University of Pikeville says ‘it’s on us’
0By Derek Keller
The Affirmative Consent Project, a non-profit organization funded through a White House initiative, presented information to raise awareness about sexual assault on Nov. 10.
Florida political strategist, Alison Moran, led the talk. Moran said that the Affirmative Consent Project really began because of the Jameis Winston sexual assault case at Florida State University. Once the issues were brought to light, it was clear that universities needed to be properly prepared to handle these types of issues.
The idea behind the Affirmative Consent Project isn’t to prevent sex from happening. The purpose is to teach people what consent actually is, and what kind of mental state you have to be in so proper consent can be given.
“We know hooking up is going to happen and will continue to happen. We (the Affirmative Consent Project) are here to make sure that sexual respect is shown to people and to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Sexual equality is what we are trying to pursue. Everyone needs to know that they are in control of their own choices, whether you are happy with them or not,” Moran said.
Moran stressed that the most explicit parts of sex actually happen before sex. If it is talked about, not only can problems be prevented, but also the experience can become enjoyable.
Under the new Title IX law, a sexual assault case has to be talked about and most importantly reported. Moran stated that this was an issue in the past with most universities because they normally wanted to make themselves seem safe for students in order to increase enrollment.
It’s not only up to the leaders of college campuses to make changes in order to fix this problem; it’s up to the students as well. A see-it, say-it mode of action is stressed by the Affirmative Consent Project, and this can be seen by the “IT’S ON US” logo.
“A student that steps into a situation like this isn’t a whistleblower; they become a preventer, a hero-like figure,” Moran said.
Moran also showed a powerful video that was produced by College Humor and the IT’S ON US campaign titled, “What if Bears Killed One in Five People?”. This video can be found on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media.
Moran stressed the importance of raising awareness and applauded the University of Pikeville for taking a stand and being active by providing sexual training and several other outlets for victims.
Tom Hess, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the University of Pikeville’s College of Arts and Sciences, was in attendance at the event and stressed the importance of completing the university’s provided sexual assault training.
He informed the people in attendance that only about 500 students had completed the training, which was disappointing.
“This is our home. This is on us to make this happen. In order for us to make a difference, we have to become aware of the problems that we face on campus and learn how to properly prevent this from happening,” Hess said.
More information about the Affirmative Consent Project can be found at on Twitter (@affirmconsent), or online at www.notalone.gov, www.itsonus.org, or www.affirmativeconsent.com.