SASHA and AROUSE team up for a night of music, comedy and advocacy to cap off 2025 Sex Week

Jackson Hall
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 06:29:06 +0000
Arts & Life, Comedy, Entertainment, Events, Instagram Page, Music, News, Abortion Fund of Ohio, AROUSE, Arouse Student Radio, comedy, drag queen, Evelyn Everything, kafe kerouac, music, musicians, ohio state, Ohio State student organizations, Ohio State student radio, performance, poetry, SASHA, SASHA sex week, sex education, sex week, social event, student advocates for sexual health awareness, student life, student radio, variety show, women's rights

Arouse’s Fall 2024 Variety Show raised over $600 for the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO), supporting its mission and community initiatives. Credit: Courtesy of Rosa Racevskis

Ohio State’s Student Advocates for Sexual Health Awareness and AROUSE Student Radio are coming together to host a sex-themed variety show Saturday.

The event will be hosted at Kafe Kerouac — located at 2250 N. High St. — starting at 7:30 p.m., according to an Instagram post from AROUSE and SASHA. Acts will encompass poetry, comedy, music and more.?

Tickets are priced at $8 per person, and all proceeds will be donated to the Abortion Fund of Ohio.?

Sydney Heckeler, a fourth-year in international studies and SASHA’s president, said the organization is focused around sexual health education and advocacy. She said members wanted to create an event that blends entertainment with awareness, offering attendees a chance to participate in open conversations about sexuality and appreciate creativity.?

According to SASHA’s website, Sex Week is a student-led initiative organized by SASHA dedicated to bridging gaps in sexual education by providing inclusive and comprehensive programming that addresses topics like LGBTQ+ sex ed, healthy masculinity, gender equality, and reproductive rights — filling the gaps left by Ohio’s unregulated sex education system.?

“This is a fun, social night to round off Sex Week,” Heckeler said. “This all goes to a great cause, since all the proceeds from the ticket sales will be going to the Abortion Fund of Ohio, which is one of our focuses: protecting women’s rights and health care.”

In addition to music-based entertainment provided by AROUSE, Heckeler said SASHA representatives will be distributing sexual health products — including Plan B, condoms, dental dams and lube — to attendees.

The collaboration between SASHA and Arouse came naturally, Heckeler said, as both organizations aim to create open and engaging spaces for students.

“It’s been a while in the making; we’ve wanted to do something, but kept missing each other,” Heckeler said. “It has been really awesome to get the opportunity to work with them. They’re a great organization to grow with.”

Rosa Racevskis, a second-year in psychology and AROUSE’s social media coordinator, said the collaboration between AROUSE and SASHA aligns with the student broadcasting network’s mission of amplifying student creativity.

“The variety shows have always been a signature event for AROUSE,” Racevskis said.? “As the student radio, we obviously care a lot about music, but also the arts in general. From pros to amateurs, we want a space for people to showcase their talents. We always do these shows as a charity fundraiser that aligns with our values.”

Racevskis said the variety show will feature a mix of student performers, ranging from seasoned local artists to first-time participants, along with drag queen Evelyn Everything. She also emphasized the event will provide a platform for students to showcase their talents, no matter their experience level.

“We had some great variety, very diverse acts submitted,” Racevkis said. “We did some hand-pick outreach. We knew we wanted a drag queen to emcee, so we were connected with one. Some of the e-board members, myself included, are going to do a puppet show. Super excited.”?

Among the performers is Christian Hegarty, an AROUSE member who asked by the organization’s executive board to perform stand-up comedy for the event.?

“I’m trying to cater my material to fit the audience,” Hegarty said. “I think I’ll use a good amount of self-deprecation. I want to use a good bit of stories about myself and my personal life.”

With a diverse lineup of performances, organizers hope the event will not only entertain visitors, but also spark meaningful discussions about sexual health and reproductive rights.

Tickets can be purchased at the door, and more information is available on SASHA’s and AROUSE’s respective social media pages.