On Nov. 10, several students gathered to support men as allies in sexual assault prevention in the University Center Program Lounge for the Stache Bash. The event included a lunch and, most importantly, a panel comprised of prominent men from around the Southeast Missouri State University campus.
The panel consisted of professor of child development and family studies Dr. Victor Wilburn, associate professor Dr. Tony Faber, and Redhawks football coach Tom Matukewicz.
The panel’s focus was to answer questions, mostly revolving around how positive masculinity can play a role in prevention of interpersonal violence.
Faber helped to define this by saying, “Positive masculinity is recognizing the role you have in society, not abusing it and being able to hold others, as well as yourself, accountable.”
Matukewicz added to this, saying, “Lack of communication means you agree with it,” in reference to negative things men may say.
The panel also addressed a controversial conversation in today’s society: can a woman be “asking for it”?
“The court is very literal,” Wilburn said. “There is no such thing as asking for it without verbally saying it.”
Communication was a strong theme in this conversation. A study was mentioned where more than 50 percent of middle school boys responded that it was OK for a person to have intercourse with a woman if they were to take her out for dinner.
“That’s learned from their brothers, fathers or uncles,” Matukewicz said. “You don’t come out of the womb saying moronic things like that.”
Ajdin Delkic, a senior at Southeast, also was in attendance.
“I think it’s important for men to understand the forms of consent, not just women,” Delkic said.
Donna St. Sauver, coordinator for the Campus Violence Prevention Program at Southeast, organized the event.
“We know that not all men commit sexual assault and we also know that we must have men as our partners in prevention to change our culture,” St. Sauver said.
St. Sauver said the goal of the event was to celebrate men as partners in prevention.
