This past Tuesday, social networkers were in awe of Playboy’s enlightened take on its infamous list of Top Party Schools. The guide spread like wildfire across the internet by college students and other supporters of the emergence of an anti-rape culture, one in which consent is verbalized “early, often and always,” collectively adopting the precept “don’t rape” rather than “don’t get raped.”

But when something seems too good to be true, it probably is. In fact, a website masquerading as the official Playboy site was behind this promotion of safe and consensual sex. The organization FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture — also behind last year’s faux Victoria’s Secret campaign of panties promoting consent — constructed the hoax in conjunction with a slew of college students, including Oberlin’s own Sophie Hess, a College junior.

What is encouraging about this subversive and much vener- ated act is two-fold; not only did social networkers latch onto the hoax, but news outlets and blogs did, as well. As Hess mentions in her column on page 6 (alongside a full version of the fake Playboy guide), it is clear that readers are ready for a new take on sexual norms as perpetuated by popular culture. Even the bro-iest of bros on the website BroBible responded positively to the guide. Then came the media, more than willing to jump on the bandwagon and encourage Playboy to truly adopt its impersonator’s message.

Unfortunately, Playboy has chosen to deny its newfound opportunity to take the mantle on these issues. As with the Victoria’s Secret panty hoax in 2012, a multimillion-dollar corporation stares sex positivity and consent in the face and decides that it just isn’t worth it. These companies — that earn their lot in large part by objectifying women and determining female standards of beauty for profit — are forced to say to the world that, in fact, we as consumers should all return to our lowest expectations.

So instead of waiting for canonical media outlets like Playboy to use their influence to promote a safer, sexier world, college students must take the helm. And though Oberlin is posited in the fake party guide as an exemplar of sex positivity and consent, we must recognize that we are as much a part of the problem as part of the solution.

Last fall, President Krislov called for the creation of a Sexual Offence Policy Task Force in response to controversy over Ober- lin’s high number of reported sexual offenses in the U.S. News ranking. The Task Force announced plans to revise the policy at an open-campus discussion in early May, but since then has been fairly quiet. The move to create such a group is indicative of Oberlin’s ever-progressive initiatives for change and the Task Force’s formation is certainly something to be lauded. But with the start of the new school year, the student body — and especially incoming first-years — should be able to look to policy revisions and expect a safer space at Oberlin.

It’s up to Oberlin students to push for a campus culture that promotes respect and consent, so that everyone feels safe here no matter where they find themselves — walking through Tappan, crammed in the basement of an off-campus house party, or part of the naked debauchery of Safer Sex Night. The existence of the Task Force, while a step in the right direction, is less relevant if its presence or progress is not widely publicized.

While we can revel in the fact that Oberlin is a symbol of the consent and sex positivity movement on a national level, let’s not forget that we still have plenty of work to do on our own campus.