Everyone knows the story about Brock Turner. The college student who sexually assaulted a female student. There were tons of legal battles and backlashes that happened.
Everyone around the world has had their eyes on Stanford. The Brock Turner case was met with anger, sadness, and confusion - especially with the university's response towards the issue.
And because of this one single case, Stanford University's profile is affected. Everyone is now wary on how to navigate relationships, college life and even dating because of this issue. Stanford does not seem like the place for learning these. However, Stanford is now trying to correct its mistakes.
This fall, the University of Stanford is making changes. The school has worked with the ASSU and SARA Office to initiate programs that will combat a culture of silence - which is what happened in the Brock Turner case. College freshmen were required to take an online course about the prevention of sexual violence in the school. Plus, each freshmen is now required to attend the hour and a half program titled "Beyond Sex Ed: Consent & Sexuality at Stanford."
This is different than your usual sex education class. The program features stories coming from students about their real life experiences regarding sexual assault and harassment. Afterwards, the Stanford Anti-Violence Educators (SAVE), a mandatory peer-led workshop, needs to be accomplished.
This is a step towards addressing the issue that Stanford University is facing. It is not yet known if a few classes, courses and workshops will help change things. But what is clear now is that the conversation about sex on the campus is now starting. Gone is the silence that permeates the hallways of the school.
This kind of education is vital but many believe that there is more to be done than a 90 minute session on sex education. And maybe Stanford is already looking at this more closely.
