Speaker Mike Domitrz presented a program to incoming first-year students as part of Central College’s healthy relationship & sexual assault awareness initiatives on Thursday, Sept. 1. Part of Domitrz’s Date Safe Project, “Can I Kiss You?” is designed to help students make healthier and safer decisions regarding dating, intimacy and relationships during college and beyond.
Domitrz, whose family was affected by sexual assault while he was in college, has been presenting “Can I Kiss You?” to colleges, high schools and community organizations around the country since 1991. The program aims to create a relaxed environment in which an honest conversation about healthy relationships can occur.
Bonnie Dahlke, director of student involvement and orientation at Central, explains that the program “teaches young people that healthy relationship communication looks like and how they can immediately implement it in their own lives.”
The program is part of Central’s dedication to fostering a safe campus community. “We want our students to learn that respect for themselves and others is paramount for building healthy relationships throughout their time at Central and in their adult lives beyond college,” said Dahlke.
Domitrz’s “Can I Kiss You?” has become a regular feature of the first-year student welcome. This is the sixth year he has presented the program on campus. By presenting the program to first-year students at the beginning of their college careers, they are familiarized with Central’s commitment to safety.
“It is a way of telling students what our expectations are of them as members of this community regarding their treatment of each other,” said Dahlke.
Learn more about safety at Central College.