Differing Accounts
By Xenia Markowitt, Director, Center for Women & Gender Studies
Published on Friday, February 25, 2005
To the Editor:
I am writing to clarify some points in "Sex Festival planners nix Chi Gam booth" (Feb. 24). Sex Festival participants are recruited from a list of student organizations that is provided to us by Student Affairs that includes names of organizations, students and other advisors. CFS organizations did appear not on that list, so, under a separate invitation, CFS houses were asked to bake cookies and to contact Wade Meyer if they might be interested in additional "booth" participation -- and a few booth ideas were given.
Chi Gam expressed interest in one of the ideas called "Kiss Me Here Please." In our staff meeting, we discussed festival participation by many groups, including Chi Gam, and we concluded that the booth idea in question for them might serve to undermine what they were telling us were their "efforts to change their reputation." We wanted to help Chi Gam think about what might be involved in changing their reputation in this context and to give them the opportunity to "encourage safe and consensual sex" by participating in the Sex Festival in a positive and affirming way. We were concerned the booth choice might not achieve those ends.
Wade Meyer suggested that he and the Chi Gam rep, Will Olivos sit down and talk about the concerns and alternative ways for the group to participate. Olivos had expressed an interest to cosponsor the booth with a sorority, and after Tri-Delt declined their invitation to do so, we did not hear from Olivos nor anyone else at Chi Gam, and we came to the conclusion they were no longer interested in participating in the festival.