The academic week of Feb. 9 brought two very important causes to Millikin University’s campus. Both Healthy Relationships Week and Sexual Responsibility Week occurred at this time, both in perfect preparation for the upcoming Valentine’s Day.

The university itself prepared for Sexual Responsibility week by locating posters across all of campus which displayed one of 101 ways to display love without necessarily having sex. They posed such ideas as “take a walk in Fairview Park,” “hold her hand,” and “giver her flowers.” The posters, printed in bright pink, were very apparent to students and faculty alike, serving as a constant reminder of the possibilities surrounding love.

David Braun, a junior biology major, and his girlfriend were inspired by some of the fun alternative date ideas that were offered.

“ I wanted to participate because Carina and I looked over the list and noticed that we do quite a bit of things on the list without even thinking about it and I thought well I’m broke so might as well take pictures of us doing these things and I can treat her with a gift basket to do stuff we just don’t have the money for,” Braun said.

Yet the purpose of the week is not to discourage sexual intercourse; rather, it is to encourage sexual responsibility, be it be practicing abstinence or safe sex. Overall, it is a purpose that is beneficial to everyone, whether needing a reminder of how to display love or be given more information regarding the subject.

In addition to the posters, the Office of Residence Life once again put on its annual event, Condom Bingo. The occasion, in which students receive condoms as playing pieces, is always widely attended and grants numerous benefits. It not only provides students with information regarding sex, gender, and personal protection, but provides the proper equipment for free as well.

When asked why she chose to participate in one of the week’s biggest events, Carina Brenner, senior marketing major, said, “David and I decided to participate because it looked like it would be fun and we love looking for new activities to do with each other.”

Both the posters and Condom Bingo can also relate directly to Healthy Relationships Week. The week, while practiced nationally, was represented on campus by Alpha Chi Omega. The sorority’s philanthropy, raising awareness for domestic violence, inspired the women of the organization to participate heavily.

Throughout the week, social media was abuzz with posts and images urging women and men alike to actively participate in healthy relationships, as well as displaying personal thoughts on what love is louder than and what a healthy relationship truly consists of.

When asked about what a healthy relationship meant to her, “A healthy relationship is important because you need that someone in your life that you can trust and lean on and know that they will always be there to listen to you. A healthy relationship should be a relationship that makes you happy or releases stress just by seeing their face and embracing a hug from them. A healthy relationship shouldn’t make you feel tense or upset,” Brenner said.

Both campaigns this week were designed with the purpose of inspiring students to take their relationships into their own hands and improve them by practicing both safe sex and love. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, as always, these reminders couldn’t have come at a better time.

On her relationship with David, Brenner spoke on what it meant to her to be in a healthy relationship, “David is my rock and without him I don’t know what I would do. We have maintained a healthy relationship from the beginning of our relationship and it has been the best relationship I’ve been a part of. There are so many ways to love without having sex that are my favorite and that we do every day. If I had to choose one I would say talk about our feelings and future because communication is a big importance to me and I love being able to tell him anything and I love talking about the future together,” Brenner said.