Campuses host sex rules event

Students had the opportunity to participate in a campus conversation about consent and relationships during an event titled “Sex Rules: Creating a Culture of Respect and Consent.”

The program took place on March 10 from 7–8 p.m. in Alumnae Hall at CSB and is part of the campuses’ Know. Act. Prevent. initiative.

The program focused on topics such as consent, healthy relationships and respectful communication.

The session was designed to be interactive, giving students an opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion rather than simply listening to presentation.

Programs centered on consent and communication are commonly hosted at colleges and universities as part of broader efforts to promote student well-being and safety.

Adam Beyt, who teaches contemporary theology and ethics, said events like this help expand on ideas students may already have about respect and boundaries.

“On a basic level it’s helping to expand upon the baseline of what folks already have an understanding of,” Beyt said. “It also helps students understand how situations can be more complex and clouded.”

Beyt added that conversations about consent often connect to real experiences within communities.

“Students are beyond just statistics,” Beyt said. “Many people know someone who knows someone who has experienced sexual assault.”

A Google Form distributed to students at CSB and SJU showed that awareness of the upcoming program varied among respondents.

Of the 33 students who completed the survey, 25 said they were not aware that the event was scheduled to take place.

Four respondents said they had seen information about the event but did not know much about it, while four said they had heard about the program.

While awareness differed, respondents generally agreed on the importance of discussing consent on college campuses.

29 students described conversations about consent and healthy relationships as “very important,” while four respondents said they were “somewhat important.”

Student interest in attending the event itself was mixed.

13 respondents said they were not very likely to attend a program like this, while others said they were somewhat likely, unsure or very likely to attend.

Students interviewed about the event also shared a range of perspectives on consent programming on campus.

Charlotte Johnson, a CSB sophomore psychology major with an intended global health minor, said she first heard about the event while seeing upcoming campus activities displayed on a screen in the Fireside Lounge.

Johnson said programs about consent are often intended to create opportunities for discussion among students.

“In theory, it’s about open discussion and dialogue,” Johnson said.

She also said workshops about consent may not always reach the people who most need the information.

“A workshop about consent is not actually reaching the people who need to learn about consent,” Johnson said.

However, Johnson added that conversations about communication and boundaries can still provide students with useful information.

“I think students can learn to set harder boundaries, and that consent should be enthusiastic, freely given and can always be taken back,” Johnson said.

Courtney Goude, a CSB senior majoring in sociology and gender studies and co-president of the campus Body Positivity Club, said conversations about consent should happen regularly on college campuses.

When asked how often she sees these discussions taking place, Goude said she believes they could happen more frequently.

“[These discussions] are not happening as often as they should,” Goude said.

Goude also said discussions about consent and boundaries can influence how students understand respectful relationships.

“Everyone should learn how to respect boundaries,” Goude said. “No means no, and if you can’t say no then it’s not consent.”

Beyt said events such as “Sex Rules: Creating a Culture of Respect and Consent” aim to create a space for students, faculty and staff to discuss topics related to communication, boundaries and relationships.

Through conversation and dialogue, he said programs like this encourage students to explore how respect and consent shape interactions within the campus community.