Thursday, April 25, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam students are leading efforts to fight sexual assault, both on campus and nationwide. A group of young men have stepped forward to show that they and other men have a critical …
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POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam students are leading efforts to fight sexual assault, both on campus and nationwide. A group of young men have stepped forward to show that they and other men have a critical role to play in changing attitudes and standing up to stop sexual assault.
Three seniors, Chris Dolce, Ryan Minsker and Garrett Janes, who all intern with campus civility programming, came together to organize a day of action to raise awareness about sexual assault, set for Monday, Sept. 29.
They plan to "paint the campus teal," to raise awareness about sexual assault. Teal is the official color of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and teal ribbons are recognized as a symbol of the issue by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
The three students approached Annette Robbins, the college's director of student conduct and community standards, about organizing the event, after hearing about the campus's response to two sexual violations that were reported earlier this semester.
"This is something that we wanted to tackle because it is an issue on campus, and originally we didn't think it was. When it became an issue, we thought it was our responsibility to address it," said Minsker, who is a senior business administration major from Brewster, N.Y. "We really wanted to step forward because we are males on campus, and we need to show that as males, we can step up against this too. No means no."
The three interns are working with the other members of the Be Ethical, Aware and Responsible (BEAR) campus organization to pull together the event.
The students will tie teal fabric on trees and lampposts, and give away teal ribbons in the union, while asking the campus community to sign the It's On Us pledge. SUNY Potsdam President Kristin G. Esterberg has also invited the BEAR students to decorate the President's House with the teal ribbons as well.
At 11:45 a.m., Esterberg and Renewal House Executive Director Ilene Burke will speak in Minerva Plaza. All are welcome to attend this event.
The school's announcement comes on the heels of a student's indictment for a forcible rape in a dorm room. Wilfredo Abreu, 33, is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old female on Sept. 14.
