Clubs are a cornerstone aspect of the Wheaton experience and chances are, anyone picking up this issue of the Wire is in a handful of clubs themselves. Yet, the sheer quantity of quality clubs scattered around campus leads to newer clubs being overlooked—a real shame considering the caliber of organizations which aren’t getting the same attention that more established groups receive. One such club is the Community for Advancing Healthy Masculinities (CAHM), an organization as new to the campus as its president, Dalwin Corcino ’23.
Corcino, motivated by the prominence of social issues, such as toxic masculinity, created this club with a clear purpose. According to the CAHM official mission statement, “the purpose of this organization shall be to serve as an open space for advancing healthy masculinities at Wheaton College. We intend to promote a healthy exchange of dialogue meant for, but not limited to, men or those who identify as male through various workshops and collaborations with other clubs on campus.”
Corcino is not alone in the creation of this organization as he is joined by, vice-president, Trevor Ragas ’20 and, secretary, Carlos Corrada ’22. Both provided further insight into the club’s mission, speaking on both the collaborative and conversational aspects. Ragas said, “This club is intended for and open to all who are interested in discussing and learning about healthy masculinity. We are looking to collaborate with any clubs on campus who are focused around similar topics.” While no collaborations are official at this point in time, during the inaugural information meeting, working alongside the Feminists at Wheaton (FAW) was posited as one hypothetical collaboration.
Speaking on the discussion element of the club, Corrada made an important distinction, stating that, “we are not certified or qualified therapists, counselors or psychiatrists, we are a group of students who want to start a conversation.” This is a key element of the club’s drive: the creation of an informal, student-led forum where impassioned Wheaton community members can assemble to talk openly and honestly. If this socially-conscious and important club sounds intriguing, students interested in joining the group can sign up for the official mailing list by emailing corcino_dalwin@wheatoncollege.edu. In addition, the club is currently looking for a treasurer, so any interested parties can send an email to that effect as well.