Section A·Page 6
Wednesday, March 14, 2001
Volunteers pass out condoms at bars
By Louise Stauffer
Kansan correspondent
Amy Swan weaves her way through the crowds at Brown Bear Brewing Company, generously passing out condoms.
Some people politely refuse, while others enthusiastically ask for more than the allotted three per person.
Swan works her way through the bar. 729 Massachusetts St., and in 10 minutes is on her way out.
Passing out condoms in downtown bars is the monthly duty of this team of volunteers from the Douglas County AIDS project. Swan heads up the program, called Downtown Outreach, as well as all other DCAP outreach programs.
Friday was Sarah Wilson's first time to participate in Downtown Outreach, but the Derby sophomore has been a DCAP volunteer for about a year.
"It's what I want to do with my life," she said.
Dylan Rassier, Sioux Falls, S.D., graduate student, participated in his first Downtown Outreach Friday, also. Like
Wilson, he has been involved with DCAP for about a year.
Both Derby and Rassier said they were a little nervous.
"I'm assuming that this kind of thing will be acceptable to people, but you never know." Rassier said.
Buck Rowland, Education Outreach Coordinator for DCAP, said that negative situations sometimes arose.
"Occasionally, you will hear an uneducated comment." Rowland said.
On Friday, Rowland gave the group tips on handling negative situations. He told them which bars to go to and explained the goal of the program.
Excitement grew as the group prepared to go. For Stephanie Paul, Livingston, Mont., senior, it was the eight outreach of the year.
"Outreaches are so much fun," she said. "People are usually open about it. I think people enjoy seeing that there are people who care and that we're doing what it takes."
The volunteers broke into two groups, each taking opposite sides of downtown. Swan, Wilson and Rassier were on team
two. They set off, each armed with a bag brimming with condoms.
The first stop was the Eighth Street Tap Room, 801 New Hampshire St., where Bart Stevens, University of Kansas graduate and customer at the bar, refused a condom.
"I think it's irrelevant," he said. "Let people get the condoms on their own accord."
Swan and Wilson went from table to table. The responses varied from embarrassed smiles to immediate refusals.
The next stop was The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. The volunteers pushed their way through the lively crowd. When Wilson offered condoms to a middle-aged man, he laughed and mentioned his marriage of 28 years.
At Tremors Night Club, 729 New Hampshire St., Wilson walked around the edge of the club.
"Thanks, you saved my life," one clubgoer said with a smile.
"No, thank you, I abstain," said a woman.
In Tremors alone, Swan and Wilson distributed about 75 condoms.
"This isn't as scary as I thought it was going to be," Wilson said on the walk to yet another bar.
Finally, the group headed to the Brown Bear. There, customer Chad Porter, KU graduate, said he supported the outreach program.
"I think it's great," he said. "People don't usually think about safe sex in a situation like this. It's a good reminder."
In the past two years, the Downtown Outreach program has distributed approximately 18,000 condoms.
"Our mission in the outreach program is not to educate, it's just to get the condoms out." Rowland said.
On the walk back to the coffee shop, Swan reflected on why she became involved with DCAP in the first place.
"I think it's one of the most important things that people need to be involved with right now," Swan said. "You see so many people who aren't well-educated about AIDS."
Edited by Leita Schultes
Sara Wilson, Derby sophomore and Douglas County AIDS Project volunteer, distributes condoms to nightstands in tubs. She and other DCAP volunteers outdressed outdoors Friday night in the downtown area as part of DCAP's continuing effort to combat AIDS. Photo by J.E. Wilson/KANSAN
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