Waterville, MAINE- In the wake of heightened social injustices, student-athlete activism has become more prevalent than ever before. To increase education and awareness of how to use their voices and presence when addressing social injustices, Colby Athletics welcomed Don McPherson: Author, speaker, feminist, and college football Hall of Famer.
 
Don McPherson was an All-American quarterback at Syracuse University and is a veteran of both the NFL and Canadian Football Leagues. McPherson captained the undefeated 1987 Syracuse football team, set 22 school records, led the nation in passing, and won more than 18 national "player of the year" awards, including the Maxwell Award as the Nation's best player.
 
While McPherson was a legend on the field, he is highly respected and regarded for his work surrounding violence prevention and social justice. He is a national leader and advocate for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence, and he worked closely with the U.S. Department of Education and Defense concerning sexual violence and education in schools and the Military. On January 17^th, Don McPherson connected with the Colby Student Athletes.
 
McPherson, the author of You Throw Like a Girl: The Blind Spot of Masculinity, has mastered the art of having crucial conversations. Colby Student-Athletes were ready to take the next step via an all-athlete interactive Zoom discussion. McPherson's action plan for Colby was simple: "get comfortable with the uncomfortable conversations." 

"Don McPherson's discussion challenged me to invoke these tough conversations with my teammates, my peers, my coaches, and even my parents."  

 McPherson was intentional with his approach: connecting with the athletes, coaches, and administration. His goal for the department was to normalize having crucial conversations on campus.  "Don McPherson's discussion challenged me to invoke these tough conversations with my teammates, my peers, my coaches, and even my parents," said Justin Masella, co-President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). "It was clear that in order to make progress, the conversations he challenged us to raise would be tough, but necessary." 
 
McPherson had a tremendous impact on the student-athletes, illustrating how athletes can use their platform to invoke change by engaging in conversations with their peers, teammates, coaches, and administrators. His challenge for Colby Athletics was to come together, take what they learned, further the conversations and never stop having them. McPherson was clear that there is no quick fix, but continuous engagement is imperative.
 
"I think we can set a solid foundation by engaging in conversations with our peers who have had both similar and different experiences than us," Masella continued. "Dialogue encourages learning, if we continue to learn and grow through dialogue, soon we will get to where we want to be as an entire athletic department."
 
 "We can't do this in one conversation. We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work."  

The Mules understand the conversation doesn't stop here. "Don's conversation pushed me to think about how I can challenge myself to do this work every day," said Robyn Pirie, co-President of SAAC. "I am committed to hold myself, my teammates, my coaches, and my peers accountable. We can't do this in one conversation. We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work."  


Written by Lydia Franks