SexPowerGod went smoothly this year due to new planning initiatives, with fewer students than last year requiring Emergency Medical Services. Nine students were transported by EMS for alcohol intoxication this year, compared to 13 last year, wrote Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, in an email to The Herald.
Though the number of students who needed EMS decreased from last year, it was still higher than in past years. Only five students needed EMS in 2009 and 2010, Klawunn wrote.
The decrease from last year accompanied several new planning initiatives by event coordinators.
This year marked the first time the Queer Alliance dance committee made students sign the event's rules while waiting in line for tickets, said Kelly Garrett, coordinator of the LGBTQ Center. The rules - which did not change from last year - forbade bags, cameras, phones and recording devices, emphasized consent and prohibited "explicit sexual activity."
The reason behind having students sign the rules was to ensure that people actually read them, said Pom Bunsermvicha '16, who was in charge of publicity for SPG. "When students sign them, they make more of a commitment to following them," she added.
Students told The Herald they were earnest about reading and signing the rules.
"I read the rules ... because I wanted to know what I was getting into," said Sarah Dominguez '14. "Besides, they were short," she added.
"I read all of the rules before going, and I took them seriously," said Ian Garrity '16, who took pictures for and created the SPG posters.
Event planners also made sure party managers received more training this year, Garrett said. "In the past, party managers would say, 'How do I know if something's consensual or not?' so we explained consent at a meeting and made the party managers' roles and responsibilities clear," she said.
This year students supervising the event were move active in enforcement, said Elisa Glubok '14, who attended SPG this year and two years ago.
The number of Campus Life staff members assessing students' intoxication also increased from two to three this year, Garrett said, adding that this decision was not in response to a particular incident.
"The process for checking students in line was to walk up the line. I tried to make eye contact with students and speak with them," wrote Timothy Shiner, director of Student Activities, in an email to The Herald. The staff asked students who were "stumbling, slurring or unable to focus" to leave the line with a friend, get something to eat and come back when they were sober, Shiner wrote. Students who were heavily intoxicated were taken to the EMS station inside for further monitoring, he wrote. The EMS station consisted of a curtained-off area where EMS staff assessed students' intoxication, Garrett said.
Students said the visible presence of Campus Life staff and other personnel at SPG gave them a sense of security.
"I did feel safe. It felt like there were a lot of chaperones standing around. There were a lot of DPS and party managers," Dominguez said.
"I definitely felt taken care of," Garrity said. "I felt safe being there, and I felt like the party was in good hands."
