Colgate’s annual Sex Week passed quietly this week, leaving little more in its wake than a trail of condoms and t-shirts.

Despite its low profile, this year’s program included a series of theater events and several educational programs designed to raise awareness of sexual health issues. Community Activities Board (CAB) members worked with many groups across campus to coordinate events for the week, which were loosely organized under a single Sex Week events calendar. CAB members dutifully sold popular Sex Week t-shirts and passed out free condoms at many events during the week.

Sex Week programming began the evening of Thursday, October 19, with a debate and discussion in Persson Hall. The sparsely attended event saw sophomores David Kusnetz and Luke Martenson and juniors Mike Sheflin and Dan Streim debating the resolution, “This house proposes that the U.S. government legalized and encourage porn of all kinds.” Decidedly raunchier than most Colgate debates, the event was structured to allow many points of information from the audience on the tawdry topic at hand.

Also on Thursday evening, Charred Goosebeak sponsored an improv comedy performance in the Creative Arts House (CAH) theater. Ironically, the show, though part of CAB’s official Sex Week 2006 schedule, was less sexual than Goosebeak’s usual work, but was nevertheless appreciated by a strong audience.

On Saturday, October 21, the first of Sex Week’s more informative events took place, with CUTV’s Booty Call program offering a discussion on orgies. Due to technical problems and a lack of callers, the discussion digressed from the stated topic; however, many students enjoyed the 8:00 p.m. program before heading out for the evening.

Saturday night saw two more sponsored performances, one by the Colgate Resolutions at the Barge Canal Coffee Co. and another under the umbrella of the One Night Stands (ONS) theater series in CAH. Following the traditional ONS format, actors in CAH performed a handful of comedic scenes dealing with love, passion and dating. Audience favorites included a selection from “Dangerous Liaisons” in which a high-society woman makes a deal to rekindle flames with an ex-lover if he seduces a famously virtuous married woman, and “Bedrooms: Five Comedies,” in which a married man campaigns for a threesome with his mistress and a sex therapist.

Director of Student Health Services Dr. Merrill Miller dedicated her weekly WRCU talk show to Sex Week as well. Under the banner “Handle With Care,” Miller used the Sunday evening program to discuss the problems of sexually transmitted infections and strategies to avoid contracting such maladies.

Winding down Sex Week 2006 was a CAB-sponsored table in the O’Connor Campus Center (Coop) offering “Midday Sex Jeopardy!”, an information and awareness table set-up today and on Tuesday afternoon.