Students who used the bathrooms in Carson Hall and Earl Complex had a surprise last week. Newsletters had been posted in the bathroom stalls, providing leisure-time reading for people doing their business.
The newsletters, titled “Sex Installments,” encourage communication about sexual issues among students to help end sexual violence and encourage healthy sexual decisions.
“In a hallway, no one is going to stop and read it,” said Shanna McGowan, a University freshman who is a member of a group of seven students who oversee the project. “It works because people are sitting there and not going anywhere.”
The group that created it consists of students from the Earl Complex who write and put together the content. Abigail Leeder, adviser for the Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team, and Margo Schaefer, the community outreach director for Womenspace, oversee the project.
The newsletter is funded by the Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campus Program, a part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Boldly stated in the newsletter and on the group’s shirts, the group’s motto, “If you can do it, you can talk about it,” sums up Sex Installment’s purpose.
Much of the content comes from asking questions of University freshmen. Sometimes direct quotes are used, other times the project leaders gauge freshmen’s main concerns in their sex lives and use that as inspiration for future content.
Group member Krista Hansen said the project aims to make people comfortable with talking about sex.
Next week’s issue addresses sexual assault. While it demystifies misconceptions about sexual assault and rape, the issue also incorporates humor to lighten the seriousness of such personal issues, Hansen said. The issue states that one of the myths is “Cheap cologne will get you all the action.”
The group spoke about how the words “sexual assault” scare students, but it remains a pertinent topic, especially on college campuses, where risks of rape and sexual assault are higher. Schaefer noted that many colleges, unlike the University, disregard and bury information about sexual violence and make it difficult for students to report incidences. Womenspace, a Eugene organization that aims to end domestic violence, also receives a justice department grant for the project.
“Most people think it will not ever happen to them,” Schaefer said. “People don’t have any idea how wide the scope is.”
The group is a community-engagement project, “created by students for students,” Schaefer said.
Group members ask various freshmen questions such as “Do you think sexual assault could happen to you?” and “How do you say ‘no’?” and allow students to read anecdotes and factual bits from peers.
The first issue of the newsletter came out last week with quotes from freshmen. Body language was the topic.
The newsletter, which comes out once every two weeks, always includes a “Wouldn’t you like to know?” column with one-line statements on concerns that often muddle the minds of sexually involved students.
“How many erections does your average teenage boy have?” Schaefer joked as they brainstormed next week’s column.
Later this month, the issue will cover consent, providing both young men and women different options for saying “no” in tough or alcohol-involved situations.