Editor’s note: Lucinda Toft published the original article for The Occidental. https://theoccidentalnews.com/culture/2025/04/02/project-safe-creates-open-conversations-about-harm-prevention-at-consent-carnival/2915000
Consent Carnival was held March 20 by Project SAFE to promote campus-wide harm reduction. Several campus and student organizations also participated in the event, including Residential Education & Housing Services, Campus Safety, Oxy Sexual Assault Coalition (OSAC), Alpha Lambda Phi (Alpha), Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), the Intercultural Community Center (ICC), Oxy Gaming, Emmons Wellness Center, Jenesse Center and the Peer Power Program (PPP).
Project SAFE peer advocate Amelia Flynn (junior) said she had the idea for the Consent Carnvival Fall 2023. Flynn said the event takes place biannually, around Halloween and around spring break.
“[The Consent Carnival is] centered around the times of the year when there are the most parties and potential situations of harm that could come up,” Flynn said.
Flynn said her research on harm reduction helped her hone in on themes of trust and communication for this semester’s Consent Carnival, which resulted in her creating the trivia pong game.
“It’s like cup pong. On the bottom of each cup there’s a trivia question,” Flynn said. “It’s the upstander model that we teach about harm reduction. If there’s a situation where it looks like someone needs help, there’s three ways you can respond. Either by delegating to someone with more authority of the party, directly intervening if you feel comfortable doing that or distracting the person.”
Flynn, a member of Alpha, said the sorority had a donut-on-a-string race where one participant is blindfolded and the other explains what to do in order to exercise communication. Flynn said Oxy Gaming tabled a blindfolded Mario Kart game, REHS distributed mocktails and Campus Safety handed out donuts to students who downloaded the LiveSafe app.
Kincaid Fries (junior), president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), said the fraternity has been a part of the Consent Carnival for two years and is honored for the opportunity to be involved in harm prevention.
“I think the most important thing is a group of young men to be brought into a really important conversation about consent, sexual assault and really serious issues on college campuses,” Fries said.
SAE had a booth at the Consent Carnival where other students could throw a pie at an SAE brother to raise money for Planned Parenthood. Fries said more than 60 pies were thrown to raise over $300 this year.
Flynn said the overarching aim of the event was to promote resources of harm reduction to the student body. Flynn said Emmons provided sign ups for appointments with a Peer Health Educator through the Peer Power Program and with Project SAFE for lunch with a Peer Advocate, both confidential sources on campus. According to Flynn, the Jenesse Center, a local domestic violence shelter that Project SAFE works with frequently, had a table dedicated to promoting their own resources. Flynn said there were steps available to connect with resources for STI testing and contraception as well.
Emma Patton (junior), a peer advocate, said students passing by were stopping to pay attention to the vast resources.
“People were really engaging with the different booths,” Patton said. “I always enjoy seeing how members of the Oxy community and organizations from the LA area can come together to make events.”
Throughout the remainder of the semester, Flynn said Project SAFE is looking forward to upcoming events, such as a plant potting event in collaboration with Associated Students of Occidental College (ASOC) Sustainability Fund. She said they are also excited for Take Back the Week for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a film screening with a local film organization for Denim Day, and tabling events on Denim Day, Wednesday, April 30.
In order to create a welcoming environment, Flynn said Project SAFE wanted to make the event accessible, fun, and casual.
“It was well received,” Flynn said. “People are open to having these conversations and engaging. It’s important to sit in uncomfortable situations.”
Contact Lucinda Toft at ltoft@oxy.edu
