By: Elisabeth Steinhardt
Posted In: News
At 7p.m. last Wednesday, the Bazarsky Lecture Hall in O’Hare Academic Center was packed with boisterous Salve students, professors, staff, health officials and Mike Domitrz, author of “May I Kiss You,” and a leading authority on consent, healthy dating, and sexual assault awareness.
For about the first 35 minutes of his lecture, Domitrz lightheartedly role-played with Salve students about sex, dating, relationships and “hooking up.”
He also addressed related issues such as:
* Men vs. women * Derogatory terms
* Body Language * Stereotypes
* Mixed signals * Images on TV
* Rejection * Rape
* Responsibility * Rape scenes in Hollywood movies
* Pornography * Sexually transmitted diseases
* Abstinence * Standards
Domitrz’s hilarious humor was used to break the ice and gain goodwill to prepare the audience for the bomb he was about to drop.
The Reason Behind the Book:
In 1989, during his sophomore year in college, Domitrz received a phone call from his mother informing him that his sister had been brutally raped.
Changing his life forever, Domitrz started researching and studying healthy dating and sexual assault. Through research, Domitrz found that middle schools through colleges were not addressing “the real issue.”
“No one was showing audiences how they can change their own dating behavior by creating healthier dating practices,” Domitrz said. “No one was showing people how each person can help reduce occurrences of sexual assault.”
As a result and from his “need” to help, Domitrz created and designed an interactive program, “Can I Kiss You?” based on his book, “May I Kiss You?”
Domitrz’s Message:
Domitrz travels all over the country to schools and colleges to drive home the thought of respect in relationships.
“Asking, ‘Can I kiss you?’ gives you respect,” said Domitrz. “Someone is giving you respect. It is hot. It is sexy. It is romantic. It is the right thing to do.”
Domitrz also tries to compel students that “friends can help stop rape.” On college campuses across the country, they are numerous students being raped but “reported cases are between zero and four every year.”
Help on Salve’s Campus:
On Salve’s campus, there are two student organizations, VIRGO and R.E.A.L. Women that help promote the well being of students.
R.E.A.L. Women is a newly formed group at Salve “that seeks to bring resources, education, alliance and leadership to the women of the university community.”
VIRGO (Volunteers Interested in Reaching and Guiding Others) “is a volunteer group of Salve students who are both peer educators and counselors.”
On-Campus Resources include:
* Safety and Security ext. 5555
* Health Services ext. 2904
* Counseling ext. 2919
* Campus Ministry ext. 2326
“Can I Kiss You” was sponsored by R.E.A.L. Women, the Wellness Committee and the First Year Experience.
Help in the Community
Off-Campus Resources:
* Emergency 911
* Newport Police 401-847-1306 (regular)
401-847-1212 (emergency)
* Newport hospital 401-846-6400
* Rape Crisis Center 401-421-4100
* Women’s Resource Center 401-847-2533
“It is an incredible moment when you help another human being,” Domitrz concluded
