<ple are sexy. Consent is sexiest,” reads the caption on the booklets handed out in the most recent Healthy Communities and Relationships dinner. Now in its second year, HCR, an initiative of the Gender and Sexuality Center, hosted a dinner on Sept. 21 to explore changes to the “Not On Our Campus” program and to further the discussion concerning dating and relationships at Carleton.
Over the summer, the GSC’s presentation to new students saw some changes, reflective of a wider shift in the approach to sexuality on campus. Now known as “Doing It Right,” the presentation aims to highlight and promote positive experiences and relationships, rather than solely condemn bad ones.
“Doing It Right is an attempt to include a broader range of relationship experiences, as well as moving the discussion about sexuality to include how students can actively establish healthy and respectful relationships,” Kendall Bills ’13, a GSC associate said.
Like its predecessor, “Doing It Right” is also centered on the personal experiences of current students, ranging from relationships to one-night stands. However, it now seeks to broaden its material to include positive experiences that students have, in addition to the already-existing ones, exploring the impact of sexual violence on students. These changes were made in order to explore sexuality in a more positive light.
Using surveys sent to students over the summer, the new program was compiled, reflecting a range of experiences and highlighting positive interactions between students on campus. “We wanted to inform new students about the Sexual Misconduct Policies and share advice from other students about how to have healthy, consensual relationships,” said Karen Williamsen, Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center. “It is a chance for us to talk about the kind of community and personal relationships we want…instead of just talking about what we don’t want,” she added.
The Wednesday HCR Dinner presented information from this new programming – including survey results used to compile the program – to the larger Carleton community. “The survey results are amazing – funny, witty, sometimes awkward and very real,” said Williamsen, “making for a fun, informative, and worthwhile HCR dinner and discussion.”