With the current rise of reports of sexual assault/harassment/abuse in Hollywood, it's hard not to think about its prevalence in every female students' life. No matter where you go to school, women are seen as either numbers or sexual objects. I'm fed up. So here are some of my experiences.
As a frat party based school, it's a constant struggle to get your guy friends into the parties that are going on off-campus. They whine and complain, and yeah, it's annoying, but their subsequent solution is just not acceptable to me. Boys that I barely know will force me to join their Uber rides simply so that they may have the acceptable proportion of guys to girls in the car.
I am not a number off of which you can benefit. I am a person, so talk to me like one. Ask me what I want to do, who I want to ride with, and consider my feelings. Make plans WITH me, not FOR me, and maybe I'll be nice.
Basic respect seems to be missing from young boys' educations. And let me take it a step further.
They forget the meaning of consent. Or they think it "ruins the mood". Let me tell you that consent can actually be sexy. When a girl tells you that she wants you, that should be a flattering and heart-pumping experience. Rejection is a real thing, I understand that, but as Hillary Duff says in her classic movie, "A Cinderella Story", "Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game."
1 in 5 women on campuses are sexually assaulted in some form during their college career. So pretty much, that means that every girl on campus (including me) knows of at least one girl who has had this experience. That is unacceptable.
The next step. Congratulations, you got consent. You had an awesome time with this girl. You can't contain your excitement but you want to play it off. So you basically sh*t on her to all of your friends. Now she's embarrassed to be seen because she's afraid of who knows about these rumors. Jokes are put on social media but played off as "guy talk".
Just a tip: if the current president of our country is doing something, you probably shouldn't.
This girl did not go around sharing the size of your manhood or the taste of your breath, but still, they feel the need to prove their masculinity. As if being with a girl who actually wanted to be with you isn't manly enough.
Women are not on the Earth to entertain you and your friends. It's simple. Keep private things private.
I might get some "not all men" comments, but the point is that there are enough men in the world, and at college campuses, like this to make women fear for their safety and doubt that they will ever get respect. It should be a man's responsibility to keep their bros in check and speak out, because apparently the voice of millions of women isn't enough to get the message through these thick skulls.