- Rob Holden,
ISU junior music education major
 |
The G-Spot with its PVC piping and red and white awning has become a familiar site on campus. (Archive photo / The J-News) |
NORMAL – The students of ISU tend to have no trouble finding the “G-Spot.” And once there, they all know exactly what they can expect to find, free condoms.
However, there is much more to this mobile PVC pipe gazebo that over the last 10 years has become synonymous with sex.
With a name like the G-Spot, it is no wonder many students are quick to dismiss the gazebo, a circular hut constructed entirely of PVC piping with an unmistakable red and white awning and a banner that reads, “You found the G-Spot,” as no more than a one-stop sex shop. But for the faculty and students directly involved with the G-Spot and its continued success on campus, this gazebo is a real force for campus-wide wellbeing.
The idea behind ISU’s G-Spot was inspired by the University of Florida during a presentation given at a National College Health Conference in the summer of 2001. The U of F had created a similar gazebo, called the Gator Hut, to administer general health education and resources for students.
This idea for a moveable gazebo that could be used as an extension of the Health Promotion and Wellness Department made its way back to ISU, and the G-Spot was established on campus in the fall of 2002.
“It seemed like an interesting concept; we were looking for something new as a vehicle to be more visible on campus,” Jim Almeda, coordinator for the Health Promotion and Wellness Department, said. “We had some brainstorming sessions to figure out what we were going to call it and what it was going to look like to develop an overall concept.”
Through the G-Spot, which is set up at different locations throughout campus twice a week, the Health Promotion and Wellness Department is continually focused on one major goal: campus-wide accessibility.
“We were once [located] over in the Student Health Services building … some people would come in, but they would have to intentionally go out of their way to find it and get information,” Almeda said. “We thought if we used this gazebo and put it up in areas where students are just coming to and from class, we would be there and it would be really convenient and visible.”
In addition to coming up with the name for the G-Spot, the 40-plus student volunteers who make up the Student Wellness Ambassador Team (SWAT) are the ones on the front lines, manning the mobile G-Spot and interacting with students directly.
True to its name, the G-Spot’s most popular services tend to be sex-related. As such, the Health Promotion and Wellness Department and SWAT members use the G-Spot to promote safe sex practices in a comfortable, open setting.
“One of our big outreaches is making condoms more available, and we wanted to make it so that students would be comfortable and not feel that there was a stigma attached to it,” Almeda said. “We also wanted to utilize our SWAT team … so [the G-Spot] was a perfect fit because we felt students would feel comfortable going up to a booth staffed by other students to get condoms or ask questions.”
According to an annual assessment conducted by the American College Health Association for the students of ISU, this strategy is working. In 2011, the assessment shows that of the 61 percent of students who said are sexually active, 45 percent said they always use a condom. This represents a 14 percent increase from the results of 2002, the G-Spot’s first year on campus.
One student eager to continue making an impact through the G-Spot and encouraging others to live healthier lifestyles is second-year SWAT team member and senior community health education major Julie Ortiz. Helping others in their desire to make healthier choices is a task that Ortiz finds “extremely rewarding.”
“I think I get more out of it than the people I’m helping,” Ortiz said. “I walk away feeling like if I helped one person to make a healthier decision I’ve done my job. That’s all I need.”¬
She added that while she understands why many students view the G-Spot as no more than a place to pick up free condoms, the gazebo provides a plethora of wellness information and advice that goes beyond safe sex practices.
“We do everything from substance abuse to nutrition; anything and everything under the sun [related to] health, we have something available,” Ortiz said.
In order to keep up with health trends on campus, student surveys are sent out by the Health Promotion and Wellness Department to aid the members of SWAT in providing the most relevant information and services possible. Ortiz said the various resources provided by the G-Spot tend to fall into particular seasons, from tips on how to deal with the winter blues to handling stress during finals week.
“We do surveys and really try to find out what students’ major concerns are,” Ortiz said. “Some of the main things we focus on are binge drinking and stress management … our surveys [also] tell us that almost all students are sleep deprived.”
Despite these revealing results from student surveys, not all students are completely comfortable with the overall concept of the G-Spot. In his early years at ISU, Rob Holden, now a junior music education major, found himself confused by the G-Spot and questioned its legitimacy on campus.
“When I first saw the G-Spot as a freshman, it was a bit of a surprise. It was like the university was supporting promiscuity among students,” Holden said. “I wasn’t too keen on the whole idea; it weirded me out a little bit.”
After years of seeing the gazebo around campus and taking advantage of its services, Holden now feels the G-Spot is a “valuable asset to this university.” Gone are the days when he felt uncomfortable at the thought of being spotted at the G-Spot.
“Beyond my previous preconceptions, I don’t think there’s any mystery to [the G-Spot]. If people see me getting condoms, the only thing it says is that I’m practicing safe sex. It’s not a hindrance to my social status.”
For those who do object to the G-Spot and SWAT for the resources they offer, Ortiz is quick to remind them that their intentions are good, focused purely on students’ wellbeing.
“I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘you shouldn’t be promoting sex,’ and I’ll say I’m not promoting sex, I’m promoting safer sex for those who choose to be sexually active,” Ortiz said.
While the goal of providing high-quality, accessible health and wellness information through the G-Spot has remained the same for the past decade, Almeda said the future of the G-Spot could bring new technology, creating more personalized wellness results while also improving the visibility of the Health Promotion and Wellness Department as a whole.
“As the trends change in health and wellness issues, we try to change with that. We’re very adaptable with those kinds of things,” Almeda said. “We’ve talked about including interactive things -- software for students to fill out a wellness profile, or a permanent kiosk in the rec center -- that will help students address individualized needs and get automated feedback.”
No matter what changes may come, Ortiz said the main focus of the G-Spot will remain the same as it has been from the beginning, providing effective resources for students and making sure every student’s individual needs are considered.
“I try not to think of the student body as a whole, I try to think of them as individuals,” Ortiz said. “We can’t tackle everything. We take it on a day-to-day basis, and I think our role is really important to students as we try to keep up with the students’ lives.”