www.brevard.edu/clarion
Volume 80, Issue 12 \Neb Edition SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
Follow us
on Twitter
@BCclarion
November 19, 2014
Define consent:
Administration continues dialogue on sexual
assault in an exclusive meeting for men
By Calum McAndrew
Staff Writer
“Always get consent” was the message in In
gram Auditorium on Monday evening. Despite its
hard hitting message, it appears many questions
have been left unanswered.
Dean of Students Debbie D’Anna led a presen
tation in Ingram for the second time in a week.
This time she met with the college’s male students
to speak to them about the recent attempted sexual
assault on campus.
Immediately, the tone of the evening was es
tablished, with the statistic claiming that males
committed 95 percent of sexual assaults. From
this point forward, the direction the meeting was
heading in was clear, with a series of videos ad
dressing some key points.
Audio for the first video, entitled “Men Let’s
Talk,” failed when it was initially opened. Rare
murmurs from around the auditorium could be
heard as the disjointed opening to the meeting
led to a lack of patience among some students.
The attention of the audience was immediately
drawn again, however, as D’Anna said, “Aperson
can only give consent if they are free of any kinds
of drugs or alcohol,” before further saying, “even
if they say yes, they cannot give consent whilst
intoxicated.”
When sophomore Jesse Sheldon asked for
clarification on what she had said, D’Anna twice
responded with the unwavering answer, “It means
they aren’t intoxicated.”
Confusion began to build, however, as she went
on to suggest that, “It depends on the person.
If their speech is slurred or they can’t walk in
a straight line, then they are intoxicated.” This
seemed to contradict her initial statement, which
appeared to suggest that any alcohol consumption
at all could be construed as “intoxication.”
There was further uncertainty on the meaning
of intoxication after Dee Dasburg spoke later
about a situation in which both parties might be
intoxicated. One student went on to ask what the
verdict would be in such a situation. Dasburg
responded that such a situation would allow both
'A person can only give consent if they are free of
any kinds of drugs or alcohol.... Even if they say
yes, they cannot give consent while intoxicated.'
—Debbie D'Anna, Dean of Students
parties to put a side of the story forward.
This however, was later contradicted by Brevard
police officer Steve Wilson, who said, “Intoxica
tion is not an excuse.”
Throughout the evening, it appeared that many
questions were left unanswered on that front, and
many students may be left pondering what the true
definition of intoxication is.
Wilson took the microphone after D’Anna
and head of campus security Stan Jacobsen had
spoken. After introducing himself, he posed the
audience the question, “Do any of you have 5 to
10 years of your life to give me?” Stunned silence
filled Ingram Auditorium and set the tone for
much of the rest of his speech, which provoked
the most audience push-back against any of the
speakers that night.
Wilson became the first person of the evening
to definitively use the term “rape,” and much of
his segment of the evening appeared accusatory in
its intent. He referred to “first and second degree
rape” and proceeded to alert the audience on all
the other ways in which they could be charged in
an event of sexual misconduct, including situa
tions such as intimidating witnesses.
Perhaps the most controversial moment of the
meeting came when a student asked, “What can
you do as a third party to defend a victim without
receiving disciplinary actions?” Wilson responded
by saying the witness should try to stop it. If
one did not, Wilson said, “I’m going to ask you,
‘What’s your problem?”’
As a follow up to this question, freshman
Thomas Ruple asked, “What would be too far?
Could you stab the assailant?”
Wilson responded by jokingly responding, “As
long as it’s an itty bitty short blade.” He soon went
back on this comment however, clarifying that
only in a case where “life or limb” was in danger
would that be an appropriate course of action.
Wilson however did say that, “You should do
whatever you can to get him off of the victim.”
Toward the end of the meeting, which lasted
about 45 minutes, an entire hour shorter than
the women’s event, D’Anna held a section for
students to voice final questions on the matter.
A question from the Clarion asked if it is now
the school’s priority to prevent further sexual
assaults, to which D’Anna responded, “That is
always the school’s priority.”
When further questioned as to what the school
intended to do in order to prevent such matters,
D’Anna responded by saying that the male and
female meetings were prevention techniques, and
that additional lighting and increased security
rounds would be implemented.
Students may also be interested to hear that
D’Anna confirmed that there will be more edu
cational sessions regarding recent events. “There
will be more opportunities for people to come
together and discuss, and to keep the dialogue
going,” she said.
The meeting appeared to be well received by
students, who for the most part held their concen
tration throughout. However, it must be said that
at times full clarification, or thorough definitions
were not given, and it appears that some people
may still be left with more questions on the matter.