Dress for protection

    A suit of armor, constructed of condoms and birth control, was displayed at the Tri-State Sculptors 29th annual conference by two GCSU safe sex advocating students, last weekend.
    “When I came down, I said my name and explained the meaning of our art piece, how it was made, etc.,” Ally Simmons, an art history major working on the project, said. “They loved it. When I finished I got a round of applause and several hoops and hollers.”
    Meghan Fleming, an art major, wore the outfit to express Simmons and her  views of pushing safe sex over the abstinence only approach.
    “I think that teenagers and the college age group should be informed on (safe sex options), not just abstinence,” Simmons said. “It is important that they known their options so they don’t contract STDs or have unwanted pregnancies.”
    Simmons and Meghan Fleming, an art major, were assigned a class project titled “Armor of the 21st Century” by Professor Sang-Wook Lee. They were asked to “explore the dangers that we must protect ourselves from in the 21st century.” Each group was to create a wearable art, in the form of armor, which they would wear during the Tri-State Sculpture Conference on Sept. 27 to 29.
    Fleming and Simmons decided to focus on creating a suit of armor promoting safe sex.
    “We started throwing ideas out there,” Simmons said. “We knew we wanted to make a bold statement but figuring out how was the question … The suit of armor made out of condoms and birth control started out as a joke that just escalated into the perfect project.”
      Fleming and Simmons recruited friends to stop by the GCSU health center and grab a few condoms for them. The GCSU health center said that they had not noticed an increase in the amount of condoms taken.
“We didn’t want to march up to the health center and dump the bowl into our purse,” Fleming said. “Even though I do support safe sex, the idea of doing that makes me nervous.”
    Simmons designed and constructed the top of the armor. “I wanted it to resemble armor from the Roman era while still maintaining a feminine shape,” Simmons said. The breastplate is made out of paper mache and pearls are glued to look like the rivets and birth control pills.
    The skirt was constructed and designed by Fleming. Black pillowcases were first sewn together and then one by one each condom was sewn into place. The condoms are aligned into rows and have the ability to move like ruffles on a skirt.
    “Over 200 condoms were used,” Fleming said. “Most of the condoms were red except for a stripe of bronze at the bottom.”
    A pouch sewn on the front, like on skirts of Roman armor, will be filled with condoms to pass out at the conference.
    At first Fleming wanted to take the condoms out of the wrapper and create a more elaborate display on the skirt. But she said it is “hard to get lube off of condoms.”
    The project has gotten mixed response considering the controversial issue of promoting safe sex instead of abstinence, Fleming said.
    “It’s quite interesting that students are thinking about these issues,” said Lee. “I’m glad they are talking about (safe sex).”
Drew Goyen, a business management major, supports safe sex and said that it would be “ignorant” not to.
  “(The project) could definitely be controversial, but it would be controversial in a good way,” he said.
    Aaron Coles, a mass communication major, disagreed.
 “(The project) promotes sex and creates an image that sex is just a natural part of the 21st century,” Coles said.
Abstinence is the only way to make sure that you are 100 percent protected against STDs and unwanted pregnancy.
    Rachel Sullivan, a University health educator, works at the GCSU Health Center. “The Health Center pushes abstinence, if that’s your choice,” Sullivan said. “Sex should be something you choose when you are ready.”
    Sullivan said it’s important that students are safe.
    “The health center is not going to judge you if you come in here asking for the tools to have sex safely,” Sullivan said. “We aren’t your moral police, we just want you to be responsible in your decisions.”
    The correct and consistent use of condoms can protect you from many STDs and unwanted pregnancy according to Trojan Condoms. The GCSU health center can also give students information of other ways to protect themselves.
    Protection is sexy. It is not something that is unsexy” Sullivan says.
    Condoms are available in the Health Center. Students don’t have to sign in, but there is a four condoms at a time limit.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 5 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry