UNC Students talk sexual taboos

Talking about a subject that is traditionally uncomfortable, students put an interesting twist on a classic board game, Taboo.

Students played a sexual health-themed Taboo at an event promoting awareness and knowledge on about sex Thursday night.

Project Dinah and Campus Wellness hosted “Sexual Health: College Edition” in conjunction with Interactive Theatre Carolina.

Madelyn Frumkin, co-chairwoman of Project Dinah, said the group provides a student perspective to Campus Wellness.

She said the UNC Board of Governors felt that “Orgasm? Yes, Please!,” a past event, was too focused on pleasure, not sexual health.

The Board of Governors cited “Orgasm? Yes, Please!” as a misallocation of fees in May when it approved a budget cut to UNC Campus Health.

“Our partnership with Wellness is going to have to continue to involve because of the constraints they’re working under, and they want to be able to function and still reach students,” Frumkin said.

Interactive Theatre Carolina performed “The Condom Negotiation Scene” and offered audience members the chance to offer ideas about how to approach the topic of contraception.

“Sometimes it’s difficult in the moment, especially if it’s the moment, to make that decision,” said Amy Burtaine, Interactive Theatre Carolina coordinator.

Frumkin said Interactive Theatre Carolina is an effective tool to get students involved.

“They have partnered with us in the past, and we wanted to keep them involved, have them act out some scenarios,” she said. “They’re always funny and entertaining.”

The groups discussed Title IX, pointing to the newly required online training as something that is a good starting point for sexual assault prevention but could be more personalized by UNC.

In a poll at the event, 12 students said they’d already completed the mandatory training and five students said they had not yet completed it but plan to.

“It’s good just to get a view of the policy and know what’s going on, especially if you’re in a situation where you want to help a friend,” Frumkin said.

Senior Jasmine Wiggins said the event helped break down the awkward barriers that prevent people from talking about sex.

“Where I’m from, it’s hard to talk about issues like this or topics about sex,” Wiggins said. “You kind of just have to figure it out on your own.”

She said the game of Taboo was her favorite part of the event.

”It was surprising how hard it was not to use certain slang terms and use technical terms for sexual things, or the medical terms for different things,” she said.

Frumkin said the event was a success, and student responses to the activities were positive.

“I’m graduating, but I hope the group will continue to do something like this,” she said.

university@dailytarheel.com