UP’s focus is maintaining community confidence in the department and to “alleviate any fear that may be in place.”

While fear is an expected result after a sexual assault is reported, Geneseo is typically a very safe campus, without a sexual assault with a similar classification since 2011. In that case, there was an arrest.

“This [is] something that is out of the ordinary for this community, and our response is to be supportive of the victim in this case and to go forward with the investigation and give a response to the overall community,” Kilcullen said.

The school also provides many resources for students, such as the blue light emergency phone systems, which haven’t seen any recent use, which Kilcullen attributes to the time.

“We looked back at 2013, and there were no activations of the blue light phone for a call for service, but there were a number of malfunctions that were reported. One thing that impacts the use of the blue light phones, which are crucial in a community like this, is the use of cellular phones today,” he said.  “We do have those in areas that are remote, with the intention of having them visible if someone needs assistance, and they don’t have access to a phone.”

Other resources include Pathways: Geneseo Peer Advocacy Program and the Geneseo Sexual Assault Response Team, both under the advisement of associate professor of psychology Jennifer Katz.

“Pathways is … a resource that’s available to students to reach out to for any number of issues, sexual assault being one of those,” Katz said. “And so the nature of the organization is to provide the service and to be available to students who have concerns for needs for nonjudgmental listening.”

SART is a transportation program that exists to provide victims of sexual assault a trip to the hospital in a way that circumvents reporting the incident to the authorities.

“It became clear that our campus is unfit to provide the medical and forensic needs necessary as well as the proper storing of evidence,” she said. “We wanted to provide students a way to access those resources without having to report the incident in any official way if they choose not to.”

While SART did not play a role in the incident this weekend, they were available for assistance had they been called on.

When it comes to safety on campus, UP urges students not to walk alone, to avoid remote areas at night and to use the Livingston Area Transportation Service. UP is also available 24/7 to provide an escort for students going somewhere on campus.

SUNY chancellor recognizes students for continued excellence

On April 2, Chancellor of the State University of New York Nancy L. Zimpher honored 274 SUNY students, four of whom are Geneseo students, with the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. The award, created in 1997, honors students who have displayed excellence in not only academic achievement, but also through accomplishments in leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement or career achievement.

Seniors Marty Rogachefsky, Laura Duclos, Rena Pazienza and Mary Aldridge were all nominated and selected for the award. Students that are nominated are then asked to fill out a seven-page application, which is reviewed by a committee of faculty. The committee will usually select four applications to send to the chancellor’s office, which makes the final decision.

Rogachefsky is a political science and economics major in the Edgar Fellows Program who was nominated due to his large presence on campus. He was a resident assistant during his sophomore and junior years and is now the senior resident assistant in Niagara Hall. During his time at Geneseo, he has served as the instructor of an improv comedy troupe and vice president of the College Republicans.

“I try to appeal to all my different interests in different ways; I like being involved,” he said. “It really speaks to how Geneseo allows people to pursue whatever they want to and to do it to the extreme.”

Duclos is a biology major with a cognitive science minor. She’s conducted research in both the biology and the psychology departments, and plans to continue research at the University of Rochester after graduation, where she will be pursuing her Ph.D. in neuroscience.

Duclos has been very active in student life, working as a resident assistant and an orientation advisor while also giving prospective students tours of the campus. She has also taught a biology lab for the last two years, which she said has inspired her to teach in the future in addition to her work in neuroscience.

Pazienza is a double major in psychology and philosophy, a presidential scholar and recipient of the Dr. Bill Edgar Tribute Endowed Scholarship in philosophy. She has done integral work for sexual assault awareness and prevention through the Womyn’s Action Coalition and the advisory committee for sexual assault prevention.

“It was an incredible honor; it really validates all the work that we do, and it inspires us to encourage others to get involved,” Pazienza said.

During her time at Geneseo, Pazienza has conducted research in the psychology department with associate professor Jennifer Katz on bystander intervention; she has also served as a teaching intern several times. She plans to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Albany after graduation.

Aldridge is a business administration major and is doing an internship in Buffalo. She served as captain of the women’s cross-country team and was the co-chair of the Professional Operations Committee in Geneseo’s Society for Human Resource Management Chapter. She also received an Emerald Certificate from Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development.

After her internship, Aldridge will lead youth outdoor adventure hikes originating from Salt Lake City, Utah. When she returns in the fall, she plans to apply to law schools.

At the award ceremony in Albany, Zimpher spoke about how the recipients can implement their skills into future endeavors and discussed the SUNY message and mission.

“[She spoke] about how we were leaders and how to implement our ideas going forward,” Duclos said. “She spoke during the ceremony as well, really highlighting the value of SUNY. It’s such a good education for such a low price, so I really believe in her message.”

Village election date inconvenience to students

A board election will take place on March 18 for the Village of Geneseo during a time that complicates the voting process for students. New York State schedules all village elections during the spring, and Geneseo’s village election always lands within the spring break of students who attend the college. This can be problematic for students, as their relationship with the village is much more immediate than the town or county, which have elections in November.

The Village Board of Trustees consists of five positions: the mayor, the deputy mayor (who is appointed after the election) and three member trustees. The mayor and two trustees are up for re-election, with one of the trustees currently acting as deputy mayor. A village justice of the Village Justice Department is also up for re-election.

The village board is responsible for dealing with many issues that affect the community, of which students make up a sizable portion. While the overarching duty of the board is the administration of the town, it is more specifically responsible for the village police force, the operation of the justice system, village infrastructure and the supervision of the village planning board and zoning regulations.

Chairperson of the Village of Geneseo Democratic Committee Susan Bailey, who has worked on numerous local campaigns, said that cooperation is also a major concern for the village board.

“One of the things that the board is looking at, although I’m not sure about immediate impact on students, is cooperation among the various units of government, the village, the town, the county and the college to try to share services,” she said.

Bailey affirmed that most important of those shared services are the police forces of the village and college to ensure the safety of students and the community.

“Cooperation between the [college and village] police departments is of the most immediate importance and the board really values that relationship,” Bailey said.

While it doesn’t currently face a major controversial issue, the board does substantial work pertaining to off-campus housing, a “perennial issue” to students, Bailey said.

“And that’s something that the board deals with a great deal. Zoning regulations that deal with how many people can live in an off-campus residence, parking – those kind of things,” she said.

She said the situation of off-campus housing is a delicate one for the board, as it wishes to maintain good relations with the college and students. On the other hand, the board also receives pressure from landlords on issues pertaining to zoning. This dynamic can make it difficult to pursue changes to zoning for both students and landlords.

The board also does substantial infrastructure and façade work on Main Street and the surrounding streets. Recently, the village completed work on the Wadsworth Street sewer system, which was in need of a revamp, according to Bailey. The board is also in the process of repairing sidewalks in the village.

The village election affects students in more ways than many think, and yet the timeframe of the election seems to make it more difficult for students to participate.

With midterms in the week leading up to the election and spring break overlapping the election, students who want to exercise their right to vote need to be proactive. The process is easier than it sounds, however.

Students who are registered can visit the Board of Elections, located at 6 Court St., and fill out an absentee ballot any time before March 17. Students who are not registered must do so before March 7 and can obtain a registration form from the Office of the Dean of Leadership and Service, located in room 353 in the College Union, or at the Board of Elections.

While a two to three day processing time is necessary, students can then cast their absentee ballot afterward so long as it is before the deadline.

Mac Miller to headline Spring Concert

After a long road filled with negotiations, surveys and complications, the concert coordination committee of Geneseo’s Activities Commission has secured a main artist for this year’s Spring Concert: Mac Miller will headline the concert, which is set for April 12. AC Concerts Coordinator junior Juli Grygier also said that the committee is currently working on a contract agreement with a “fairly large-scale opener.” AC has yet to finalize the contract with the agency, however, and an announcement is expected within two weeks.

AC uses a series of student surveys to determine options for artists; however, this year was the first time that it incorporated a third survey. Each survey serves a different purpose and helps move AC closer to a final decision. Students nominated any three artists and roughly 1,500 people responded.

Student Association provides a budget of $85,000 for the concert, and while many students’ top three choices were unreasonable in terms of cost, Grygier said they wanted to get a solid idea of what the student body’s ideal concert could look like for comparison.

This allowed AC to narrow the choices for the second survey. The top 30 artists from the nominations that were within the price range were offered to students, who could pick any seven artists. About 2,800 students responded in that survey – nearly half of the campus.

After the second survey, AC started to reach out to artists. It made several offers and talked with several agencies about possible contracts. Complications with some of the top selected artists, however, prompted AC to consider a third survey.

Members of AC considered how students could recast their votes given that some artists now had to be removed from consideration due to extraneous circumstances.

“There were things that we couldn’t have known at the time of the second survey. So we thought it was only fair to do the third,” Grygier said. The third survey received 2,300 responses.

AC considered several other artists, such as Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding and The Black Keys, but each came with its own issues that prevented the school from moving forward with contracts.

While Miller came in sixth on the second survey, he came in first in the third. Ultimately, Grygier felt very confident in the selection of Miller due to the overall results of the survey.

“In the third survey, the top artists were interestingly all rap artists. So that made us more confident that we were going in the right direction because even if you didn’t vote for him, you may have voted for someone in a similar genre,” she said.

Because of this, Grygier said that AC did not pursue a budget increase.

“We actually didn’t do a budget increase this year, even though they have in past years, and I think we were really able to do what we wanted without one,” she said. “This was really because the amount of money it would cost to get someone else would almost double our budget.”

As with the spring 2013 concert, Miller’s performance will also take place in Kuhl Gymnasium, which can hold 2,700 students. An outside venue was considered; however, with the uncertainty of weather and logistical concerns, AC opted to stay with Kuhl Gym.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday March 1 and are available exclusively for students for two weeks. The price will stay the same as last year at $20 per student ticket.

College explores alternatives as KnightLink contract nears expiration

KnightLink, an online service that hosts pages for every Geneseo student organization and provides online forms and purchase orders has a contract with the Student Association that will end after the spring 2014 semester. Coordinator of Student Programs and Activities Tiffany Brodner oversees KnightLink and said that students find it to be a valuable resource, due to its year-round availability and accessibility.

“KnightLink is like the [Student Organization Expo] in one place, online, all year long,” Brodner said. “It’s a database of all the organizations on campus … and it’s really kind of that one place that students can look to for information on student [organizations].”

Brodner said that the Department of Student Life has worked with SA in the past to make forms easier for both organizations and students. The consolidated travel form is one example.

“We’ve actually collaborated with SA to combine two forms into one process to make it easier on the students,” she added.

While KnightLink has allowed Student Life and SA to streamline and digitize processes, it is not beholden to the service. In fact, Director of Student Life Chip Matthews said that pursuing other avenues is the duty of the school to ensure students receive the best services possible.

“I think we have to, you know, do our due diligence. We have to look at how are we best meeting student need. And is KnightLink the best outlet for that, or is something else?” Matthews said.

The contract is maxed at three years, which both Brodner and Matthews viewed as a benefit.

“I don’t think re-evaluating every three years is a bad thing. I think every year would be onerous on people, I think every three years allows us to not get locked into anything,” Matthews said. Brodner continued the sentiment, adding that it also allows the school to stay in touch and up to date with students.

Matthews explained that KnightLink came to the school through a graduate assistant whose task was to seek out services that would make organizing and promoting student organizations easier. CollegiateLink, the program that hosts KnightLink, was the best option then, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is now.

“You constantly have to be evaluating and asking if this is still the best application for us; how can we tweak it, how can we make it better? Or is there something else out there,” Matthews said. “I think, that being said, a lot of work has gone into KnightLink – not just on the part of the Student Association but also student organizations.”

Brodner said SA, Student Life and student organizations have all put in an immense amount of work into making KnightLink the student tool that it is today. Starting with a new service and provider could potentially set back these organizations.

“It’s very populated,” Brodner said. “Organizations have plugged in all their information that makes sense for them.”

One feature going unused on KnightLink is the purchase order system. Campus Auxiliary Services and SA already have a working process for how SA distributes money, and trying to incorporate KnightLink caused some issues.

Matthews explained that the service is covered under the current contract; however, it isn’t being used.

“It’s one of things that never went into play. So that’s something that is being paid for but never being utilized,” he said. “We would go without that in the future.”

Matthews realizes that looking forward and anticipating the needs of students in the future affects the decision of staying with the current provider.

“I think some of the challenges are that we need to look at how to best meet student needs. However, sometimes something isn’t a need until it’s a need,” he said.

Career Development prepares for first job fair

Geneseo will host its first Professional Job and Internship Fair on March 6. The Department for Career Development has spent the early weeks of the spring 2014 semester seeking out businesses and organizations to attend. With more than 50 recruiters registered, it is expected to be the largest job fair of all the Rochester-area colleges, according to Associate Director for Internship Opportunities Rob DiCarlo, who is organizing the fair. His position is new – DiCarlo joined the Department of Career Development in June 2013 –said that he was excited to get started on this project as he felt it was absolutely necessary.

“I knew it was a need for our students. My position was created to help students find internships. There has never been a person in this role before,” he said. “I want to do something for those students who wanted internships for summer or fall, and also to do something for the graduating seniors.”

When DiCarlo started at Geneseo, he spent most of his time investigating the strength of Geneseo’s employer and alumni base.

“I started reaching out to people down in New York City, to our alumni base, as 60 percent of our students come from Long Island and [New York City],” he said. “I’m really starting to build up a nice collection of alumni that students can connect with for employment, internships and networking purposes.”

Getting in touch with alumni was one of DiCarlo’s first major priorities, but he has also been reaching out to local and national organizations and businesses. Roughly two-thirds of the companies are centered in Rochester. There will be businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies represented at the fair.

While Fortune 500 companies such as Disney and Constellations Brands will be in attendance, DiCarlo said that much of the opportunity lies elsewhere.

“That’s not where all the hiring is taking place. If you look at the hiring trends, most [job opportunities] are in smaller to mid-size companies. So we have a mix of organizations coming,” he said.

DiCarlo hopes that the fair will increase in size considerably in the coming years.

“I’d be really happy, with the way the job market is now, to hit 70 represented organizations, but if we exceed that, I’ve already talked to folks over in the athletic department, and they’d be more than happy to give up the gym for a day or two for students,” he said.

DiCarlo stressed that this fair is a serious and professional fair and not a “roll-out-of-bed” summer job fair.

“I’m trying to convey to students that it’s a professional job fair and that it’s competitive, and they should do everything they can to position themselves for success,” he said.

He reiterated that it is important for students to use the KnightJobs resource as a way to prepare for the fair.

“I’d encourage students to register on KnightJobs because that will force them to upload a résumé,” DiCarlo said.

While students could potentially show up and try to talk to all the employees, they would greatly increase their chances of making good impressions if they prepared.

“Registering on KnightJobs gives students access to the whole directory of employers and allows them to do some research ahead of time. It’ll help narrow the students’ focus, so they can make a good impression,” DiCarlo said.

The fair will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on March 6 in the College Union Ballroom.

Lauderdale recognized for mental health programming

The Jed Foundation granted Geneseo the JedCampus Seal on Feb. 7 for the school’s mental health and suicide awareness programming. The seal was awarded after an extensive self-assessment was made by the Health and Counseling Center, which was then reviewed by the Jed Foundation. The assessment looks at several different areas of evaluation, such as the school’s strategic planning, the identification of students at risk, the increasing of help-seeking behavior and crisis management.

Administrative Director of Student Health and Counseling Melinda Dubois said the school had been looking for a comprehensive self-evaluation, and JedCampus provided that opportunity.

“What we were looking [for] is an opportunity to evaluate the services we provide and the way our campus handles students who might be struggling … We’ve been talking about this for years, and JedCampus provided us a tool to do this assessment piece,” she said.

The self-assessment submitted by the college is compared to the Jed Foundation’s recommended practices outlined in “The Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention on College and University Campuses.” Receiving the seal shows that Geneseo excels in many of the evaluated areas but also outlines areas where Geneseo could improve its services.

“The foundation thought we were a fabulous job in many areas, but they also pointed out areas where we need to grow, areas we need to focus on,” Dubois said. “We are using this as a springboard to start doing some different initiatives, and how we deal with students who are struggling.”

One such area is “gatekeeper training.” The Suicide Prevention Resource Center defines gatekeeper training as “[recognizing] warning signs – behaviors and characteristics that might indicate elevated risk for suicidal behavior – and [knowing] how to intervene with a person they think might be at risk for suicide.”

The Health and Counseling Center already does a great deal of training with residence assistants, but it plans to expand the training to other departments.

“What we want to do more of is partnering with the academic side. How can we work closely with faculty members? How can we help them when they have someone in their class who is struggling?” Dubois said. She said that, while she can’t make everyone a counselor, “We all have an obligation to help each other.

“Many faculty have close relationships with their students, and we want to help them have some skills to help [students] who may be struggling,” Dubois added.

Laura Swanson is a staff counselor who initiated the participation in JedCampus program.

“I think the feedback we got from the survey was to keep doing things like that, to reach out to different departments – whether it’s academics or financial aid – giving people in those departments the tools to recognize when students are under stress and in need of assistance,” she said.

The approach of widespread gatekeeper training falls in line with the Health and Counseling Center’s philosophy, as Geneseo was commended for its campus-wide, community approach to promoting emotional health and suicide prevention. The center runs a program through Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development titled “Healthy Body, Healthy Minds,” which focuses on stress management and meditation.

On Feb. 7, the center launched its “Wellness in the House” initiative in Onondaga Hall, which places a satellite health center on Southside for students with self-care packages including wound care, cold medicine and condoms.

While Dubois said that “Wellness in the House” is mostly a response to the logistical difficulties of being located on Northside, she also wants new students to feel connected to the center.

“Slowly the residents of ‘Daga are learning about it, and we think that they really love it so far,” Dubois said.

“The whole overall message is that student mental health and well-being is a campus priority, and I think it has been on this campus for years. And we want to make people feel like they are partnering with our office, and that as a community we are paying attention,” she said.

The Health and Counseling Center is currently in strategic planning stages for new initiatives in response to the Jed Foundation’s recommendations.

Petition forces new club Bada Bing to reconsider promotional campaign

As Geneseo prepares for the opening of its first electronic dance music nightclub Bada Bing on Saturday Feb. 8, controversy over the content of the club’s themed party nights has caused some students to organize a boycott in protest. The new club is owned by James Spero, from Long Island, and has opened up nightclubs all over the country. Bada Bing will be Geneseo’s first bar to allow in students 18 years of age and to host themed after-hours. These factors have proved controversial in the community.

Employees of the club, such as promoter junior Aaron Murphy and bartender sophomore Anna Bertoldini, spent the last weekend handing out fliers around town, which detail party themes such as “Mobsters and Mistresses,” for which women are encouraged to “dress provocative enough to catch the eye of a taken man.”

According to Spero, the themes presented are much less intense than themes he has opened with at his other establishments. He said, “With the mobsters and mistresses theme, there is nothing there that I feel is too sexual. Maybe the word ‘provocative’ was over the top. But the main idea is dress to impress, both guys and girls.”

While Murphy said he understands why there is opposition, he feels a large part of it has to do with the failure of both sides in seeking out more information.

“There has been a lack of research by both sides. If [the students organizing the boycott] would have come and spoken with us first, they would know that themes are only 10 percent of our business model and easily changed,” he said. “But you can take any detail of something and find something wrong with it.”

Bertoldini feels that the fliers are poor promotional material for the club.

“I’m from Italy, which is a very male-dominated society, and I still felt the fliers were sexist,” she said. “However, I know that is not what [Bada Bing] is about. The fliers absolutely misrepresent the club.”

Several students created the Facebook group “Boycott Bada Bing: Stop the Objectification of Women,” coupled with a petition, encouraging students to boycott Bada Bing on the grounds that the fliers and promoted themes objectify women.

Seniors Deven Coulter and Kaitlyn Wegman are two of the organizers of the boycott. They both said they don’t want to eliminate Bada Bing from the community but rather draw attention to the atmosphere the sexualized promotion creates.

“We’re not trying to destroy a business; we just want men and women of this campus to be aware that this isn’t acceptable, especially when this is a large option for freshmen and sophomores who can’t get into other bars,” Wegman said. “They might not know enough to not be taken advantage of.”

Coulter said she stresses the importance of educating students and making them aware of their options.

“We want to break the mold and change the discussion,” she said. “But we want to keep it a very friendly discussion for the purpose of educating people and building a relationship with Bada Bing. We just would like them to change the way they’re promoting their night club.”

Since Sunday Feb. 2, the petition has accumulated more than 350 signatures.

In response, Murphy said that Bada Bing is taking steps to rectify the situation.

“We’ve reached out and we are working actively to come to a common agreement. We plan on dropping the themes and picking up new ones,” he said.

According to Spero, no official agreement has been reached, and he has yet to meet with the boycott organizers.

“Any agreement my employees spoke about were [discussed] behind closed doors. But I’ll be honest and clear; I don’t want to make any students uncomfortable,” he said.

Bada Bing has not scratched the idea of themes, as Spero said that keeping themes is an important part of the club’s appeal.

“We can’t compete against the [Inn Between] fully because they’ve been established for 30 years; we have to be an alternative,” Spero said. Bertoldini mirrored this thought.

“The themes get more people to come because it is more fun, and it makes it different because we don’t want to be a direct competitor to the IB,” she said.

Junior Jordan Fulcoly is the DJ for Bada Bing. He said they will be pursuing less “sexualized” themes for the coming weeks and will not have themes every week.

“We’re thinking about themes like glow parties – things that are much more general and less one-sided and sexualized. Ultimately, dropping the elaborate themes saves us money because we don’t have to purchase a ton of decorations,” Fulcoly said.

The group was updated on Tuesday Feb. 4 to reflect the cooperation that occurred between the establishment and the protesters. The page reads, “We’d like to announce that the staff of Bada Bing has been extremely responsive to our views and our online petition. Many staff members immediately reached out to us to let us know that they would try to rectify the situation.”