Kiera McGuire
Editor-in-Chief
The Peer Health Education Program continued their fall tradition of “Sex on the Quad” on Friday, Sept. 25 from 3-5 p.m. Featuring tables run by Peer Health Educators, Equity and Belonging, the Sexual Respect Coalition, the Wayne County Health Department and more, the event provided opportunities for students to learn about anything and everything related to sexual and nonsexual relationships.
Looking around the Academic Quad, over ten tables were filled with pamphlets, stickers, games and items such as condoms and sexual lubricant. Some tables, including Consent and Digital Footprint & Online Dating, had mini spinner wheels that invited students to think critically about topics related to boundaries and relationships in online spaces. Other tables provided interactive demonstrations, such as the Contraception and Boundary Borders tables, while others focused on games, including the Pride & Pleasure and Red Flags and Green Flags in Relationships tables.
Those that did not have mini games, like the Relationship Values and Boundary Borders tables, created engaging posters that posed questions for attendees to vote on by placing stickers in the category of their choice.
“The ideas for tables come from Peer Health Educators,” said Director of Community Health Promotion Rachel David. “They have a lot of conversations with fellow students, so they understand what information will be most helpful.”
Each table had an emphasis on sexual health – learning more about what makes a healthy relationship and how to protect oneself sexually while in a college environment. The contraception table, for instance, named multiple products one could use to prevent pregnancy. Examples of these included a contraceptive diaphragm, birth control pills and patches and a NuvaRing. David also gave a demonstration on how to correctly put on an external condom, using a prop and a volunteer from the watching students.
The abstinence table provided notebooks and pens, each pen providing an inspirational phrase such as “never give up.” The goal of this table was to define what abstinence is, not only as a term used in a sexual intimacy context, but also as a refraining from drugs, alcohol and more. To explain this concept, notecards were placed around the table with different activities one can abstain from, including gambling and drinking. Each card had a scenario in which someone would ask the other to partake in that activity. Response cards were provided to show examples of how students can get out of uncomfortable situations, such as offering an alternative activity or setting a specific boundary on what feels comfortable.
Some tables focused on broader ideas, such as a digital footprint. One’s digital footprint extends beyond what is posted online; private messages to a partner or friend can become public as well. Some of the main messages Peer Health Educator Jackson Schaeffer ’27 emphasized at his table were that one can never be too careful about what is posted online, and that staying safe is more important than being mean to someone in order to escape a situation.
“I just want them [students] to have confidence in their ability to know whether something is appropriate or not to post,” Schaeffer said. “I don’t necessarily mean appropriate in any given kind of way – just ‘would I want this being seen by other people?’ I want students to have that awareness that anything you post can be seen by others.”
Other tables were run by different College offices and officials, including Title IX and the Henry J. Copeland Interfaith Chaplain. The chaplain’s table was situated near other groups, such as the “I Came for Science” podcast and the reading group “Que(e)rying Nature.”Title IX, located on the other end of the tabling area, provided information on how to contact the office and how to report incidents on campus, including hazing, bias and care referrals. They also gave out pre-made bracelets with motivational words on them, such as “respect,” “creative” and “empowerment.” Other materials included cloth covers for drinks.
Erica Rau, the new Title IX coordinator for the College, spoke on her experience as a first-time attendee at the event. “I am already so pleasantly surprised and excited by the commitment of the students and their interest to support each other,” she said.
Returning tables shared similar sentiments. Hannah Reikowsky, Equity and Belonging program coordinator, said, “I think that it’s wonderful that [Sex on the Quad] is here, and that there are many participants and different organizations from the community as well … I think that this is a great opportunity for people to choose to come to and enjoy, and learn some new information.”
While event leaders began cleaning up at 5 p.m., attendees got to keep materials they picked up along the way and went home with more knowledge on sexual health and relationships.
“I hope that students gain a sense of safety in asking questions about sexual health, whether they’re active, inactive, or abstinent,” David said. “I want them to feel empowered to make choices that support their well-being, and know that the College and the larger Wooster community care about the health of students.”
To hear more about Peer Health events, follow their Instagram @wellness_at_wooster.