Sex Week has a history of hogging the camera.
With all the media attention the event has garnered in the past, from open condemnation from the Tennessee legislature to the antics of former state Sen. Stacey Campfield, it isn’t surprising that other universities in the state took notice.
East Tennessee State University held its first annual Sex Week this past February, despite being denied nearly $10,000 in funding from the student senate amid fears of controversy. The decision could in part be attributed to fears of possible state legislation changing how student activity fees are allocated, a threat that loomed over UT until the university initiated the opt-in, opt-out activity fee structure in 2014.
For Kathryn Travis, an ETSU senior and Sex Week organizer, the path to Sex Week’s completion is a testament to student support. Admitting mixed receptions from both students and faculty, Travis said she feels the students of the Johnson City university don’t always get the credit they deserve.
“We knew we had our challenges with the area we were in, but we also knew that our students were more than willing and able to handle this information,” Travis said. “Sometimes we come from very rural areas, but we really do want to learn.”
Held for three days rather than a full week, ETSU’s Sex Week featured talks ranging from STI prevention to religious-based discussions on sexuality. Recognizing the controversy the event inspired, Travis said she hopes to include the community in future Sex Week events rather than alienating them.
“You have to respect everyone,” Travis said. “You just have to say ‘Yes we understand your concerns, but we would never force anyone to participate or force any ideals upon anyone.’”
To the south of Knoxville, UT Chattanooga is in the early stages of planning its own form of Sex Week for this November.
Still in the process of allocating funds and dealing with university administration, UTC junior and Sex Week organizer Sally Buice said she recognizes a need for such an event in Chattanooga.
Amidst a federal investigation of UTC officials’ alleged mishandling of sexual harassment allegations, Buice said she hopes to inspire change in what she sees as a complacent student body.
“Our campus doesn’t have a lot of activism going on, it’s definitely less than UTK,” Buice said of UTC’s approximately 10,000 undergraduate students. “It just seems like there are a lot of students who aren’t involved.”
As part of the team helping to facilitate Sex Week at UTC, Nickie Hackenbrack, a UTK senior and co-chair of Sex Week, sees the spread of sexual education across the state as a sign of progress.
“In schools in Tennessee, sex education is strictly abstinence-only, which means that students who want to engage in sexual activity at any point in their lives don’t have necessary information,” Hackenbrack said. “Sex Week is necessary at every school in Tennessee for that reason, but Sex Weeks are also necessary nationwide.”
