New men on campus?

"We're anti-being dicks, pro-having them," said freshman Neil Metzler when describing the slogan of the Tufts Men's Activist Coalition (TMAC). "We're putting that on our T-shirts."

Even with its lighthearted motto, TMAC is a serious organization, one that aims to broaden the idea of male gender roles and to prevent violence on campus.

It was started this year after the "In the SACK: Safety, Awareness, Consent and Knowledge in Relationships" program during freshman orientation.

According to senior and group secretary Christian Eager, several students noticed a "dearth of groups on campus that are aware of gender issues from a male perspective."

Consequently, these men formed TMAC, seeking to carry the momentum of In the SACK into a year-round group. The group aims to create a voice and forum for men concerned about the way masculinity is currently defined by culture and society.

Sophomore and TMAC president Ben Brooks said that he got involved because he hoped that starting TMAC would break the taboo against having the discussions like those of In the SACK.

"No one should be afraid to talk about male ethics," he said. "Having a group of guys [who are] outspoken on this topic will help break this taboo."

"It fills a role that until now had...remained vacant," Eager said, explaining that many more women's groups exist on campus than men's groups. "We respect and agree with [women's] groups on many issues. There's certainly not an 'us versus them' mentality."

Even though TMAC does not disagree with the women's groups, Eager still sees a need for TMAC. "It's completely different when a man says, 'masculinity isn't just stoic strength and emotionless discourse,'" he said. "It is sensitivity, thoughtfulness and everything in between."

Freshman DP Albert, TMAC vice president and one of its original co-founders, said that TMAC aims to help men understand the causes and effects of what he described as "often-unattainable images of masculinity."

"TMAC exists based on the belief that for being a man, all that is required [is] to be a man," Albert said. "Every day, we are bombarded with images and ideals of how we as men must act in order to be 'manly' or 'a real man.'"

Albert said that these portrayals of masculinity or of "the ideal man" can cause insecurities. "[Men] can seek to reassert themselves through means of violence ... creating a guise of false toughness and power," he said. "Women's images of themselves are often impacted by popular culture, leading them to desire unhealthily thin and blemish-free bodies. Men are no freer from our own set of ideals as to how we should behave and [what] habits we should possess."

According to Eager, more men's groups are being formed on college campuses in greater Boston.

"Tufts is actually leading the movement," Eager said. "Our group is one of the largest, best developed and is comprised mainly of freshmen and sophomores."

Eager said that many people have friends or relatives who have been affected by relationship or sexual violence. "This is relevant to the community as a whole, because everyone knows someone who has been touched by these issues," Eager said.

"It is difficult to be a close community when there are significant portions of the community that have to be concerned for their safety on a daily basis, because there is always an unnamed threat," he added.

Brooks explained that the coalition is not a feminist organization. "We are a legitimate voice for men on campus and have an independent agenda," Brooks said.

The group itself is very diverse, he said. "We have gay guys and straight guys, athletes, performers, frat brothers and people who probably wouldn't have too much to do with the Greek system," he said. "I think it's interesting that this group of people is thrown together but work really well together with a common set of goals."

The group consistently discusses men's role on campus, Brooks said. "It's a difficult thing to summarize what that guy's role is supposed to be," he said, "and we're certainly not trying to narrow the range of what a guy can do. But we definitely think that the role should be constructive, and we encourage the positive.

"We want to make sure that guys are looking out for their female friends and are helping one another to not hurt people inadvertently. We want guys to ensure that everyone is being responsible and not just themselves. We want men to stand up when they feel someone else is being mistreated and intervene when someone needs to," Brooks said.

TMAC's policy is to not criticize any group or individual. "But we really feel that if men come together, it will help the social life and relationships they have," Brooks said.

"Homophobia, violence and racism are all issues that come between friendships and relationships, and we hope to debunk a lot of stereotypes that the media uses to stereotype and portray men," he said.

Though TMAC members said that the group acknowledges that alcohol can have a negative effect on men's behavior, the group is not against drinking.

"We're trying to figure out how to minimize that effect in the community - this is a very long-term goal," Metzler said.

The group is also trying not to take a political position on homophobia, according to Metzler. "TMAC recognizes that people have ideologies about homosexuality, and we are tolerant of intolerant views," he said. "But we can all agree that it's not right for students to feel threatened by the words or actions based on any ideological belief."

Metzler said that the group has helped him to be less guarded around other men. "Men feel a lot of pressure - sometimes from women, but mostly from men," he said. "Phrases like 'Don't be a p---y' or 'Don't be a fag' are all barriers to how men can express themselves, especially in college."