Kiera McGuire
Features Editor
On Friday, Feb. 14, Wooster students gathered in Wooster’s Ebert Art Center to participate in the fourth annual “I Heart Art,” hosted by Scot Wellness and The College of Wooster Art Museum (CWAM). The event aimed to help students express themselves through art while also learning about safe sex — and what better day to show appreciation for art, love and sex than on Valentine’s Day?
“Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about being in a romantic partnership,” said Marianne Wardle, co-organizer of the event and curator and director of CWAM. “The world could always use more love whether that’s love for your friends, for yourself, or for art.”
Upon entering the Ebert Art Center, attendees could pick up a variety of different colored SweeTarts, with sayings such as “Consent Given,” “Yes,” “I’d rather not,” “No means no,” “Bet” and “F*ck No,” which are meant to act as responses when asked if someone wants to have sex.
“Talking with students about consent and seeing which candy heart [they grabbed] was my favorite,” said Chelsea Polly, Title IX coordinator and director of sexual violence prevention on campus, who managed the SweeTart table.
The event also provided goody bags with several informative and safe-sex-positive treats for students to take with them, such as a paper filled with conversation starters for talking about sex with a partner. Comments such as: “Is there anything I should know before?” and “Just because I said yes earlier, that doesn’t mean you’re entitled to anything now,” provide helpful reminders for people to have safe and consensual sex with a partner. The bag also had a business card with information and a QR code about “Brave,” an overdose detection app. The other side of the business card had a QR code with information on how to get narcan and fentanyl test strips.
Other items, such as lubricant and condoms, were also in the bag.
Moving further into the art center, attendees could sit at stools and make collages, picking from a handful of different print-out images, glue-on googly eyes and an assortment of sparkles.
“My favorite part of creating the art pieces was being creative,” said Victoria Finizio ’27, who attended the event. “Because [the tables] had a lot of random paper scraps and other supplies, I could have made anything.”
Anakha Shah ’27 echoed this sentiment: “The fact that you were encouraged to make whatever you liked, even if it was weird and abstract [was my favorite].”
To hear more about safe spaces on campus, visit the Longbrake Student Wellness Center or check out upcoming events from Scot Wellness. On Friday, Feb. 28, join Peer Health Educators at “Low-Town Hacks” and learn about balanced eating and nutrition information. Look out for more details wherever you get your Wooster news.