Luke Pietrantonio

The spring of Luke’s sophomore year at Swarthmore College there were protests surrounding the two fraternities on campus which were intertwined with the athletic community. As both a member of one of the frats and the men’s lacrosse team, he tried to listen to these calls for change and make connections between other’s experiences and his. He wanted to grow from these discussions and encourage those around him to do the same. 

Through the help of the athletic administration, a small but dedicated group of athletes came together to rethink what masculinity could look like. The group committed to learning as much as they could from literature, from those in the community, and from their experiences. Luke helped lead this group for two years and saw the impact that these efforts could have in their members’ lives. The group examined how their upbringings were informed by various types of masculinity, while learning how to check themselves and others. This helped them focus on how they carried themselves day to day and demonstrated that there were others who wanted to reimagine masculinity.

Luke sees Positive Masculinity as a chance to continue this work that he has started, and recognizes that it is far from over. He understands that at times it can be a challenge to explore these topics, but sees how important it can be. He is excited to learn and take these lessons forward with him as he starts his career.