Coffee, cookies, croissants and conversation: All of these were present on Wednesday Nov. 20, when about 20 students gathered during X-block in room 347 to participate in an open discussion (called a Coffee Talk), led by the student-run Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Coalition. These discussions focus on improving school culture by finding solutions to combat harmful gender dynamics and rape culture within the community, primarily by providing a safe space for discussion.
Senior and SHARP leader Gianna Gravina said the club tries to host Coffee Talks monthly. Gravina said that people love being able to participate in discourse surrounding topics that matter to them, and big group discussions are necessary when holding a solutions-oriented conversation.
“When we want to problem-solve, we need people with different opinions and different backgrounds,” Gravina said. “So that’s why it’s super important to have these big group discussions, rather than staying within our tight club.”
Senior Max Durant, who attended this month’s Coffee Talk, said it reinforced many of the positive ideas that he has been able to learn over the past few years. Durant said that by attending such events, he hopes to continue to expand on his own beliefs and knowledge so that he can avoid spreading harmful norms to the next generation.
“I think that a huge misconception a lot of times is that [men] see vulnerability as a weakness instead of a strength, and they think that being able to share their emotions makes them almost ‘unmasculine,’” Durant said. “I just think that’s a detrimental thing.”
Durant also said that opportunities for open group discussion, such as Coffee Talks, are instrumental in shifting the narrative to a culture of inclusion and emotional empowerment.
“It’s really about time we start breaking down these misconceptions and start perpetuating the right ideas,” Durant said. “And that [happens] with education and being able to learn to be vulnerable in your groups, because that’s where real learning comes from.”
