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4th-annual Sex Faire shows consent, more
By Alison Herget
Collegian Staff Writer
Strawberries lavishly coated in whipped cream. Chocolate-covered cherries. Tantalizing Twizzlers.
Nearly 300 students were enticed into Waring Commons study lounge Saturday night for an evening of erotic food tasting, seductive game playing and informative sexual education programming.
The events were part of the fourth annual Sex Faire, co-sponsored by Womyn's Concerns and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance.
"There are no scientifically proven aphrodisiacs, besides alcohol," said Molly Zuckerman, Womyn's Concerns member. "But myths say these foods are supposed to make you sexually aroused."
Other games were more physical -- and vocal -- in nature.
"Right hand -- breast," the announcer called out as three students scrambled to place their hands on the correct words on the playing mat during a game of "Sexual Twister." The mat contained other words like "tongue" and "coochie," and was designed to get people to talk openly about sexual terms, Zuckerman said.
Meanwhile, faint moans and light chuckling could be heard from the corner of the room as a student won a game of "Orgasm Bingo." Upon winning, players were encouraged to imitate an orgasm.
But the events weren't all fun and games.
Workshops on body image, presented by the Center for Psychological Services (CAPS), probed further into more serious issues of sexual health and addressed topics like how eating disorders affect sexual activity.
"In our society, there's such a stigma placed on issues of sexual health," said Jennifer Elliott, Womyn's Concerns co-director. "And a lot of the time, it has to do with parents telling their young children that it's so taboo."
Various informational tables addressed students' concerns regarding sexually transmitted diseases. A table sponsored by the AIDS Project, 315 S. Allen St., offered free literature, AIDS/HIV risk-assessment surveys, and condoms.
Other tables warranted a less-than-orgasmic reaction from students.
"Ew, that's really gross," said Steve Mak (sophomore-math education) as he viewed graphic depictions of the symptoms of gonorrhea, herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The pictures were part of an informational display sponsored by the Microbiology Club, which also allowed individuals to play a game of "STD Match-up" by correctly matching the sexually transmitted disease with its symptoms.
The event also aimed to educate students about consent, sexual assault and rape. Contraceptive information, to advise students on how to reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy, was provided by Planned Parenthood.
This year's event did not stir up the controversy it did in previous years. During the Sex Faire in Spring Semester 2001, former Rep. John Lawless (D-Montgomery) filmed the event and protested its sexual content by threatening to cut university funding.
Some students appreciated the playful atmosphere and thought the event was particularly successful because it took place in a youthful environment.
"In college, [sex] sometimes becomes more of a contest and less of a relationship," said J.T. Letowski (sophomore-accounting).
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