Students wrote down examples of how to properly ask for consent at an event hosted by the Health and Wellness Center on April 5. 

At The Tea on Consent event, students also watched a video on consent and received free tea, snacks and condoms.

Katie McElhaney, the project director for sexual violence prevention at AACC, said the event was “the best way to, like, really get the word out about sexual violence.”

“We’ve noticed that the best type of events, or the most successful ones, are those where students can come and go as they please,” she added. 

McElhaney said that events like these can help start conversations on sexual violence and consent. 

“The first initial wall, once that has been dissolved it makes it a lot easier for people to engage in that conversation,” she said. 

Devin Holland, a psychology student, said he came to the event to “learn more about how to properly ask people for consent when it comes to anything and being able to build boundaries when necessary.” 

Holland said although the importance of consent should be familiar to people, “it’s always good to brush up on it. … I can take away from this by just making sure to be able to read people better.”

McElhaney said spreading awareness about consent can help students navigate situations, even if they already understand the importance of asking for consent. 

“Everyone knows to, like, ask, but sometimes it feels like ‘How do I know what’s the right moment?’” McElhaney said. “Or like, ‘of course I asked them but sometimes I don’t really know how to communicate what I’m comfortable with in the moment.’”

Patrick O’Malley, a first-year undecided student, said hosting the event was a good idea.

The event was part of a series of events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which spans the month of April. The center will be hosting two other events this month, the AACC Day of Action Against Sexual Assault on April 19 and Take Back The Night on April 26.