By Crystal Brewster – Reporter
Dozens of students sat in anticipation in the Gaiser Student Center at 1 p.m. on May 15, waiting for a consent workshop to begin, when suddenly, two guest speakers ran onstage, energetic and ready.
“The C Word: Consent” is a sexual assault prevention workshop by actress and comedian Leah Knauer. “The purpose of this workshop is to educate students about what consent is and how they can put a stop to sexual assault,” she said.
Knauer said consenting to sex is verbally confirmed by each person. To demonstrate properly giving and understanding consent from others, Knauer and her partner, Trevor Tevel, included the crowd by interacting and playing games. They invited volunteers onstage to show sexual assault prevention techniques including distracting predators and separating them from those unable to consent.
While Knauer and Tevel made sure attendees had fun, they also got serious about victim blaming.
“It is never your fault.” she said. “A rape happens because of a rapist.”
Tevel said he is appalled by how many sexual assaults happen in college and that modern sexual assault movements show views on sexual assault need to change because of how prevalent it really is.
If students learn anything from the workshop, Tevel said, he wants it to be that students have a voice. “They matter,” he said. “They are a resource in themselves and they have power.”
