Scene and Heard: Sex Trivia Night

Leave it to Harvard students to turn sex into something you use your brain for rather than other more viable organs. Tommy Doyle’s Irish Pub recently hosted Sex Trivia Night, organized by Harvard Law Students for Reproductive Rights. The event featured free condoms, food, and drinks—all the ingredients necessary for a debauched night. Eager to participate, this writer made his way to the sign-up sheet and was happily surprised to find condoms gingerly sprinkled around the table.

The energetic host began explaining the rules of the game. With a penchant for puns, he outlined a complicated point system. It seemed unlikely that anyone was going to remember the rules after a few rounds anyway. The team names were more attention-worthy: “Vagination,” “The Third Wheel,” “Obama Can Drill My Coastal Shell,” and “Albatross Lesbian.”

After sitting alone for the first five-question round of the game, this writer went and talked to a group of girls at another booth. The question “During what month do most Americans lose their virginity?” stirred some lively debate within the group. “During the summer, everyone gets horny,” one decided. “Wait, wait, wait–prom is in June. It’s June,” another said.

For such an outgoing crowd, everyone seemed a little shy when asked for a quick interview—many gave a simple “no comment,” and one person even asked for press credentials. HLS students apparently don’t put out statements lightly. After some prodding, one attendee spoke on condition of anonmymity. “I thought there’d be gay people,” she said before beginning to laugh.

Laura K. Freund, a first-year law student, admitted that she and her friends came because “they have free drinks and free food.”

But according to Evelyn M. Atkinson, one of the event coordinators and also a 1L, there was more to it than just free stuff. “We were brainstorming ideas to make people more aware of sex and to bring sex into the conversation in a positive way,” she said. “We’re saying, ‘Look, let’s talk about sex. Let’s talk about reproductive rights.’”

In the background, the host asked, “In which ancient civilization would women expose their vaginas to ward off storms at sea? Follow up: in which ancient civilization were men brilliant liars?”

And so on. The crowd remained eager until the very end. “You don’t have to go home,” said the host. “You can stay here—just keep drinking.”