After completing the mandatory alcohol and substance abuse, mental health, consent and healthy relationships Discover DU modules before Orientation Week, I was frustrated to learn that I would have to complete an in-person training. I had already spent an hour and a half understanding consent through interactive lessons and informed videos; what more was there for me to know?
Around the second week of being on campus, I received an email encouraging me to complete the on-campus training as soon as possible. For those unaware of this requirement, the Intervene: DU course is part of a resolution passed by the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) to educate students on how to intervene in different situations that they may encounter on campus including racial and sex discrimination, hazing and substance abuse.
Reluctantly, I signed up for the mandatory Intervene: DU bystander training, and I chose the earliest open slot available, so I could get it over and done with.
After racing to get to the 6:30 p.m. meeting, I plopped down in an open seat right in the front. The session started with a variety of situational videos that involved racial bias, sexual assault, hazing, mental health, sexism, alcohol abuse and emotionally abusive relationships.
Once the videos finished, we discussed what we found shocking, what we related to and what we were upset by. These open discussions started a conversation and caused students to perform a self-evaluation of what they would do in the given scenarios.
Attending this training caused me to ask a question: Are Intervene: DU and other mandatory first-year activities effective?
In 2017, The Clarion’s Elizabeth Lochhead wrote an article detailing the power of the #MeToo movement and the significance of sexual assault education. “DU should consider hosting mandatory, student-run events about sexual assault statistics and prevention,” wrote Lochhead.
Although Intervene: DU is not focused primarily on teaching consent or providing statistics, it does cover sexual assault and how bystanders can intervene in potential assault situations.
“[Intervene: DU] isn’t just spreading awareness; it’s normalizing consent so that people understand and agree with it and want to call out a lack of consent,” said Lillian Stone, a first-year English major from Arvada, Colo.
I wanted to see how much other Colorado colleges were doing for assault and consent education, so I spoke to a student from the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) and another from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). The UCD student explained that their sexual assault and consent education was included in their one-day orientation, and it only consisted of a short video. The UCCS student watched the same video, but their two-hour class included the definition of consent and sexual assault, how to intervene and a clear explanation of how allegations would be investigated.
Compared to the amount of and depth of consent education other Colorado schools receive, DU’s mandatory Canvas module, Theatre Delta performance and Intervene: DU training seems like a lot, some might even say redundant or excessive. However, after my experience with the intervention course, I can confidently say that DU is trying to do more than just provide students with materials to use after an incident or assault. They are encouraging students, specifically first-years, to take initiative, to look out for each other and to know what they can do as bystanders.
Therefore, I encourage all students who must complete the Intervene: DU training to go in with an open mind; you never know what you might learn about the importance of being a bystander.
