Plastic Bags: Biodegradable vs. Compostable

by Breanne Durning

Ithaca, NY-Members of the Tompkins County Dog Park got a lesson in environmental science, when they learned that compost is not the same as biodegradable. Due to excessive dog waste from the frequent visitors, TCDP must safely discard of the once overflowing dog-waste bin according to NY state laws. BioBag, one of the major distributors of compost bags, has supplied the park with their GMO free corn waste bags.
Liz, a retiree of 10 years from the Ithaca’s public school system is a daily frequenter of the Dog Park and member of TCDP. She’s been here for over 20 years watching the park evolve. As more dog owners from surrounding towns visit the park, the state didn’t want those whom obtained a boat license for the marina to deal with “stinking dumpsters” said Liz. The TCDP group was now put in charge of not only running the whole do park, but now also to now supply the dog owners with a feasible dog waste solution.
To clear away confusion, it is important to define and differentiate the terms compost and biodegradable. According to the Federal Trade Commission Green Guide of 2010, the term biodegradable means that, “materials will break down and return to nature within a reasonably short time after customary disposal.” Compost, though similar, is defined as turning “degradable materials into useable compost-humus-like material that enriches the soil and returns nutrients back into the earth.”
Robert Lilienfeld, of the ULS Report, a website “helping people Use Less Stuff by conserving resources and reducing waste,” explains the final product of compost and biodegradable. “100 percent biodegradable means that complete breakdown into basic elements will occur, on the other hand, 100 percent compost is fuzzy, it doesn’t mean complete break down.” Explaining how some people have composts in their backyard where they can put in, “grass clippings, apple cores, egg shells,” the composter just needs to make sure there are many different types of things in the pile to ensure it stays in balance.
Lisa Nessan, a life-long activist-photographer and supporter of compostable products, clarifies the differences by stating, “all compostable products are by default biodegrable, not vice versa.” Nessan, who has been bring her Poodle, Daisy, to the Dog Park for almost two years now has seen the progression of compost in Ithaca’s Dog Park. She has many donations to TCDP for financial support in accessing compostable plastic bags for waste upkeep.
After many city council meetings, Recycling and Solid Waste Tompkins County allowed for soil testing to commence, to possibly instill a compost site within the Dog Park fences. TDCP was stuck with the bill of $1,800, to make sure the soil was useable. BioBag is the distributor of compost and biodegradable bags for the Ithaca Dog Park. Unofficial guardian of the canine park, Liz, explains the hefty recipe the group faces each month. “These BioBags are the only ones who sell these kinds of bags, so you could imagine the prices.” The BioBags were originally purchased at 6 cents per bag, but within a year, “they raised it to 9 cents, we go through about 6,000 bags a month.” TCDP spends roughly around $540 a month, just supplying the dog waste bags.
If TCDP failed to meet the city’s standards of disposing of dog waste properly, they would receive a heavy fine. Recently the US Federal Trade Commission been cracking down on businesses false ‘biodegradable’ and claims, fining several well-known companies. The Biodegradable Products Institute created a new logo in 1999 to ensure that consumers are buying products that are compostable. The label, containing a tree and leaf, can be found at the bottom of the BioBags distributed at the park.
For Ithaca’s Dog Park to remain open, TCDP must follow the enivornmental laws put in place by the city of Ithaca and the state of New York. The Dog Park, located in Alan Treman Marina Park, is right on the boarder of the city of Ithaca and the state of NY. The sections of the park belonging to the city of Ithaca are permitted to use black biodegradable plastic bags, provided by the park, each costing around 2 to 3 cents per bag. The state of NY requires that compost, not biodegradable bags be used, which is where TCDP faces the problem of being ‘green’ means spending more green.

Ithaca & Acupuncture

Acupuncture in Ithaca
by Rachel Stokes

Sterilized stainless steel needles repeatedly puncture skin at the hands of an experienced practitioner. Those under the needle tend to be nervous, excited or a mixture of both emotions, their brows furrowing or eyes wide, taking everything in. This isn’t body modification, piercing or tattooing; this is medicine.

Acupuncture, which has been practiced in Chinese culture for more than 5,000 years, is used to treat various complaints. Acupuncturists can address pain, fatigue, stress and illness with their treatments. In fact, there are few issues that cannot be aided by this alternative treatment.

Even cases of bipolar disorder can be relieved by a single acupuncture treatment. Anthony Fazio, of Peaceful Spirit Acupuncture, successfully calmed one patient’s disorder for an extended amount of time.

“He had never had acupuncture before, and I treated him and then I didn’t see him for a while,” says Fazio. According to Fazio, the patient reported feeling markedly worse for two hours after treatment, but his mood improved by the end of the day.

“I said ‘How long did that better feeling last, did it last a few days, a week?’ and he said ‘It lasted until a few days ago,’ and it had been almost a month since I had seen him” says Fazio. “To get an improvement after one treatment that lasted over three weeks is very impressive.”

Despite impressive results, acupuncture is not the solution to every problem. There are certain issues that Fazio says he would not attempt to treat. Along with patients presenting serious signs of cardiac arrest or stroke, Fazio says he would not treat those who refuse traditional medical treatment for serious issues.

“If someone were refusing to even entertain the idea of Western treatment and they came in and said they had cancer I would absolutely say ‘No, I can’t do anything, you have to see an MD also,’” Fazio says.

Fazio says that he knows the limits of acupuncture, and will suggest that patients go to an emergency room for more serious complaints. For example, he says that on two occasions he has had patients come to him with extremely tender abdomens. According to Fazio, he refused to treat this pain because he recognized the signs of appendicitis.

“I know the limitations of what I can do,” Fazio says. “But I also know the advantages.” Unlike traditional medicine, acupuncture works by trying to bring balance to a person’s system, and can also treat many symptoms at once.

“While the practitioner will focus on a chief complaint, the diagnosis takes into account a variety of accompanying symptoms, and the treatment aims to address the entire system,” says Sadie Hays, clinic coordinator at the Ithaca Free Clinic.

This offers each patient with a unique course of treatment, individualized care and a practitioner who will work closely with him or her to solve any additional issues that may arise.

“In Chinese medicine,” says Fazio, “you don’t regard the disease as a problem, you’re looking at the person and how the disease is presenting through that person. You have to tailor your approach every single time you meet somebody.”

This is very appealing to patients, as they are able to create a connection with their acupuncturist and receive individualized care. Fazio says that he sits with patients before treatment, listening to their concerns in order to better understand the situation. Leigh Cunius, an Ithaca College student, says that when she first went in to try acupuncture, her acupuncturist spent quality time with her before the treatment actually started. “She talked to me for about an hour asking all different questions that she thought could help me diagnose the pattern.”

Acupuncturists work to balance their patients’ “qi.” Qi is, according to Peaceful Spirit Acupuncture’s web site, a “vital energy” that courses through the body. Acupuncture manipulates these energy patterns to help relieve the patients’ symptoms.

Side effects from treatment are extremely rare, according to Fazio. He says that patients may feel slightly light-headed or experience a tingling sensation, but these feelings dissipate very rapidly.

“On rare occasions I may hit a small capillary and cause a bruise,” says Fazio. These bruises tend to fade quickly, just as a bruise caused from any other event would. According to Fazio, another rare outcome is a “healing crisis.” This occurs when symptoms briefly become worse before tapering off.

“It’s kind of cliché but it really happens. In rare occasions it’ll get worse before it gets better” says Fazio.

These side effects and risks do not seem to hinder patients from seeking treatment. “In 2009, The Ithaca Free Clinic provided 180 acupuncture visits to 96 individual patients,” says Hays. “In the first quarter of 2010, IFC has provided 55 acupuncture visits to 31 individual patients.” According to Fazio, Peaceful Spirit sees about 20-25 patients a week. He also says that interest in acupuncture can be sparked by medical referrals, word of mouth or Internet research.

Leigh Cunius, says she had some skepticism before trying acupuncture, but kept an open mind about the experience. “I was surprised that the needles did not hurt and by how shallow the needles entered the skin,” Cunius said. She first became interested in the treatment when an acupuncturist visited her Cultural Wellness class at Ithaca College.

Since those living in the Ithaca area are typically open to alternative ideas, acupuncture treatments are very popular with the population. The Ithaca Free Clinic offers acupuncture services, and according to Sadie Hays, there are approximately 30 other acupuncturists practicing in the area, including Fazio at Peaceful Spirit.

“I think it’s great to have more [acupuncturists] in the area,” Fazio says. “I think it informs the population, and more people are apt to come in because of that.”

“Ithacans, if one were to grossly generalize the population, tend to be health-conscious, open-minded when it comes to medical options, and liberal when it comes to politics,” Hays says. Open-minded individuals are more likely to seek alternative treatment when a problem arises. Also, according to Fazio, it is common for a health-conscious individual to use acupuncture treatments in order to maintain his health.

According to both Fazio and Hays, acupuncturists set up practices in the Ithaca area not only because of a large number of available patients, but due to the close proximity to local acupuncture schools. Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is a program of the New York Chiropractic College, located in Seneca Falls. Hays says that this school “funnels graduates into our area.”

“They pull in a lot of students from Ithaca, Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester,” Fazio says. “They’re saturating the area, which is fine, some people can wait it out until they develop a good enough practice to stay above water, but a lot of people start and leave because it is so congested.”

This congestion seems to be beneficial to Ithacans, however, as they have many options to fulfill their treatment needs. As with any other medicine, acupuncture is constantly changing in order to aid new complaints and keep up with patients’ needs, according to Fazio.

“It’s the medicine of the future,” Fazio says.
“I think everyone should try it at least once in their lifetime. It put me in the best mood I have been in for a long time,” says Cunius.

The Sounds of Love

Gabrielle Waldvogel
April 23, 2010

“I have never seen a student so interested in bugs!” said Entomologist Ronald Hoy through a stream of light laughter as he watches his graduate student Lauren Cator’s face only inches from the netted barrier. “Quick! Quick! Look, did you see that?!” exclaims Cator. Her freckled face bends in a wide grin as she gazes wide-eyed at the swarm of mosquitoes collecting at the palm of her outstretched hand. The cloud of tiny specks shoot and zigzag for a moment in a wheel of perfect chaos before dispersing in various directions inside the white, meshy net in which they are kept. “Six seconds is all it takes for them to mate, and then they are done. They just mated in my hand” Cator adds quietly, her blue eyes sparkle, still fixated on the black humming dots. She watches them carefully for a few moments longer with the same concentration a child gives to her birthday candles.
Cator, a graduate student at Cornell University is noted as being the first to discover the unique mating patterns of mosquitoes. The pestering parasitic bugs that buzz relentlessly in our ears are actually quite the singers that attract mates through sweet serenades. Cator has been studying the behavior and anatomy of mosquitoes since 2005, beginning with a 6-month stay in Tanzania. In Tanzania, she worked on a project with Tsetse flies, which are vectors for Malaria. “I realized that studying the behavior of these insects that transmit these diseases is a really good way to try to cut down on the transmission.” Upon her return to Cornell, she began working with mosquitoes. It was not until 2008 that Cator discovered the musical talents of these insects.
Her curiosity was sparked when she read a paper written by a research group at Sussex University. The paper described the behavior of non-swarming mosquitoes in which they showed a pattern of matching with mates depending on complementing flight-tone frequency on a fundamental level. “I read that paper and I thought it was really interesting, but I thought there was no way that my mosquitoes did that. And so it started out as just trying to see if that was happening in my mosquitoes—and it was!” Cator said with a smile. “ But the difference was it was happening with harmonic frequencies.” The mosquitoes studied in the Cornell labs, Aedes aegypti, mate when the frequencies of the male tone and the female tone blend in a perfect (or near perfect) harmony. According to Hoy, the males and females that synchronize at harmonics are better at getting mates. “We have also seen that the off spring of these pairs are more competitive when looking for mates.” Said Hoy. “It is like natural selection on a micro level. The females have highly sensitive ears to detect the frequency of the wings flapping of the male, and then they fly towards them and mate.” Explained Hoy.
“We’ve been studying mosquitoes for a really long time, but we’ve mostly been studying how to kill them,” said Cator. “We never knew how they mate, how they disperse, where they like to hang out, things like their lives!” Cator added enthusiastically with a grin. Cator, and the lab she belongs to, is credited as being the first to discover such details about mosquitoes such as the organized mate selection through matching tone frequencies, and the exceptional hearing qualities of the female mosquitoes. “Finding out about their lives can in the long run really help us prevent or even stop the transmission of Malaria.” Said Cator conclusively.
The way the researchers at Cornell have been studying the neurological responses of mosquitoes is through use of electrodes. Ben Arthur, professor of neurobiology and behavior, and research associate has been working on mosquitoes for the past two years. Unlike Cator, who was interested in the mosquitoes’ unique traits because of the potential effects it can have on the spread and transmission of diseases, Arthur is more interested in the simplicity that is pure science. “ I am a basic scientist, I just like to see how things work. It’s great working with mosquitoes because the field is wide open, not a lot is known. Just over the past few years have people started to look into that, and it’s kind of cool to have been there from the beginning.” Said Arthur, leaning easily back in his chair. “We have been looking at mosquitoes since the 1855 when a man named Johnston said, ‘hey,’ I think those little things (antennae) are ears!” exclaimed Arthur, putting his hands above his head.
Ronald Hoy, Arthur’s co-researcher in the lab explained that through the principles of physiology they have been able to detect the neurological patterns in when mosquitoes are exposed to sound. “We just stick an electrode in there and record the action potentials being sent to the brain.” Said Hoy.
What Arthur and Hoy’s research has shown is that mosquitoes have a very unique ear. In fact, the mechanism that is the mosquito ear is so intricate that their lab has been working to create new microphone technology in collaboration with Binghamton researchers. Ron Miles of Binghamton University explained, “What we do here is try to copy the features of insect ears and develop new ways to improve hearing aids.” According to Miles, there are already a number of microphones that have been made out of silicon.
Cator is enthusiastic about the future research to be done, and plans on returning to Tanzania for a third time. “As of now we have seen that females have this acute ear, but I want to know why. They are matching at these frequencies, but why? What does that mean?” Cator give a small shrug. “There is so much left unanswered, but I feel like every day we are working towards a new discovery.”

Dog Bite Prevention Week May 16 to 22, 2010

by Breanne Durning

ITHACA, NY-Warm weather welcomes Ithacan residents outside their houses after battling the snow for several months; while customers, children and skateboarders all take advantage of the sun’s presence, Ithaca’s canine population ventures outside along with their owners. May 16 to 22 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, urging owners to learn about canine safety to protect themselves and others.

Public health sanitarian for Tompkins County Environmental health division of the health department, Frank Chase said, “In 2007 there were 161 reported dog attacks, 2008 had 183 attacks, and in 2009 there were 192 cases.” This year’s total has reached 32 incidents so far, Chase warns number will rise, “a majority of reports come in the hot weather.” While people put on sun block to protect from the sun’s rays, they should also know the basics to protect themselves from canines in order to have a healthy summer.

Tompkins County’s SPCA Web site provides guidelines of how to control aggressive dog behavior and prevent future situations from occurring. SPCA advocates socializing a puppy it is, “the most important thing you can do to create a wonderful dog. Many behavior problems in older dogs stem from the simple fact the dog was not socialized as a puppy.” When owners actively take part in introducing their puppy to new situations, it reduces the dogs fear and aggression, making those around them safer.

National Dog Bite Prevention week is sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association, and has been since 2001. The AVMA press release reads, “The American Veterinary Medical Association has joined with the U.S. Postal Serivce, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society for Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons and Prevent The Bite to celebrate National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 17-23, 2009. Children are the most common victims of dog bites, followed by the elderly and USPS employees.”

Barbara Baldwin a representative of the AVMA said, “we have brochures and pamphlets on our web site people can download to access information about dog bite prevention.” Public awareness is the key aspect to reducing the number of incidents involving dog attacks. “It’s important that people are aware of the information we are putting out there.” Baldwin reveals her mixed emotions about the increasingly warm weather, “the summer season is my favorite but it’s when most dog attacks happen.”

Ithaca’s Dog Park, located near Allan H. Treman Marina Park, allows dogs to run around leashless in the 6-acre fenced in area. Liz, a retiree of 10 years from the Ithaca’s public school system, brings her 3 year-old Collie, Sky, is a daily frequenter of the dog park. She’s been here for over 20 years keeping an eye on the park and the people. “Dog bite prevention comes from public awareness, when people are knowledgeable and are paying attention everything runs smooth. It’s when the parents are blabbing to one another that an unsupervised child is at risk for danger.”

“Just now we had a problem with an unattended child,” Liz said, discussing with fellow dog owner Marty. A father, with a larger dog, placed his young daughter in the “small dog” section of the dog park and walked away. The girl then proceeded to wave and taunt one of the dogs with a tree branch. “Had Marlene not stepped in that little girl could’ve gotten hurt.” Marlene, assessing the situation, escorted the girl out of the small dog park to her father. “I don’t know what people are thinking sometimes, if you have a child or dog you are responsible for their well-being and actions.”

Tanya Nelson, a 5-year resident of Lansing, brings her dog to the park about once a month. “He loves it out here, I try and get out here every time my work permits it.” While at the dog park, she noticed a girl approaching a grey hound inappropriately. “I had to speak up, she would eventually find out the hard way,” Nelson says of the woman’s inexperienced dog behavior. “You can’t stand tall over most dogs, they’ll feel threatened. You’re better off kneeling down and waiting for them to approach you.” According to Nelson, smaller dogs have a tendency to bite or nip more than bigger dogs; their small stature makes them more fearful and stressed.

To stop the slow increase in dog bites and attacks occurring in the Tompkins County area people must keep a watchful eye this summer. Those with young children or aggressive dogs should pay greater attention to their loved ones. There have been numerous reported cases where people, worse children, suffered serious injuries due to a lack of responsibility. In order to protect the public, there needs to be more focus on canine education among people of all ages.

Ithaca’s Advocacy Center helps those who have been hurt

Advocacy Center
Rachel Stokes

Ithaca’s Advocacy Center
Rachel Stokes

Healing is often thought to take place a fancy hospital with machines and armies of doctors rushing from floor to floor and patient to patient. However, there is a place in Ithaca where of the most powerful healing in the world takes place. It is a special space reserved for the sensitive, unspeakable tragedies that scar people for life emotionally and physically.

The Advocacy Center works to aid victims of sexual abuse, rape, and domestic violence from the Ithaca area, while also providing preventative education. Victims of sexual assault and rape are constantly in need of a place to go to help heal their wounds.
“We want to provide a safe place for these people to go,” said Patty Tvaroha, an educator from the Advocacy Center.

According to the National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 1 in 6 women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice also show that 15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12.

Victims are often left feeling powerless and hopeless after their experiences. “Those who have been attacked are 26 times more likely to abuse drugs, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol and three times more likely to suffer from depression,” according to the World Health Organization.

Often, victims cannot escape their feelings. According to the Advocacy Center, two-thirds of all sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim. It is extremely difficult for victims of this type of abuse to heal from their trauma, as they are repeatedly forced to come in contact with their attacker.

The Advocacy Center provides many crucial services to try to ease the pain associated with abuse. They offer a wide variety of services, from emotional support to shelter at a safe house.

“We have advocates who work one on one with people with short term and long term counseling, they accompany people to appointments, so if they have to go to the hospital or police station, they aren’t alone” Tvaroha said. “They can help people with safety planning, which is really important.”

The Center is aware of the fear that many sexual assault and domestic violence victims live with. In order to help ease their anxiety, the clinic offers an escape button to quickly exit their website. If a person looking at the page feels as though they may be caught reading the site and put into a dangerous situation, she can click an escape button and will be redirected to Google’s site immediately.

“We do everything in our power to make this a safe place,” Tvaroha said. “So, having a semi-confidential location is part of that.” She says that the Center wants victims to feel safe leaving a meeting, without having to worry that their abuser may be waiting outside.

The Center also has a shelter, which has a completely confidential location, separate from the location of the office. “Our board members don’t even know where our shelter is,” said Tvaroha.

The Advocacy Center also helps to erase the stigma that is associated with victims of sexual abuse. Many victims feel embarrassed or think that what happened is their own fault. The advocates also work with those close to the victim. Family members, friends and even roommates are educated on how to help someone dealing with sexual or domestic abuse.

“Even people who are very well-meaning can say things sometimes that can be really hurtful and can come off as victim blaming,” said Tvaroha. “So we help people to understand that things they say can be really damaging.”

Due to these issues, sexual assault and rape are extremely under-reported. “60% of rapes/sexual assaults are not reported to the police, according to a statistical average of the past 5 years,” says Bureau of Justice Statistics. The same statistics show that 15 out of 16 rapists will walk free without ever spending time in jail.

“By not filing a report, the victim feels able to shrink back and avoid the attacker at all costs,” said Bonnie Prunty, director of Residential Life and Judicial Affairs at Ithaca College.

“The most important thing is that people feel that they are heard and believed,” said Tvaroha.

Preventative education is also essential to help prevent future assaults. The Advocacy Center holds many programs throughout the area, including Take Back The Night. This year is Tompkins County’s 31st rally. Take Back The Night will be held Thursday, April 29. Marches will meet in downtown Ithaca, at Cornell University and Ithaca College at 7 PM, with the rally beginning in the Commons at 7:30 PM.

The Silent Epidemic

Gabrielle Waldvogel

Colleges may be boasting that violent crime is down, but sexual assault rates are skyrocketing. This phenomenon is thought to be as a result of unclear laws and misinformation to college students. Ithaca College is no exception as it abides by codes that have vague language, and are full of holes.
A deafening issue is found in the New York State Penal Law, which does not define sexual assault. Article 130 in the Penal Law is that of Sexual Offenses, but only defines degrees of rape, sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse, degrees of criminal sexual acts, and an article on predatory sexual assault. Nowhere in Article 130 does it state the conditions, the sentencing, or punishments of sexual assault cases.
According to Ithaca College’s Assistant Public Safety Director Laura Durling, “30 years ago there was no such thing as sexual assault.” When a woman is sexually assaulted, it can be as slight as sexual language and unwanted touching outside clothing, to rape and attempted-rape with bodily injuries and threats. This makes it difficult for women to identify sexual assault.
According to Mitchell Pollack, a sexual assault examiner at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, “No matter where the abuse falls on the continuum of sexual assault, victims will inevitably fall into despair, wondering if they brought the crime onto themselves. But the label ‘sexual assault’ might also bring additional unnecessary discomfort.” He went on to explain that a large factor in the conviction rate is the way the crimes are classified by various levels. Level One sexual assault is by far the most serious sexual assault charge in which a serious offence such as penetration can yield up to 10 years behind bars. A less serious crime such as unwanted touching or groping can result in maximum of 18 months’ imprisonment.
Durling said, “It is very difficult to make a strong public statement about the reality of sexual assault while being sensitive to fears… you’re dealing with parents who are sending their babies to you.” Durling explained that if an Ithaca College student is attacked at a location off campus, no matter how close in proximity to the campus; there is nothing the college public safety can do. The event could be as close as Coddington Street and it will not be recorded or dealt with by the college, even if the perpetrator is a student of Ithaca College as well. Also, if an incident occurs in which the perpetrator or victim is a non-student of Ithaca College, the college cannot go through any sort of punitive measures. This is mainly because since the perpetrator or victim is not a member of the Ithaca College student body, the Conduct Code does not apply to them. Durling explained that depending on the severity of the case, the Ithaca Police could be called, and the perpetrator could be arrested.
Since Ithaca College is a private institution, it has the ability to restrict the non-student perpetrator from the campus. In this case, if the perpetrator places one toe on the grass of Ithaca College, they are subject to criminal charges and could be arrested for trespassing on the spot. However, nothing is stopping him from following the victim to a frat party at Cornell, or a house party on Kendall. There is nothing to stop him from approaching a victim while she is outside the invisible force field surrounding the campus.
Durling added that many women do not report sexual assaults because they do not believe they were victims of a serious crime. “If a car gets broken into, you immediately call the police. If a women gets sexually assaulted, it isn’t a crime.”
Director of Residential Life and Judicial Affairs, Bonnie Prunty said, “Women are hesitant to file a report because they think it may cause the attacker to retaliate and harm the victim again, or manipulate them. By not filing a report, the victim feels able to shrink back and avoid the attacker at all costs.”
According to Cheryll Vosburgh, Director of Human Resources at Cayuga Medical Center, the first step that the college urges the student to do when sexually assaulted is to seek medical attention and get a rape kit from a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE. The SANE program has been used in Ithaca for the past decade. It provides immediate medical attention including an over-all wellness examination. It provides birth control and administers the morning-after pill, collects forensic evidence, treats wounds and bodily injuries, and tests for sexually transmitted infections. The collected evidence is then secured by the hospital, and the victim is given 30 days to decide whether they choose to go forth with criminal proceedings, or leave the case alone. The main goal of the SANE program is to help the victim make informed decisions, to know their rights, and feel safe.