8-27-98

Contacts:
Pam Thomas, ISU Women's Center, (515) 294-4154
Steve Sullivan, News Service, (515) 294-3720

SENSITIVE GUYS GRILL AT ISU

AMES, Iowa -- ISU coaches, faculty and staff members are among the gentlemen who will hover over some barbecue grills Monday (Aug. 31) as part of a new initiative at the Margaret Sloss Women's Center.

"Sensitive Men Flippin' Burgers" will help launch a new men's outreach effort at the center. The free picnic begins at 11 a.m. and runs through 1 p.m. on the lawn in front of the Sloss House. Head basketball coaches Bill Fennelly and Larry Eustachy, African American Studies director Herman Blake, minority student affairs director Rafael Rodriguez, associate dean of students Houston Dougharty and assistant athletic director Elve Everage are among those with grill duty.

"Through our men's outreach program, we hope to raise the level of awareness about the importance of involving men in dialogues about women," said Pam Thomas, director of the women's center. "I hope lots of different campus constituencies would see this center as a place where that kind of dialogue can happen."

Student David White has been hired to coordinate the men's outreach program. Initially this fall, he will lead workshops for both male and coed groups on topics such as sexual assault and date rape, sexism in language and the media, and dating/family domestic violence. Later this fall, White hopes to start peer educator training sessions for male employees and students.

Thomas said she sought a group of positive role models to flip burgers at the picnic.

"Television shows such as 'Men Behaving Badly" and the recent attention to Frank Sinatra and his 'Brat Pack' tell us that it's OK for men to behave like that," Thomas said. "It's not. That behavior doesn't have to be a definition of masculinity.

"I hope this event and our workshops this fall will garner a group of men who are good role models and who can facilitate some of our programs," she added.

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Revised 8/28/98