By Francesca Billington, Contributing Writer
Two eating clubs at Princeton University – Charter Club and Cap and Gown Club – now require students to read a consent pledge before entering for parties.
These initiatives, introduced by students independent of the university, mark the first time that a pledge has been used at any of the eating clubs on Princeton’s campus.
Charter Club was the first to initiate the pledge policy two weeks ago. Upon entering the club, students were asked to silently read a formal definition of consent.
The statement read: “Consent is asking for and receiving affirmation before and while engaging in anyone’s personal space or belongings, and can be revoked at any time.”
The idea for the pledge was taken from a similar policy used at Stanford University, which Will Rose, Charter House Manager and Tech Chair, heard about from a friend. Three days after Mr. Rose proposed the idea at a Charter officers meeting, members introduced the pledge at their next party.
“I hope that what it would do is bring consent to the forefront of people’s thoughts as they’re entering the party, especially given that when alcohol is involved and people are partying, [it creates] a more dangerous environment,” said Charter Club President Lorena Grundy.
The pledge statement was not made as a reaction to some specific circumstance, but rather as a preventative measure, Ms. Grundy said. The initiative was also influenced partially by the results from We Speak, an annual survey and report conducted by the university about attitudes on sexual misconduct on campus.
Charter modified the language from Stanford’s statement to create its own version that has been used twice so far, but Ms. Grundy is open to further changes.
Jackie Deitch-Stackhouse, director of SHARE (Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources & Education) has been working with Ms. Grundy to modify the statement’s language to more closely match the wording in SHARE’s policies.
Cap and Gown Club — the second club to start a similar policy a week after Charter — also used SHARE to help word its version of the pledge. Instead of reading silently, Cap members inside asked each guest to read the statement out loud before walking through to the party.
The pledge, though similar in meaning, differed slightly from Charter’s: “Consent happens when individuals of sound mind voluntarily and enthusiastically choose to engage in any sexual activity.”
According to Cap and Gown Club Social Chair Grant Godeke, the club did not receive very much feedback from the pledges, but what feedback it did received was all positive.
Apart from communication with SHARE, Charter and Cap members have kept the pledge mostly within the club.
“If it was a university mandated thing, people would grumble about it,” Ms. Grundy said. “But when it’s us as officers and peers of the people coming to our events saying that we think this is important, that sends a message that this isn’t just something that university administration in offices care about, it’s something that students just like you are trying to prioritize.”
After bringing up the subject at a recent Interclub Council (ICC) meeting, other clubs began showing interest in the consent statements. Other clubs have not yet come out with news that they will introduce a similar pledge at future parties, but there are rumors that more will follow the trend soon.
Although members have considered standardizing the statement across other clubs looking to follow the trend, Ms. Deitch-Stackhouse said that there is something personal and meaningful about having personal touches to each pledge.
“It puts it on people’s minds in an important moment,” Ms. Deitch-Stackhouse said. “It clarifies the expectations for behavior in a way that people walking into the space are readily aware and people’s whose space in which this is occurring may feel more ownership and responsibility to hold people accountable for that behavioral pledge.”
