May 2, 2018 | By Avinash Kumar (SF21)

The Johnnie Community Board (JCB) in Santa Fe, in conjunction with the Student Life Office, recently hosted Speak About It, an organization that delivers performances about consent, boundaries and healthy relationships in colleges across the country.

In a multi-part performance, the actors portrayed myriad scenarios involving sexual misconduct based on real-life accounts from survivors.

The performance addressed questions such as “What is consent and how does one ask for it?” and “Do I need to set my own boundaries?” These issues were explored through a variety of methods ranging from dramatic readings to comedy skits. Toward the end, solutions such as bystander intervention were enacted.

This was the first time an off-campus group was invited to the Santa Fe campus to speak about sexual assault. Owen Gemmer, the president of the JCB, felt there was a need for professional expertise in delivering talks about sexual assault in an engaging manner.

“When I was talking to some of the organizers, one of the things I asked was ‘What do you say is right or wrong?’ and they responded by saying ‘We don’t. We focus on giving people the language to express whatever they want,’” Gemmer says. “They were not shaming anyone for anything, but were really just representing all of the options, saying those were all acceptable.”

The JCB organizes discussions about social life and issues on campus, with a focus on inclusion, openness and dialogue. The group works closely with the Student Life Office on Title IX-related issues—and to figure out ways to maintain active conversations about sexual misconduct.

Title IX is a federal law that prohibits all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual assault/offenses and harassment, in federally funded education programs. St. John’s has Title IX coordinators on its campuses in Annapolis and Santa Fe.

In the past, the JCB organized a public forum on campus for questions to be asked of the administration or participants. They also organized discussions of a mock Title IX case, where hypothetical sexual assault situations were examined through the lens of the college's policy.

The Speak About It performance offered students a new way to discuss the issue.

“One of the reasons why performance-based presentations work so well is that it’s harder to walk away from someone standing right in front of you than a video or a book,” said performer Dan Anderson.