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Campus Conversation invites students to continue dialogue on sexual assault

A continuing conversation about sexual assault will progress into its next university installment Monday.

A follow-up event to a Campus Conversation event held about three weeks ago will tackle men’s roles in improving the climate on campus when it comes to bystander intervention and sexual assault.

“Hopefully this just keeps the conversation alive and moving,” said Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs in an email. “It is an important topic that has existed on our campus for many years and requires constant attention to see cultural change.”

Lombardi added that he felt the first conversation went well, with plenty of dialogue and high attendance.

The conversation will be more structured this time around, with speakers and workshops filling the first three hours. However, there will still be an open discussion for the last hour of the event.

“In our review of the first Campus Conversation notes, people wanted more information about consent, bystander intervention and the role that alcohol can play in sexual assault,” said Jenny Hall-Jones, dean of students, in an email. “We are trying to provide education on each of those topics, and a safe space for people to continue to dialogue.”

Brenda Strickland, coordinator for the Survivor Advocacy Program, said the event aims to provide concrete steps on how to deal with discussed issues.

“(This event’s goal) is to make it real,” she said. “These are our local experts presenting with small steps and saying we don’t accept this … (It’s) trying to give people actual ways to start changing.”

Delfin Bautista, director of the LGBT Center, said although the conversation is beneficial in terms of starting dialogue and providing information, it will be interesting to see how the results ripple throughout OU.

“The question is, are we preaching to the choir or are we reaching new people?” Bautista said. “It has been a challenge, but it hasn’t been a neglected conversation.”

Hall-Jones said this is not the end of Campus Conversation events, with organizers already planning another for February.

— Maria DeVito contributed to this report.  

eb104010@ohiou.edu

@EmilyMBamforth

 

This story appeared in print under the headline "OU extends sexual-assault forum"

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