"We have all been touched by men's violence in some way," Chen said, "from hearing our friends talk about surviving rape [and] from hearing homophobic and degrading comments in the locker room. We have to start approaching these issues from the big picture, [and] that includes men."
Nineteen students attended the group's first meeting, each of whom filled out surveys and explained their encounters with violence and their interest in the Men's Project. Among the students' reasons for coming were Katie Koestner's speech during freshmen orientation about her own date rape as well as personal stories involving sexual assault.
"The reason I'm here is because there are a lot of women I really care about," said Mike Simmons '06E. "I have female friends who have been victims of date rape. They come to talk to me, and I really don't know what to say. I am very much anti-violence, and a lot of the work we do here is predicated on [preventing] men's violence."
Elliot Beerbower '06 wasn't sure what spawned his interest, but decided to come nonetheless.
"I don't know if I really belong in a support group," he said. "I'm here because I don't necessarily buy into the assumptions. I'm the kind of person I feel the group should be reaching out to. I'm here to learn."
Chen said he got the idea for the project from a reproductive rights conference at Hampshire College.
"I went to a workshop on masculinity, and at the end of the workshop, a Hampshire student asked all the men to stay after the conference to talk about why we were there and how we felt about the conference," Chen explained.
The meeting addressed sexual assault and domestic violence, among other issues. "We were talking about male privilege, white privilege. I was inspired to hear young men my age talk about wanting to change things, to educate themselves about this violence that tears our lives apart. In part, I started this organization to give men an opportunity to make a difference."
Chen was inspired by the utter lack of anti-violence initiatives focused on men. "I think it's an area kind of ignored, yet something that's really big. If you want change from the perpetrators you have to get these guys involved. You have to get your own peers to say, 'We have to change.'"
By training members in the Mentors Against Violence Prevention program, starting awareness campaigns and networking, the group hopes to "do something about homophobia, sexual assault [and] verbal abuse."
Sexual Harrassment Specialist Gretchen Krull focused on the Men's Project's place within a long-running campaign. "It seems to be good timing in terms of the anti-violence movement. Women had been working against violence for years before men began getting involved [about ten years ago]."
Krull emphasized, however, the necessity of the group. "If you don't get men involved, you'll never solve the problem."