On Feb. 25, guest speaker Mike Domitrz visited Issaquah to discuss an important and controversial topic: sexual consent. All students, split up by grade level, attended this assembly, which took place in the Black Box Theater. Domitrz used humor as his approach, making his presentation on the topic much less uncomfortable and awkward than similar lectures can often be.

“I really liked this assembly,” said freshman Macy Tamaela. “It wasn’t like the traditional assemblies that we normally have; this one was really entertaining, and the guest speaker was still able to get his points across and keep the topic centered and serious.”

Diving into the actual content of Domitrz’s presentation; he spoke mainly about the importance of consent, making sure to address the circumstances when alcohol or substance abuse is involved. He made a portion of his lesson somewhat personal, where he shared the sexual assault and rape of his older sister, Sherry. This story allowed for Domitrz to clearly show why he chooses to visit schools and discuss these topics.

Domitrz even gave prizes; T-shirts with the text, ‘Can I Kiss You?’ to volunteers who went up on stage with him to demonstrate respectful consent. As the students left the room after his presentation ended, teachers handed out pro-consensual bracelets.

“I think the way he presented himself was really cool,” freshman Jadyn Fung said. “He knew how to approach a huge group of teenagers with this topic in a simple way, and he even made it an enjoyable assembly.”

All humor aside, Domitrz’s lessons are extremely important for high-schoolers to know at this age and while growing up. Many districts in the country do not include these topics in their curriculum, and Issaquah is lucky to have a presenter as passionate and genuine as Mike Domitrz.