The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: North Coast Rape Crisis

  • Sexland promotes enthusiastic consent and validation for all 

    by Lidia Grande-Ruiz

    Originally printed April 26, 2023

    On April 15, Sexland came onto campus. Sexland is an event that focuses on exposure to new ways of thinking about sex and sexuality, while also validating sexual experiences and diversity through a lens of enthusiastic consent. The event is put on every spring semester by the Peer Health Education Program and Check-It. 

    “[The] main goal of Sexland is to create a safe and sexual experience for everyone,” says Shelby Shull, an intern at Peer Health and Education.

    Many different clubs and organizations such as Planned Parenthood, North Coast Rape Crisis Center, Students for Violence Prevention, The Trans Task Force, Women’s Resource Center and Eric Rofes Multiculture Queer Resource Center were present at the event. 

    Each community group at the event had a table where students participated in arts and crafts and got information on resources about contraceptives, free condoms, or information on the community groups resources and how to get involved.

    A booth by Planned Parenthood offered pamphlets on contraceptives, along with free lube and condoms.

    The Eric Rofes Queer Resources Center was there to provide various resources for the queer community, such as where to find gender neutral bathrooms or information about the queer library and how/when to access it.

    “This is a great event to show off trans resources,” said Landon White, Outreach Director for the center. 

    “Our center is all about creating a safe space on campus for queer people,” said Art Wardynski, Volunteer & Resource Director. 

    Some people were shy, but sex positivity was everywhere you looked. Everyone was very welcoming which helped calm down the anxiety nerves. Students were asking questions and getting involved in activities like naming the right body part, what is this sex position, etc. 

    There was a long line for a table where people stood wrapped in bondage ropes. They learned about bondage and how to have fun/experiment like chest ties, heart shaped thighs, etc.

    “It’s a really good opportunity for people to get a comfortable experience,” explains Sierra Cosper, who was running the bondage table. “There are a lot of ways to hurt yourself, so that’s why I am handing out pamphlets for everyone to get more informed”. 

    Winners of the raffle received a variety of prizes–from vibrators to books, rainbow embroidered cum-rags, butt plugs, heart crops, vibrators controlled by your phone, finger flogger, to non sex toy prizes like couples diary, exploring trans and queer identities book, a penis shaped neck pillow and so much more.

    Disclaimer: Alana Hackman works at the Peer Health Education Center and was involved in this event.

  • HSU takes back the night

    HSU takes back the night

    By Charlotte Rutigliano

    Students, faculty and members of the community came out to the Kate Buchanan Room this past Friday to show their support for survivors of sexualized violence.

    One student who came out to show support was graduate student Irene Vasquez.

    “I think it’s wonderful that the university cares about the students and is spreading awareness like this,”  Vasquez said.

    The university has been the host of the take back the night events since the mid-1980’s. Take Back the Night was co-sponsored by the North Coast Rape Crisis team and the Women’s Resource Center.

    Paula Arrowsmith-Jones, Community Outreach Coordinator for the North Coast Rape Crisis Team,  said that these events have been going on since the 1970s but have been held on and off campus since the mid-1980s.

    “Back in the 70s women were told not to go certain places at night without a male chaperone,” Arrowsmith-Jones said. “Because if something happened it fell on the women. These events were created to reclaim everyone’s right to go somewhere and not get hurt.”

    According to Arrowsmith-Jones, it’s important for the university to hold events like this because there is so much shame, secrecy and denial that surrounds sexualized violence, it’s about raising awareness for those who don’t think it happens. CFR69 - TBTN 1

    Take back the night student coordinator and graduate student Ariel Fishkin said we are living in a rape supported society, where individuals are taught that “rape culture” is okay and where victim blaming is too common.

    “I have experience with sharing,” Fishkin said. “People don’t realize that it’s a systemic thing that’s why we have these events.”

    Take Back the Night was part of a week long event to let survivors know that they are believed. The week long event took place during sexual assault awareness month.

    “Sexual violence is so prevalent,” Arrowsmith-Jones said “we want to show people affected that they are supported, we have counselors at all the events to help.”

    The university does have a lot of student activism with Check It, Peer Health Education, and the Women’s Resource Center. Fishkin hopes to continue to bring awareness to this issue as a campus to the community.  

    Sophomore zoology major Katie Marks said it is amazing that the university is doing this because she knows people who have experienced sexualized violence and she wants to be a part of the change for a world without violence.

    “Hopefully this will inspire other universities and communities to change too,” Marks said.