Freshmen attend mandatory sexual harassment lecture, “Can I Kiss You?” (Photos by Ben Briscoe, The Daily Campus)

Freshmen students gathered in McFarlin Auditorium last night for a mandatory seminar on sexual harassment sponsored by Delta Gamma.

Speaker Mike Domirtz, the Founder and Executive Director of The Date Safe Project, highlighted the program entitled “Can I Kiss You?”

Domirtz focused the main part of his presentation on the ways for students to prevent unknowing committing sexual assault, which he defined as, “any sexual contact without consent.”

According to Domirtz, the affirmation of this consent is an easy thing to get, “all you have to do is ask.”

Domirtz suggests that before making a move on a woman, a man should ask, “can I kiss you?”

“I know it sounds stupid, but this is the only way to prevent confusion in a relationship,” he said.

Although Domirtz heavily supported this strategy, he also asked for any criticism that the audience might have.

“In all of these lectures I have done, I found that men don’t ask for the same reason women don’t ask. It is all about reputation,” he said.

Domirtz went on to explain this further by stating that women think that asking takes away the romantic aspect of the relationship.

“Girls, remember, if you want to be swept off your feet, you will land on your ass,” Domirtz responded.

Domirtz also stated that one should ask before making an advance physical because, “It makes the moment, not ruins the moment.”

“How does it feel to have someone you find sexy tell you that you are hot and desirable, and then asking to respond to that,” Domirtz said. “If that takes away the moment than you never had one to begin with.”

Sexual Harassment Counselor Cathey Soutter also spoke to the incoming students about where to turn for support in the event of rape or sexual assault.

“We want you to know that there is a huge community here at SMU dedicated to doing whatever we can to help you,” Soutter said.

The hour and a half presentation seems to have had an effect on at least one student who attended it.

“I though the presentation was wonderful. I will definitely ask the next time before I kiss someone, “freshman Max Magel said. “But I would have done that before I went there anyway.”