Visitors to the Mayer Campus Center on Valentine's Day opened the door to discover phallic balloons, condom roses and a "vulva wishing tree," which were decorations for the "Sex Fair," hosted by VOX: Voices for Choice.
"The goal of the Sex Fair is to create a dialogue about sex on campus," senior and VOX member Megan Ault said.
Ault ran the masturbation table, which was the most popular booth at the fair, according to VOX co-president senior Chelsea Toder.
"People are a lot more enthusiastic than I thought they'd be," Ault said.
The fair featured a world map on which students could mark the different locations they have had sex, and another map, entitled "Where have you touched yourself at Tufts?" Ault said that the masturbation map helped include a wider range of people.
"You don't necessarily have to be sexually active to participate and feel involved," she said.
Student turnout was high despite the inclimate weather. "In some ways, maybe [the weather] helped turnout," sophomore Morissa Sobelson said. "People want to go somewhere warm and cozy - why not the Sex Fair?"
According to Toder, VOX headed up the fair and several other campus clubs and organizations contributed by running booths that covered a wide variety of issues.
Visitors could learn about "reproductive rights or choice or sexual health," Toder said. "There's an AIDS collective. There's something for everyone."
Sobelson worked at the HIV/AIDS collaborative and distributed AIDS awareness ribbons.
The Tufts Anthropology Collective was also among the many organizations running booths. Anthropology students like sophomore Caitlin Felsman distributed information about sexual cultures, habits and norms around the world. "We want to get involved in events on campus that aren't solely academic," she said.
The fair also featured a booth for Planned Parenthood to raise awareness about family planning options and to gain student support for legislation to improve health education in schools.
Other booths included a penis ring toss, a station for students to decorate suggestively-shaped cookies and a cotton candy station.
"We wanted to approach sex from all angles," VOX co-president and senior Andrea Cote said.
According to Cote, students also could pick up free t-shirts, stickers and food, but those were not the only things students could take from the event.
"I hope that if you're having sex, you come away with a new technique or something you didn't know," she said. "And if you're not having sex, you'll come away more comfortable talking about it."
Evan Woods, a sophomore representing the LGBT Center on campus, said that one of the most important goals of the event was promoting safe sexual practices.
"In school, they tell you, 'Abstinence Only!' but people are going to have sex and it's important to be safe," he said.
A local sex shop called "Hubba Hubba" ran a booth as well.
"We're getting to meet new faces and getting the store noticed in a new area," Hubba Hubba salesman Ryan Martin said. "It's exciting, there's an energy here that you don't get in the store."
Both students and organizers felt the event was highly successful and VOX members emphasized the importance of the light-hearted atmosphere.
Toder believes the most essential aspect is that the Tufts Sex Fair allows students "to discuss a typically taboo topic in a safe and fun environment."
"I think this is probably the most interactive Sex Fair they've had and I think VOX did a great job this year. It allows students to have fun with their sexuality," junior Clara Goldfarb said.
