In place of a typical Friday evening on frat row, the Sexual Awareness Peer Advisors have organized a street-wide event to fight rape on campus, giving away their ever-popular "Consensual Sex is HOT" T-Shirts.
The aim of the event is to teach students about consensual sex not through lectures, but through entertainment such as board games and inquiry wheels. To get the free T-Shirt, students will have to sign a contract explaining the meaning of consensual sex.
The high participation rate of the event's first incarnation last summer prompted SAPAs Aya Caldwell '06 and Carolyn Rooke '06 to host a repeat. However, these sophomores are making this year's event their own by focusing on individual awareness.
"Last year, there was a presentation at all Greek houses," Rooke said. "This time, there will be no sex speeches because we want each individual to understand the definition of consensual sex and familiarize themselves with Dartmouth's policy of handling date rape."
Although games and questionnaires add an entertainment value to the consensual sex campaign, the focus will be on each individual signing the contract. Written by James Redfield '06, the contract seeks to emphasize behavior that constitutes consensual sex and to promote a sex-abuse-free environment. Student signatures on the contract will be the main criteria for receiving a T-shirt.
In contrast to traditional presentations regarding sexual assault, event organizers decided to take an unconventional approach to date rape on campus, which they believe will prove more effective. Few students typically attend statistical presentations, and those attendees tend to consist of those already educated on the issue. Instead, the hope is that a free event combining values of entertainment and education will embrace a larger community.
"Rather than having a lecture, we wanted a light event for people to enjoy themselves while still supporting consensual sex," Caldwell said. "Sexual abuse is a touchy subject for both men and women, but approaching date rape in a light-hearted way exposes a different community."
Headed by SAPA Coordinator Abby Tassel, the committee that organized the evening sought financial support for the event during the late Spring and the early Summer terms.
Every Greek organization provided a form of support for the event, through monetary funds, cooking for fundraising barbecues or volunteering to help on Friday.
Throughout the academic year, SAPA members have run media literacy programs, promoting how the media fosters sexual abuse through speaking to high school visitors, professor lectures and documentaries.
Although the event may have garnered a larger audience during the academic year, weather constraints and funding limits would have limited its effectiveness.
Organizers also argued that smaller attendance allows for deeper unification and word of mouth to reach a larger population.
"We see the summer as an opportunity to send a greater message to a limited number of people on campus," Rooke said. "The event is individualized, embracing awareness through positive aspects of consent policy. It is simply more difficult to reach each individual if there are more people."
