Monday morning Baker Ballroom was filled with Ohio University community members seeking information and discussion on a hot button topic on campus — sexual assault.
The Campus Conversation chain continued with a follow-up titled “Men taking sexual assault seriously.” This event was structured differently from its predecessor. Instead of the entire time being an open dialogue, there were a series of three presenters followed by an open discussion.
Campus officials such as Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student affairs, and Jenny Hall-Jones, dean of students, attended the event, along with representatives from the Women’s and LGBT Centers, such as directors Susanne Dietzel and Delfin Bautista, respectively.
Various students also streamed in and out of the room, scattering across the round tables set up around the room.
“I wasn’t a part of all the discussions to format it this way, but I think the idea was just slightly change of pace, a little more structured than last time,” Lombardi said. “Last time was pretty free flowing so just giving it more structure.”
There were typically approximately 30 attendees at one time.
Bill Arnold, graduate assistant for Bystander Intervention for the Women’s Center and one of the presenters, said he enjoyed the morning’s presentation and workshop.
“... I regret that were not more people there,” he added.
Arnold’s presentation, along with the other speakers at the event, took place in order to provide the campus community with information on topics such as bystander intervention and college drinking research.
“I was hoping primarily to help folks understand that regardless of their background and regardless of the situation they find themselves in, there are ways in which they can feel empowered to do something,” Arnold said.
- Maria DeVito contributed to this report.
eb104010@ohiou.edu
@EmilyMBamforth
