Collegian T he Cameron University
www.aggiecentral.com
Monday, April 23, 2018
Volume 98 Issue 9
“Pizza is the healthiest way to talk about consent,” she said. “We need to make consent about sex as natural as asking ‘Would you like pizza tonight?’ and if they say no, we don’t force them to eat pizza.” Ph o
to
- Dr. Kimberly Dickman, Sexual sb yC he Assault Prevention and ye nn Response Analyst for eC ol the U.S. Air Force e Academy
Ownership, Understanding and Application Cheyenne Cole
those nuances of our conversations and changing the way that we Managing Editor socialize.” For the second consecutive Polynice said ownership means year, Cameron University’s being an active bystander and Student Services is working in getting involved. partnership with the national It’s “It is on us, regardless of if it On Us campaign to end sexual happens to me, to be an active assault and promote awareness on bystander for a friend, a colleague, a campus throughout April, which classmate,” she said. is recognized as Sexual Assault “Taking that ownership on, it’s Awareness and Prevention Month. going to be on me to make sure Inclusion and Student Success that I get a friend home safely, I tell Coordinator Olivia Polynice worked somebody about the right resources, with Director of Student Housing I intervene.” Katie Hubbard to host events She said the second topic is about on campus in conjunction with understanding sexual harassment, the month’s theme, “Ownership, misconduct and assault and Understanding and Application evaluating what individuals and Through the Arts.” society define as healthy sexuality. “It’s a big passion of ours to “What’s healthy sexuality?” she make sure that we encourage and said. “How can healthy sexuality educate our campus and community impact and combat sexual assault on sexual assault awareness and as a way to lower sexual assault on prevention,” she said. different campuses?” “It’s important to bring this to Polynice said the final campus so that we realize some of element combines ownership and
What’s inside
understanding to educate others. “[Application is] wanting to teach and encourage our students, staff and faculty and our campus community how to apply these principles into our daily walks in life, our organizations and our daily interactions with other friends, family and colleagues alike,” she said. The It’s On Us Gala capped off the month of activities at 7 p.m., April 18, in the MCC Ballroom, with art exhibits depicting healthy sexuality and a discussion with Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Analyst for the U.S. Air Force Academy Dr. Kimberly Dickman. Dickman said with only 24 states requiring comprehensive sexual education, the U.S. public schools’ system typically does not provide the information that students need to be truly knowledgeable about sex. “Comprehensive sex ed includes love, liking, reproductive, pregnancy prevention, sexual orientation,
resistance skills and pleasure,” she said. “Only 13 states in the United States require that what you learned in sex ed is medically accurate.” She said that the stereotype that sexual violence is only perpetrated by men is harmful. “Men are amazing, and yet we put them in this category that’s excluded them from this conversation, but we also have to acknowledge that most offenders are men,” she said. “Please hear that very distinct difference: most men are not offenders, but most offenders are men, and we cannot address this issue without men being in this conversation.” She also shared tips to prevent sexual violence. The first is to accept that humans are inherently sexual and, in that, end sexual shaming. “There is diversity of sexual desire and pleasure and wants regardless of gender,” she said. “When we shame women for being
sexual beings, we impact not just prevention, but absolutely we impact response.” Dickman said it’s important to remove the shame and uncomfortably that surrounds sex in order to help survivors come forward. “We use sex to sell,” she said. “We use it to joke. We even can be raunchy with it, and it’s acceptable, and yet we can’t talk about it in a healthy way.” Her second tip is to change the analogy used to talk about consent. “Pizza is the healthiest way to talk about consent,” she said. “We need to make consent about sex as natural as asking ‘Would you like pizza tonight?’ and if they say no, we don’t force them to eat pizza.” Students can visit the Student Wellness Center to speak with a counselor about unhealthy or unwanted sexual experiences. For more information about CU’s It’s On Us campaign, visit https:// www.cameron.edu/itsonusaggies.
Fighting for education in Oklahoma
Dr. Jenkins’ latest: ‘Little Rose’
CU baseball falls in four game series
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6