At its weekly meeting on Tuesday evening at Nordy’s Place, Student Government Board raised awareness about Sex Ed Week, which will take place from March 24-28.
Student Assistance Program Chair Ella O’Rourke discussed the purpose of Sex Ed Week, which is to spotlight and have open conversations surrounding sexual topics amongst students.
“Our main idea with Sex Ed Week is to decrease stigma around any sexual wellness for any sort of [identity] group,” O’Rourke said. “We’re also looking to uphold the resources here that are already present.”
O’Rourke described the Into the Sexualitiverse event, which will be held on March 26 on the 31st floor of the Cathedral of Learning.
“The basic purpose is to talk about what sex is and how the definition of sex can be different for many people and groups,” O’Rourke said. “We’ll talk about pleasure and sex for males, females and the basic anatomy of each. We’ll also talk about consent.”
Members of the Prevention Office will hold the Prevention Panel event on March 27. O’Rourke highlighted the office’s importance as a resource to any students who are facing or have faced sexual violence.
“It’s just creating a comfortable space where students feel safe and know that there’s a space they can go to,” O’Rourke said. “The Prevention Office is always open to any student that needs it.”
O’Rourke said she believes the panel event will be educational to many students, especially considering the stigma associated with experiencing and reporting sexual violence.
“Pitt is such a large university that it can be really overwhelming for students, and it can obviously be very hard to reach out and ask for help,” O’Rourke said. “[The panel] will provide guiding principles on how people can go to resources and what resources they should go to based on their situation.”
The Consent Carnival, which the Students Engaging in Conversations about Consent and Sexuality at Pitt will host in conjunction with SGB in the lower lounge of the WPU on March 28, will educate and encourage sex-positive attitudes towards students.
“It will be a great way for students to get to know all of the advocacy and sexual wellness clubs on campus. They’ll all be tabling there,” O’Rourke said. “It will be a really great event for education purposes.”
O’Rourke thinks that, at its core, Sex Ed Week is focused on “destigmatizing conversations about sex.”
“Sex is normal for everyone, and everyone deserves that sort of education,” O’Rourke said. “Sex education is not consistent, so the goal of Sex Ed Week for this year was to make it a thing that we carry on with for years to come.”
Allocations:
Men’s Club Volleyball requested $11,087.36 to attend a competition. The board amended and approved the request to $6,735.
Women’s Water Polo Club requested $4,690 for national dues. The board amended and approved this request to $3,940.
South Asian Student Association requested $9,433 to hold an event. The board approved this request in full.
Korean Student Association requested $6,030 to hold an event. The board approved this request in full.
Men’s Ultimate Frisbee requested $3,918.24 to attend a competition.The board approved this request in full.