On Tuesday, Washington University released the much-anticipated report responding to recommendations made by organizers of the Title Mine rally, a call to action demanding reform to the Title IX reporting process for sexual violence. While reading the University’s report, I felt that the school is moving in the right direction and working to equip the Title IX Office with the resources to improve the process for everyone involved.

However, no matter how supportive the University becomes in aiding survivors of sexual violence, nothing will change if the ugly root of the issue is not addressed. The reality is that every year, a consistent and significant percentage of students experience sexual violence while on campus. Beyond resources and support, we, as a community, must refuse to be a part of a culture that tolerates this reality. Cultivating this mindset must begin early on. Every single first-year is required to watch “The Date” and participate in a facilitation afterwards to discuss the importance of consent and intervention. I was a facilitator for The Date this year for the Woman’s Space, and while it was an impactful experience, I had a feeling that a certain perspective was missing from the space.

I believe that separating men and women during their first ever conversation at Wash. U. regarding sexual violence prevention is a mistake. Firstly, this is a dangerous split, as it suggests that all men and all women think about consent differently according to their gender. I am sure that it was far from anyone’s intent to emphasize the stereotype that mostly men are offenders and women are mostly victims but dividing the first-years according to gender implies that something is fundamentally different in the two groups’ understanding of consent. This way of thinking is harmful, as there are men who are victims and women who are perpetrators.

Beyond removing this subconscious categorization, having open facilitations would benefit all Wash. U. students. I would hope that every incoming student would be invested in preventing violence on campus, and so it goes that every student should be allowed to conduct open dialogue with each other regardless of gender. It is not that men and women see consent differently but identifying as a man or woman leads to viewing “The Date” differently. Sharing perspectives is crucial in that it allows women to hear what the men have to say instead of wondering whether the men discussed the same issues and vice versa. Engaging with all your peers in a respectful way creates a deep understanding that cannot be achieved by simply assuming what others think. Furthermore, it encourages students to continue the conversation with anyone and everyone in the future.

I do not think “The Date” is a terrible program creating issues and division in the Wash. U. community. In fact, I feel the opposite; facilitating for “The Date” was an invaluable experience, and I encourage everyone who is interested and able to apply to be a facilitator for 2019. The fact that “The Date” is so well-coordinated and is a mandatory part of orientation is monumental. Many colleges do not put in half the effort to educate their students. I am simply stating that “The Date” is not perfect and could be improved with the simple change of grouping students for discussion ignorant of gender. This is definitely not a miracle solution to ending violence at Wash. U., but this, along with the changes within the Title IX Office and a commitment to continuously improving numerous other initiatives across campus, will bring all students, faculty and staff together in a united front against sexual violence.