The Bowdoin Orient

Today marks the end of the annual "Consent is Sexy" week, which united students who advocate for racial, sexual, and gender diversity at the College. There have been numerous student panels and awareness events.

This week is one of just many events that occur on campus to promote sexual health and discussion at Bowdoin: others include Anything But Straight in Athletics and Out Week. In general, the effects of such initiatives are fairly widespread—they are often topics of conversation in the dining halls and the actual programs are reasonably well attended.

This level of student involvement is due to a number of factors, but prominent among them is the number of outlets for gender and sexual issues on campus. The Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity has a legitimate role here. It is inspiring that such a large number of students are involved in sexual awareness initiatives through groups such as Safe Space, BMASV, V-Day, V-Space, BQSA, Out Allies, Out Peers and others.

While some may feel that gender and sexual education here is incessant, they ought to realize it is necessary. What we must remember is that we are lucky. There are plenty of colleges and universities in this country that do not offer nearly the services that Bowdoin provides. We should not overlook the presence of these organizations and try to take advantage of them while we are here—they may not be as readily available once we leave.