Sex is everywhere. This week, Northwestern students will have the chance to get in on the action during NU’s third annual Sex Week.
The event was founded by Weinberg senior Stella Fayman and other members of College Feminists in 2007 to provide an open forum for the discussion of sexuality at NU. Last year, more than 1,000 people attended Sex Week events.
While Sex Week is intended to be a series of provocative events, the goal is to keep the events educational and thought-provoking, not “raunchy,” Fayman said.
College Feminists also tried to strike a balance between “fun and intellect” when organizing the events, said co-founder and Director Natasha Matusova.
Though there has been some criticism regarding Sex Week’s advertising slogans such as “It’s coming… are you?” and “Let’s get it on,” Matusova said the slogans have been the key to Sex Week’s popularity on campus.
“Provocative is our favorite word,” the SESP senior said. “The slogans are meant to be fun and catch your attention.”
Wednesday’s Sexual Health and Assault Resource Fair is a Sex Week staple, but all of the week’s other events are new this year, organizers said. Sexual Health and Assault Peer Education is one of more than 25 groups presenting at the fair.
Kacey Albertine, SHAPE’s co-chairwoman of presentations, said she expects the event to be more successful than in past years.
“It’s a really tactful and professional way to get the conversation going and get sexual assault out there so that students really get involved,” the Weinberg junior said.
Journalist Daniel Bergner will deliver the week’s keynote speech. The Thursday night presentation, “The Other Side of Desire,” will “explore alternative forms of sexual lust and longing.”
Though Sex Week is sponsored by the College Feminists, Fayman said the events are not just intended to target women, but people of all genders and sexual orientations. For example, Monday night’s “Rock Her World” event will offer tips for men on how to better please female sex partners.
“(Sex Week) is not a provocation to go have sex, but it is intended to expand intellectual understanding of sex,” Matusova said. “We want to appeal to the broad range of sexual experience.”
Music and Weinberg junior Katie Belleville said Sex Week is especially important for a college campus given the level of sexual activity and risk among students.
“We’re an open enough school that we can talk about sex,” she said.
Over the course of the week, sex will be approached from sociological, psychological and religious perspectives – the events also include student performance groups in a “Sex Showcase” and a question-and-answer session with a sex expert.
Fayman said the week’s events uphold Sex Week’s original mission.
“It is very sex-positive, but has no political or religious agenda,” she said. “(Sex Week) has evolved a great deal in terms of size and effect, but not in terms of vision.”
