‘Sex week’ strives to inform students

Alicia Balog
October 27, 2012

People talk about condoms. People hand out condoms. People wear condoms — as dresses.

As part of Kent Interhall Council’s annual Sex Week, a week of programs about sex, students will do all of these things.

Danielle Melidona, vice president for programming and development for KIC, organized the events. She said she wanted to focus more on the educational aspect of Sex Week.

“You have a captive audience for all the events,” said Melidona. “So if we’re able to educate students and have them walk away with something they didn’t know before, I think that will be our goal.”

Melidona, junior communication studies major, said she organized some traditional events — such as the drag show — but also planned some new programs for students to attend.

“I encourage students this week to try something different, learn something new,” she said.

The kick-off event for the week is Condom Couture, a fashion show Monday night that KIC co-sponsored with FACE-AIDS. Melidona said all of the clothing is completely made out of condoms.

Amy Knip, sophomore early childhood education major, didn’t participate in the events last year but said she thinks it would be interesting to see the fashion show.

“You don’t see dresses out of condoms very often,” Knip said.

Melidona said the annual drag show is usually on Thursdays but was scheduled to be on Halloween this year.

A new program this year, “50 Shades of Gray,” is for women only. KIC is bringing Pure Romance, a sex toy company, to participate in the event, Melidona said.

“There will be a ‘Jeopardy’-like aspect to the program,” Melidona said. “We have a board of questions pertaining to the book, also pertaining to other sex facts.”

The annual Sextoberfest is a resource fair where the residence hall councils present educational booths that promote sexual health, she said.

Gabrielle Jutte, sophomore communications major, worked at the “Trojan Explosion” booth at Sextoberfest last year. This year, she is working at Centennial Court C and D’s booth about keeping it classy with Marilyn Monroe.

“Our education is about body image,” Jutte said. It will include posters and handouts and photos with a person dressed up as Marilyn Monroe.

Jutte said her high school didn’t teach much about sex education so Sex Week surprised her.

“Sex was not talked about at all,” Jutte said. “I was like ‘What is this? What? Is this real?’ After going to some of the events last year, I think overall it is a fun way to include sex education into Kent State’s campus.”