WEST POINT – Cadets at the US Military Academy were given the opportunity, Friday, to share their experiences with the Board of Visitors in a new panel-oriented forum, including academy staff.
Cadets shared their experiences regarding the enhancement of dignity and respect at the academy following a series of events they facilitated concerning: diversity and leadership, as well as relationships.
Those events focused on gender, ethnicity and sexual behavior among cadets while encouraging a culture of respect amongst their fellow classmates.
Events such as the Diversity and Leadership Conference and Relationships 101 outlined for the board the steps cadets themselves are making to better the experience of life at the academy.
Uncomfortable topics, like sexual assault and differing ethnicities, are not easy to discuss in a public forum; but, cadets encouraged the board that these issues are of great concern to the academy.
Cadet Norah Stapleton said sometimes cadets don’t think these issues apply to them, but addressing the problem is a step forward in and of itself.
“If they’re not going to think about the concept of consent, or how a situation could turn into a sexual assault, I think that perpetuates the problem,” said Stapleton.
Cadet Carla Figueroa-Matos, who took part in leading the Diversity and Leadership Conference, said these topics are becoming more a part of the academy’s larger conversation. “Gender, ethnicity, sex- these issues seem to come up much more often,” said Figueroa-Matos.
