Wanna Make Out? A Conversation About Consent with Dr. Lori Bednarchik

As part of Women's History Month and ongoing conversations around consent, TLU welcomes Dr. Lori Bednarchik on Wednesday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium.

Wanna Make Out? A Conversation About Consent

The vast majority of sex (and sexual activity) that students are having is consensual. So, what can other students learn from those who are doing it right? In a world where students are constantly being told what not to do…to say no, to recognize what a no is, isn’t, and might be…why not flip the script and consider communicating consent in a positive, fun, and sexy way?! Why not consider a model of consent that focuses on YES?

Many colleges and universities across the country are doing just this. They are adopting an affirmative standard of consent. What is so amazing about this new way of communicating (and thinking about) consent is that it recognizes that both women and men are expected (and capable) of engaging in sexual activity that is healthy, respectful, and mutual. Affirmative consent is defined as conscious, voluntary, active, and enthusiastic communication to engage in a sexual act. This way of communicating consent is ongoing throughout a sexual encounter, and focuses on an everyone’s wants, needs, and physical boundaries.

Though replete with simplicity, this way of communicating consent is not intuitive to students. Lori spends time not only helping students understand what affirmative consent is, and how to communicate it, but also addresses why communicating before, during, and after sex and sexual activity can be so challenging.

In the “Wanna Make Out?” program, Lori takes a unique, positive, uninhibited and uncensored approach to talking about sexual consent and communication. The focus throughout the program is promoting safe, fun, positive, and consensual sexual activity, and providing participants with specific and practical skills to effectively communicate to, and with their partner about sex and consent.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• what affirmative consent is (and is not)
• the specific and practical skills to effectively communicate affirmative sexual consent with their partner(s),
• how to identify verbal and nonverbal ways of communicating consent in a variety of typical scenarios, and
• the role that alcohol and other drugs play in communicating consent.

More About Dr. Bednarchik

Dr. Lori Bednarchik is an award-winning college professor and program developer; a professional speaker, and sex[ual communication] enthusiast. For the past 10 years, she has worked closely with athletes, fraternity men, and college students across the country, challenging the norms surrounding relationships, consent, and sex. In the age of #MeToo and #TimesUp, and an increasingly divided discussion of sexual misconduct, she is a refreshing, uncensored, uninhibited, and positive voice.

Lori holds a Ph.D. in Human Communication from Arizona State University, an MPH in Health Education and Health Promotion, and BA in English and Gender Studies from The University of Maryland. She lectures at Arizona State University, San Diego State University, California State University at San Marcos…among other universities. Previously, she worked as a Health Educator at San Diego State University where she created several award-winning programs on bystander intervention education, and alcohol risk-reduction. She also re-designed and facilitated a Peer Health Education Program specifically for fraternity men called FratMANers (Fraternity Men Against Negative Environments and Rape Situations). She trained over 150 fraternity men to be advocates on campus, educating their brothers and peers about sexual violence against women and how they can be part of the solution.

When she is not teaching, speaking, or writing, she can be found binge-watching [predictable] teen dramas, taking long walks on the beach (seriously), and on a never-ending quest for the best Happy Hour (HH).

This event is sponsored the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and the Student Government Association.