Saeed Husain
Chief Copy Editor
At the beginning of this month, the proposed logo for “Sex Ed Week 2017” was rejected by Student Activities.
As a result of the decision, the group was prevented from using the logo on all official promotional materials for the event.
K(no)w is a student-run organization whose purpose is “to bring awareness to and fight against the effects of rape culture, as well as to foster sexual respect at The College of Wooster.”
In order to receive funding to promote the event, k(no)w met with director of Lowry Center and Student Activities Julia Zimmer. According to k(no)w committee members, in a talk that lasted 40 minutes, Zimmer prohibited the use of the logo by k(no)w in any College of Wooster promotional material and the Art Wall, arguing that it was a violation of The Scot’s Key.
According to Myra Praml ’19, co-treasurer for k(no)w, the exact reference Zimmer made was to page 68 of the Key, which says, “Posting may not have reference to alcohol, drug use, nudity or illicit activities in written or pictorial form.”
K(no)w contends that Zimmer’s decision constituted censorship of their event. In an email to the group’s members announcing the rejection of the logo, k(no)w said, “…we completely disagree with the decision that was reached by Student Activities. We believe that what happened today is a blatant example of censorship by The College of Wooster, and of the silencing of student voices; an attack on our organization’s mission to educate the student body about issues of rape culture, sexual disrespect and Title IX. This is not the first time that k(no)w has run into — and fought against — this kind of treatment.”
Zimmer, who rejected the logo was contacted twice by concerning the views raised by k(no)w, but was unavailable for comment at press time.
Logos for previous Sex Ed Weeks have included similarly controversial illustrations. According to Praml, Student Activities had received complaints about these logos, which included genitalia — more specifically, a vulva and a penis.
Praml said that the group had been talking with the Dean of Students Office and had contacted President Bolton.
“I appreciate all the work that [k(no)w] is doing on these important issues,” Bolton said to the group.
Though Sex Ed Week ended last Friday, Praml said k(no)w was hopeful that a favorable decision could set a precedent to benefit other student groups and its future events, which it called “the only form of sexual education open for the entire campus community.”