Chill With SHARE

With Pool Hall Formal and Daft Ball on the calendar, campus nights are coming back to life! SHARE staff (advocates, Night Owls, and sexual health educators) want to be sure students know about resources available to assist them in staying safe and getting help. 

Tonight (11/19) from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., SHARE advocates and sexual health educators are hosting a lounge in the Info Shoppe (GCC 053; across from the bookstore). The purpose of the lounge is to provide a calm, supportive space for people who need a brief respite during campus events, including survivors of interpersonal violence, people in recovery who want a substance-free space, people with sensory sensitivities, or anyone who’s feeling overwhelmed and wants a break from the festivities. 

There are a couple of guidelines to keep the space safe: 

  • We ask that you not consume drugs or alcohol in the Info Shoppe (people who have already consumed them are welcome); and no smoking, please.

  • Info Shoppe is a no-contact order proximity space per Community Safety; only one party to a no-contact order can be in the space at a time.

What you’ll find inside the Lounge

  • Water, hot tea, and Capri Suns (provided by the Substance Recovery Coalition!)

  • Snacks

  • Safer sex supplies

  • Supportive conversation if requested 

  • Games and coloring supplies

  • Walking escorts to on-campus residences or to Night Bus 

And Night Owls will be on shift from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., walking around campus with their backpacks filled with snacks, water bottles, condoms, hand warmers, ear plugs, gum, and throat drops. Look for us in bright yellow safety vests! Or, if you need assistance, text 844-458-3067 and let us know how to find you. Remember, Night Owls have no enforcement role but will call Community Safety if requested, or if there is an emergency. 

Here are a few reminders to help make sure everyone stays safe:

  • Make a plan: before you go out, decide if you’ll be consuming substances, and if so how much. If you’re trying to stay sober and need support, come to the lounge and hang out; we’ll help you connect to members of the Substance Recovery Coalition if you would like. 

  • Look out for each other: if you go out with friends, make sure everyone gets home safe. If you are getting weird vibes from a situation, trust your instincts! It might feel a little awkward, but it’s perfectly okay to get yourself and others out of there. The only people who will give you a hard time about setting boundaries are people who are trying to violate them. 

  • Know what’s in your drink or other substance. Avoid punch bowls and offers of open beverages or cups; when possible, open your own bottle or package, or watch the server pour your drink. If you have to put your drink down, throw it out and get yourself a new one. Testing kits are not always reliable, and there are no effective “date rape drug” tests. 

  • If you or someone else needs to be walked home on-campus, or to the Night Bus, you can text the Night Owls (844-458-3067).

  • Remember Reed’s policy of medical amnesty for over-intoxication emergencies. If you call Community Safety for help (for yourself or someone else), generally the worst that will happen is a conversation with student services staff. If you don’t call, someone could be badly harmed or even die. And you can ask a Night Owl to make the call for you. 


If you have questions, or want support for you or a friend, you can reach confidential SHARE advocates by email (advocates@reed.edu), or you can anonymously chat live with us at reed.edu/advocates.


Have fun and look out for each other!

SHARE Advocates

Letter to the EditorSHARE (Sexual Health, Advocacy, & Relationship Education)Volume 217 Issue 10Comment