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CNN Live At Daybreak
Air Force Academy Trying to Address Concerns
Aired May 09, 2003 - 05:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, young women going to college for the first time may have concerns about their protection. The Air Force Academy, which has been sullied by a sex scandal, is trying to address those concerns.
That story now from Rusty Dornin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ashley Snyder was shocked when she heard dozens of women reported being raped at the Air Force Academy. But it didn't stop her from getting on the bus to see things for herself.
ASHLEY SNYDER: Here we are.
DORNIN: One of 250 female appointees...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For four incredibly demanding years...
DORNIN: ... here for orientation and explanation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are we doing to ensure that the environment here is safe and that your sons and daughters are safe?
DORNIN: Straight to the heart of the matter, to assure parents and prospective students, male and female, that steps have been taken to keep the cadets safe, to put a stop to rapes and sexual assaults here. Hot lines, investigative teams, segregating females during basic training, to name a few.
Then...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you provide, buy or give an underage person alcohol, you are gone. That is a pretty clear policy.
DORNIN: For Snyder, a high school senior from Pinkerington, Ohio, it made sense.
ASHLEY SNYDER: Definitely. Because like they said, everything that, every -- most of the assaults stem from alcohol.
DORNIN: Her parents were anxious for more than words.
MARY SNYDER, MOTHER: Just a strong attention to it that they, you know, are going to, you know, make some changes, do some, you know, put some attention to it and... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not just rhetoric.
DORNIN (on camera): Do you, did you hear just rhetoric, do you think?
MARY SNYDER: It's a change of policies.
DORNIN: Or do you think that really...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope not.
DORNIN (voice-over): But the message wasn't just for women. Appointee Tony Friedrichs says he heard it.
TONY FRIEDRICHS, ACADEMY APPOINTEE: I think they addressed all questions fairly and directly and I feel that they are making appropriate changes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yourself and one guest?
RACHEL VALENZUELA, ACADEMY APPOINTEE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
DORNIN: Changes are what appointee Rachel Valenzuela was looking for.
(on camera): Would you feel safe coming here?
VALENZUELA: Yes, I do. I feel, I think you, many people are probably safer here than in, at another civilian college.
DORNIN (voice-over): Some of the rape allegations were of male upperclassmen intimidating and pressuring younger female cadets into sex.
(on camera): People talk about the intimidate by an upper classmate as being part of the problem.
ASHLEY SNYDER: Right.
DORNIN: How do you avoid that situation?
ASHLEY SNYDER: I have no idea.
DORNIN: Despite some uncertainty...
(on camera): Have you made up your mind your coming here?
ASHLEY SNYDER: I haven't signed any papers yet, but yes.
DORNIN: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you are appointees for the class of 2007.
DORNIN (voice-over): Just days later, Snyder did sign. She'll report to the Air Force's newly male-female segregated boot camp in June.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 9, 2003 - 05:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, young women going to college for the first time may have concerns about their protection. The Air Force Academy, which has been sullied by a sex scandal, is trying to address those concerns.
That story now from Rusty Dornin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ashley Snyder was shocked when she heard dozens of women reported being raped at the Air Force Academy. But it didn't stop her from getting on the bus to see things for herself.
ASHLEY SNYDER: Here we are.
DORNIN: One of 250 female appointees...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For four incredibly demanding years...
DORNIN: ... here for orientation and explanation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are we doing to ensure that the environment here is safe and that your sons and daughters are safe?
DORNIN: Straight to the heart of the matter, to assure parents and prospective students, male and female, that steps have been taken to keep the cadets safe, to put a stop to rapes and sexual assaults here. Hot lines, investigative teams, segregating females during basic training, to name a few.
Then...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you provide, buy or give an underage person alcohol, you are gone. That is a pretty clear policy.
DORNIN: For Snyder, a high school senior from Pinkerington, Ohio, it made sense.
ASHLEY SNYDER: Definitely. Because like they said, everything that, every -- most of the assaults stem from alcohol.
DORNIN: Her parents were anxious for more than words.
MARY SNYDER, MOTHER: Just a strong attention to it that they, you know, are going to, you know, make some changes, do some, you know, put some attention to it and... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not just rhetoric.
DORNIN (on camera): Do you, did you hear just rhetoric, do you think?
MARY SNYDER: It's a change of policies.
DORNIN: Or do you think that really...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope not.
DORNIN (voice-over): But the message wasn't just for women. Appointee Tony Friedrichs says he heard it.
TONY FRIEDRICHS, ACADEMY APPOINTEE: I think they addressed all questions fairly and directly and I feel that they are making appropriate changes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yourself and one guest?
RACHEL VALENZUELA, ACADEMY APPOINTEE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
DORNIN: Changes are what appointee Rachel Valenzuela was looking for.
(on camera): Would you feel safe coming here?
VALENZUELA: Yes, I do. I feel, I think you, many people are probably safer here than in, at another civilian college.
DORNIN (voice-over): Some of the rape allegations were of male upperclassmen intimidating and pressuring younger female cadets into sex.
(on camera): People talk about the intimidate by an upper classmate as being part of the problem.
ASHLEY SNYDER: Right.
DORNIN: How do you avoid that situation?
ASHLEY SNYDER: I have no idea.
DORNIN: Despite some uncertainty...
(on camera): Have you made up your mind your coming here?
ASHLEY SNYDER: I haven't signed any papers yet, but yes.
DORNIN: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you are appointees for the class of 2007.
DORNIN (voice-over): Just days later, Snyder did sign. She'll report to the Air Force's newly male-female segregated boot camp in June.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
