USU administration restricts activities at sexual education event

On Oct. 19, the Living Learning Community residential student area on Utah State University’s campus planned to hold an event called Sex in the Dark — which was created to discuss safe and consensual sex in a “fun, comfortable setting” — but it didn’t go as planned.

The morning of the event, university administration received several complaints from students and their parents.  Dwight Davis, USU’s associate vice president for business and finance, said the complainants believed some of the activities were “inappropriate.”

The activities included breast-shaped cupcakes, a demonstration displaying how to properly use a condom and an orgasm sound contest. Hours before the event, however, university administration insisted these be removed from the event.

Davis said the listed activities were dismissed because he and other university officials were concerned about the potential messages they portrayed.

“We want to make sure everything we do is not perceived in a way that would distract from a particularly serious topic,” Davis said.

However, several students disagreed.

“In light of all the sexual assault cases that have rocked USU lately, I think having this event be uncensored is really important,” said Rachel Jones, a USU student and attendee of the event.

Other “disgruntled” students, who were not original coordinators of the event, set up a table outside the Living Learning Community and showed students how to place condoms on cucumbers.

“People need the full education,” said Darren Bingham, a student participating in this act.

After administration stepped in, the event included only a panel composed of housing staff members and representatives from local clubs and organizations to answer questions submitted by attendees. The questions ranged from safe and consensual sex

to the different forms and labels of sexuality.

Multiple clubs, including Students for Choice and I Am That Girl, attended the event because they felt it was important to “create a safe place for students to talk about sex,” said Whitney Howard, an English major and a member of the Students for Choice club.

Rachel Jones, a student studying journalism and communication, expressed concern that USU students were not getting a full education about sexual topics.

“In light of all the sexual assault cases that have rocked USU lately, I think having this event be uncensored is really important,” she said.

Whitney Howard, a student studying English and an event participant, said she was upset about the way the “censoring” was handled.

“The organizers weren’t allowed to post on social media about what happened at their meeting because they could potentially lose their jobs,” she said.

An employee of the Living Learning Community and an organizer of the event, confirmed she would have been fired for talking to media or telling other students about the details of the way the event was handled.

But USU Spokesman Tim Vitale said he believes it’s a mistake to call this censorship on any level.

“The concept of honoring the free-speech rights of students is paramount to us, and we would never attempt to stop any individual or group from expressing themselves,” he said.

Ashley Waddoups, Utah State University Student Association president, said although she thinks the planners of the event had “good intentions,” she was concerned with the explicitness originally planned for.

“I am confident that the individuals that planned this event had good intentions; however, I think they crossed the line in how we should be discussing this issue. There is a right and a wrong way to go about giving the message of sexual assault prevention,” she said in a statement.

Throughout the night, an estimated 300 people attended the event.

Regardless of the changes, attendees said they still enjoyed the night.

“The fact that so many people came together and were able to interact is really great,” said Brianne Johnson, a junior with no declared major.