PRSM – The Oberlin Review

Consent Month Reframes Sexual Conduct

April 6, 2018

Editor’s Note: This article contains mentions of sexual assualt, violence, and misconduct. Oberlin’s first official Consent Month debuts this April marking a collaborative effort between the Oberlin’s Office of Title IX, the student group Preventing and Responding to Sexual Misconduct, the Sexual Information Center, and the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. There will be speakers, programs, workshops, and events in the coming weeks to raise awareness around consent and healthy s...

Oberlin Engages In Wider Conversations About Sexual Misconduct

Julia Peterson, Arts and Culture Editor

March 9, 2018

Editor's note: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment and sexual assault. The #MeToo movement — started in 2006 by Tarana Burke to support women and girls of color who have survived sexualized violence — became a household phrase in the waning months of 2017 when a number of prominent men across multiple industries were accused of sexual harassment or assault, and the hashtag went viral on Twitter. During this time, people spoke up about sexual misconduct perpetrated by the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Larry Nassar, and Roy Moore, among many others. The #MeToo movement has also prompted difficult conversations about gendered power dynamics, the limits of acceptable sexual behavior, and w...

PRSM Workshops Exacerbate Hierarchy

Jackie Brant, Columnist

April 14, 2017

It has become common practice for colleges and universities across the U.S. to mandate sexual misconduct workshops for incoming students. At Oberlin, all new students are required to attend the first round of Preventing and Responding to Sexual Misconduct workshops, and all athletes are required to attend the second, which is also open to the entire community. The mandatory first workshop is called The Essentials, and the second workshop is called Bystander Intervention. Together, these two workshops are meant to inform students about the importance and language of consent. Overall, the PRSM workshops are crucial to the social atmosphere at Oberlin. I have heard stories and personally experienced instances in which...