This semester has been crazy! I was so excited to receive my shipment, especially since I was being sent twice as many. I wanted to make sure that my efforts this semester reached as many students on campus as possible, so I decided to contact the health promotion office at the school. Needless to say, that was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made!

With the help of Nancy, the health promotion coordinator, I was able to set up and information and distribution table in one of our main classroom buildings, Textor Hall. Tomorrow will mark the third time that we've tabled this semester. The first time we did, which was the week right before spring break, we distributed over 600 condoms in approximately 4 hours!!!

The reception to the program, which we're calling "Keep IC Safe :: Just Wear It," has been extremely successful on campus. Students are getting involved left and right. Nancy has also asked me to continue the program next year (my senior year) because it has had such a wonderful response, even if I don't get chosen as a GACC SafeSite.

The school TV station even decided to do a segment on my work. Because of all of this recognition, I'm even known as "the condom girl," and I'm more than okay with that! I honestly don't care what students refer to me as, so long as they're getting the message that what I'm doing is important, and that they need to listen to keep themselves and other they care about safe.

Because of all of this work I've been doing, I've made so many connections for the future. Not only have I already created the pathway for future students to get involved in condom distribution on campus, I've created awareness. I've teamed up with student groups like SAFER (students active for ending rape) and even got an internship offer for next semester with The Advocacy Center in downtown Ithaca!!

Hopefully other SafeSites are having as much luck with this as I am. I've learned that even though it might be tough to start out, if you keep with it - amazing things can happen. Thank you so much GACC for giving me the opportunity to, once again, be involved with such a great program.

I can't fully explain how excited I am that my condoms came today!! I was chosen, once again, as a SafeSite AND sent twice as many condoms! I honestly don't know how I'm going to do it - but I will find a way, guaranteed. I've already been in contact with residential life, health promotion, the school paper and spread the word on facebook. I'm definitely really happy that the condoms got here faster than they did last semester because I'm already planning what I'll be doing for V-Day. 

So, as I said last time...let the games begin. 

Good luck to everyone else, and remember we're part of something really important :)

Michele
Ithaca College