A multitude of students, myself included, gathered together in the Hemmingson ballroom on the evening of April 9th to focus our attention on Donna Freitas. Author of Sex and the Soul and The Happiness Effect, Freitas discussed her research for her books and answered questions of inquisitive students here on campus. Freitas touched on many topics that are vital to converse about, but not typically discussed in a college setting the way they should be.
These topics included sexual assault, sex on campus, social media, hookup culture, and true happiness versus the appearance of happiness. I found this discussion particularly engaging and relevant to the life of a typical college student. Many of these topics felt untouchable on a daily basis simply because universities and schools typically avoid conversation about them. The first topic Freitas talked about was hookup culture. Her argument about hookup culture was constructed around three main ideas: misconception of hooking up in hookup culture, sexual liberation, and sexual assault.
All of these topics have been influenced by our cultural terministic screen which instills in our minds that hookups are meaningless, sexual assault is for women, sexual liberation is granted by not caring, and sex should be casual. Freitas also spent a great deal of her talk focusing on how we as a society have created this image that defines masculinity. This is why the stigma that “men cannot be raped” exists. She acknowledged that society considers a man reporting sexual abuse as a man giving up his masculinity. We have been fostered by society to view hookups as emotionally meaningless. Freitas learned from her research that college students believe that hookups are a sort of competition, but destroy the concept of worth. This mindset deems partners, feelings, and emotional/connectional needs as worthless.
All of this information that Freitas touched on is prevalent not just in the society and culture we are surrounded with, but more personally right here on Gonzaga’s campus. People of different genders experience sexual assault and are afraid to come forward and hookup culture is very much alive in this university community. Zags help Zags is a phrase that defines the individuals of Gonzaga University. We are here for each other. We strive to help each other and make this university a safe place. How can we expect to accomplish this when we as a society have twisted the ideal image of a college student into someone who disregards the humanity and feelings of other individuals and themselves to fit in?
Freitas’s talk has inspired me to want to be a safe space and an advocate for people who feel they have no voice. As the Gonzaga student body, we are here existing together for a number of years. We must do our best to live up to our mission statement and advocate for the promotion of justice as well as emotional and physical safety. Remember to do your best to help yourself and others stay safe and happy!
Click here for more information on Donna Freitas or to purchase her awesome books.