Violeta Trujillo

Reporter

Consent is crucial, especially at universities where rape culture is prominent. 

At CSU Bakersfield, a club has taken initiative to educate campus community on sexual consent in hope to eliminate rape culture on campus.  

According to Bustle.com, in a 2015 poll from The Washington Post, 18 percent of college students thought someone had consented as long as they didn’t say no. 

Additionally, in the same survey, 22 percent of college students said if someone engages in foreplay such as kissing, they are consenting to further sexual activity.  

The Consent Project is a club at CSUB that is focused on advocating awareness on sexual violence and assault, by focusing on primary prevention.  

The club is supported by the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, a nonprofit organization dedicated to stop domestic violence and sexual assault in Kern County and assist survivors.

Adrian Aguirre, club president of the consent project and senior majoring in criminal justice said, “Our overall mission is to bring awareness to community and students about sexual assault.”

Alee Gonzalez, an intern at AAFVSA and a member of the club said, “We want to focus on primary prevention.” 

Last semester, the club went to a health class at South High School, where they talked to high school students about safe relationships, red flags in relationships, and sources available to reach out to in case anything arises. 

The club also visited Independence and Stockdale High School, where they partook in tabling and gave students information and resources on sexual assault.

In April 2018, the consent project launched a lecture on consent and sexual assault for the Greek community on campus.

At this time, the familiarized “Me too” phrase about sexual assault was becoming a movement. The purpose for the club’s community events are to provide information about the several types of assaults and prevention methods that go along with them. 

“It can happen by tackling small issues at a time,” said Gonzalez. 

Club members are also raising concerns of women and their lives after an attack. Amidst the recent fondling incident on a female student at CSUB in parking lot D, the campus community is being advised to take extra precautions.

Desiree Sams, co-advisor of the consent project said, “Women feel they have to be on watch.”

Club members are raising concerns on women and their lives, after an attack. 

“It starts with bringing awareness about sexual consent,” said Sams.

By raising awareness to sexual assault and addressing the importance of establishing consent, the club hopes to bring comfort to local victims and others who have been assaulted or raped.

This semester, the consent project club will be hosting campus events themed around sexual assault and consent for all to attend. 

The group plans to have a public screening of the 2015 documentary, The Hunting Ground, which shares different types of sexual assault incidents from young college students. 

This spring, the club will meet every Monday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Union.