As the green beer flows on St. Patrick’s Day, UWindsor’s Sexual Misconduct Response and Prevention Office wants the notion of consent in the minds of partygoers.

“St. Patrick’s Day is a time when people are drinking a lot and maybe thinking about hooking up,” said Anne Rudzinski, the office’s sexual wellness and consent co-ordinator. “We’re trying to provide a different message about alcohol and consent.”

Rudzinski and fourth-year nursing student Alex Turner set up a booth in the CAW Student Centre this week, handing out candy and other treats to students passing by. Turner made buttons to hand out, too, with bold messages like, “You need consent to get lucky,” and “Ask first.”

For a chance to win a Cineplex gift card, students could play a true-or-false game that begins with a message about consent.

“We should never make assumptions that someone isn’t drunk or that they are OK. If you and the other person can’t clearly and comfortably talk about what is happening in order to assess consent, you definitely shouldn’t continue,” the message says.

It’s the third year the Sexual Misconduct and Prevention Office has set up an information booth in March, Rudzinski said.

“We try to be visible around St. Patrick’s Day,” she said. “We’re trying to provide some important information.”

─Sarah Sacheli