Oberlin’s Safer Sex Night Faces Redesign, Revamp

Amid rumors that Safer Sex Night is no more, the Sexual Information Center still plans to hold a scantily-clad dance party in the ’Sco during the second week of November. However, SIC has made adjustments to the event to try and better highlight its educational qualities.

According to SIC co-chair and College senior Olimpia Lee, SIC is organizing a Safer Sex Week as opposed to a Safer Sex Night. “We are having workshops and educational activities throughout the week and a ‘no-pants dance party’ celebration to kind of culminate the end of the week of education,” Lee said.

Although educational workshops and talks preceded previous Safer Sex Nights, SIC is now requiring students to attend at least one non-party activity in order to buy a ticket to the dance party. “That is an extra step that we are taking to ensure that people are actually getting some education,” Lee said.

SIC also decided to reduce the size of this year’s dance party in response to complaints that the event has been overcrowded and worries that it exceeds fire capacity. According to Lee, the dance party’s capacity is 680. This year’s party will also cover less physical space, encompassing only the ’Sco, DeCafé and the bottom hallway of Wilder.

SIC discussed canceling the party altogether after last year’s event, when heavily intoxicated students vomited during the party and booed SIC workers when they performed educational skits. “Last year was a complete mess,” Lee said, “Probably Safer Sex Night at its worst.”

Chris Baymiller, SIC’s faculty advisor, believes that alcohol-related problems come partially from not selling alcohol at the dance party. “If we eliminate beer, then people tend to pre-party, and when people tend to pre-party, they tend to utilize liquor as opposed to beer,” Baymiller said. He also said that alcohol had been served during the party in previous years without any serious issues.

This is not the first time that Safer Sex Night has changed. According to Baymiller, the “tent of consent,” a controversial activity during which individuals entered a tent for two minutes of activity, after they had a dialogue that ensured both parties understood each other’s intentions, was “done away with by College lawyers about five years ago.” Pornographic films are also no longer projected onto walls during the party.

SIC is optimistic about the new changes to this year’s event. “It will hopefully be a more pleasurable experience,” Lee said.