Consentfest

Hundreds of students enjoyed food, games, and other entertainment while learning about resources and participating in positive conversations around consent and safe sex during Consentfest on Nov. 5.

“Consentfest is a college-wide festival celebrating consent and safe sex. This event has been happening on campus for many years and has allowed our community to join together in order to destigmatize, normalize, and bring a lighthearted enjoyment to conversations around consent and safe sex,” explained Maya Croissant ’22, a Skidmore peer health educator, who helped organize this year’s event.

The gathering had a festival-like atmosphere with activities ranging from carnival games and raffles to performances by student groups, including the Skidmore Dynamics.

Each peer health education committee had a table to promote healthy sexual relations, communication, consent, and safe sex, and to offer other creative resources affirming the importance of safe, healthy, and consensual sexual encounters. The nutrition and fitness committee, for instance, handed out chocolate-covered strawberries and brochures that they researched, designed, and distributed about sexual health. Information was made available about contraceptive products and other topics.

“The overall idea is that consent shouldn’t be scary — that you can ask in creative and clear ways,” said Wendy Walker, prevention specialist in the Office of Health Promotion. “We want to express that consent is a necessary and required aspect of relations at Skidmore.”

Students were also able to explore a variety of additional resources available to them, including those offered by Wellspring, the domestic violence and sexual assault services resource in Saratoga County.