Lecture reveals discrepancies between genders
Vice Provost Dennis Pruitt delivered the inaugural speech in a series of six lectures entitled "Be a Man," created by Chris Faulkner and John Eberly Jr. after a discussion they had in Grilled Teriyaki.
"We don't know a lot about manhood, but we've invited some very wise men," Faulkner, a fourth-year nursing student, said.
The speeches aim to address apathy among young men, particularly those of college age. Faulkner and Eberly hope the series will open up dialogue among students, addressing important issues such as the gender and the achievement gaps, what it means to be a man and how men should treat women.
Faulkner said that they are targeting the "on-the-fence guys" through spheres of influence. He and Eberly hope that through spheres of influence, or friends of friends, word of the series will spread throughout campus.
"We start with things that men want. Men want women and men want influence, and then it turns to wisdom, brotherhood and service. Then they'll say to themselves 'these aren't things that I want, these are things that I need'," Faulkner said.
Faulkner and Eberly hope students will come out for ultimate frisbee games, then by the end they will find themselves helping out at a homeless shelter, picking up garbage and volunteering.
"We don't have enough role models to look up to," Dr. Patrick Hickey, assistant professor College of Nursing and faculty principal of Capstone House, said.
Hickey proudly introduced Pruitt as a well-educated individual that students in the audience should look up to.
"As I go through these statistics tonight and share some of these stories, you will sit up proudly in your chair," Pruitt said to the women in the audience. "You men will slump down in your chairs and lower your head. By the time I'm done you will be under your chairs."
Pruitt explained that there is a general lack of engagement among men and they are more prone to poor choices. When Pruitt asked if there was a male crisis in society, about three-fourths of the audience raised their hands.
Among the startling statistics, 61 percent of females have earned the total of all university degrees, even though they only constitute 51 percent of the population. Furthermore, women between the ages of 21 and 30 earn 117 percent of what a man earns.
Other studies that Pruitt read show differences in attitude between men and women. 35 percent of men ages 18 to 24 are optimistic about the future, compared to the 46 percent of women that are. No wonder men have a bleaker outlook on life when 55 percent of them still live at home with their parents.
Chase Mizzell, the recently elected student body vice president, attended the speech.
"Regardless of male or female, any series on leadership is awesome," Mizzell said. "I'm excited to see where males can go, and I'm excited to see where the Carolina community can go as well."
The next speech will address relationships between men and women.
"We want to raise women's expectations, we don't want you guys settling, ever," Faulkner said.