Tomorrow, Greek houses and other student groups will come together to host the College's annual Consent Day to raise awareness of sexual assault and other sexual health concerns. Naturally, we welcome the chance for open, productive dialogue about these issues, and we hope that the houses and clubs involved will use this opportunity to its fullest potential.
If there was anything missing from last year's event, it was not creativity. Students attending Consent Day 2010 could partake in a wide variety of activities, ranging from "pin the clit on the vulva" to "sex position Twister" ("Students learn about consent issues," Aug. 24). The organizers of the event said they hoped to address topics like consent in a more lighthearted, open manner, breaking through some of the taboos that often cloud discussions about sexual health.
Sex and sexuality are things that should be discussed openly, even celebrated. Frank conversations about sex are necessary as part of any overall attempt to improve student sexual health and yes, maybe a dildo ring toss is one way to further that conversation.
What confuses us, however, is the supposed connection between amusing sex games and actual consent. Simply talking about sex does not constitute talking about sexual assault. By shifting the focus from issues of consent to activities that seem to merely celebrate and promote sex itself, we worry that last year's event may have missed the mark in constructively promoting awareness of sexual violence.
Everyone knows the issue cannot and should not be trivialized. It is a serious problem that requires thoughtful discussion and action. If Consent Day is truly about consent, its activities should include honest, direct consideration of consent, not just sex-themed parlor games.
We admire the efforts of those organizing Consent Day to open up the campus dialogue, as this is not an easy issue to address. Many Greek houses are understandably confused as to how their booths should approach consent in a lighthearted, "fun" way. But maybe consent just isn't a fun subject. Maybe carnival games can be reserved for an equally important discussion about healthy sexuality, with a campus-wide focus on treating consent and sexual assault like the serious problems they are.
Maybe another forum would better address issues of consent. This spring, the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble, Soul Scribes and other performance groups put on the "Sides of Sex" show, which approached the issue creatively , while still acknowledging its seriousness. Ideally, efforts to increase sexual assault awareness should look more like this certainly not something for dry, preachy lectures, but still a subject that deserves considerable weight.
Humor is often a good way to make normally taboo subjects easier to approach, but humor should supplement the conversation, not define it. As students partake in this year's Consent Day, they should keep in mind the true seriousness of sexual assault. The problem is simply too real to do otherwise.
