Panhellenic Council speaker Cindy Pierce advocates healthy sex

It’s OK to know what you want out of sex.

On Tuesday night, the Panhellenic Council brought speaker Cindy Pierce to campus to offer a fresh perspective on sex in the context of college relationships.

Pierce tours college campuses across the country to spark dialogue on sex and related topics that are often considered taboo. Her performances are inspired by her original comedy shows, “Finding the Doorbell” and “Kids, Parents, and Sex: Who’s On Top?”

Pierce immediately set a tone of candor and comedy for the explicit discussion to come. She described herself as a “mom-looking” woman and addressed the irony of her talking about the intricacies of sex from — a fact that attested to the ubiquitous presence of sex in today’s society.

“Great, healthy sex is not reserved for the hot and the hungry — it is for everyone,” Pierce said.

Based on personal experience and interviews with young people, Pierce used comical storytelling to communicate the harsh truths that are engrained in the social conventions of college. The room’s reaction made it clear that the Panhellenic community could identify with Pierce’s forthright analysis of sex, relationships and party norms.

To explain the perpetuation of unfulfilling relationships, Pierce highlighted divergent understandings of sex. Misleading thoughts about sex come not only from the media, but also from internalized pressures to uphold standards believed to be desirable.

“Sexual education is coming behind layers and layers of porn, media and certain motivations based on a disconnect about what people think their partners and others want,” Pierce said.

Pierce also emphasized the drunken hook-up culture as a source of sexual discontent. By equating the pattern of random hook-ups to the insatiable high of drugs, Pierce stressed the growing void that comes with unsatisfying sexual relationships.

The casual party culture has expanded into a serious danger due to the correlation between “today’s planet drunk” — normative binge drinking — and sexual assault, Pierce said. The blurred definition of consent combines with skewed judgment to reinforce the notion that “alcohol becomes a shield against accountability,” she added.

Although the speech prompted several fits of laughter, Pierce exposed the disheartening reality of our sex culture. The lecture compelled the audience to reexamine their perspectives on sex by exploring whatever questions they might have.

According to Pierce, “The sooner you get into what you love about yourself and what you need to know about sex, the better.”

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