Welcome back to the SSIS column, where we answer any and all of Brandeis students’ questions about sex, sexuality, identity and relationships. If you have a question you’d like answered in our next column, email ssis@brandeis.edu or leave a question in the Google Form link on the Student Sexuality Information Service Facebook page. Any and all questions are welcome: there are no bad, stupid or weird questions! 

(Note: These answers are good-faith attempts by SSIS to be helpful to the Brandeis community, and are by no means exhaustive or to be taken as universal. If these answers don’t resonate with you, either pay them no mind or reach out to us with suggestions for improvement!)

How has SSIS adapted to COVID-19 restrictions?

That’s a great question! During COVID-19, SSIS has pivoted to provide a hybrid of virtual and in-person resources for our community. We are offering both in-person and virtual office hours, both of which are posted on our Instagram and Facebook accounts at the beginning of the semester. 

For in-person office hours in SCC 328, we ask that visitors socially distance and, additionally, fill out a form for contact tracing. A note that parties of three or more will not be able to enter the office at the same time due to COVID-19 restrictions, but they are still welcome to wait in the hallway. SSIS is also still offering sexual health and pleasure products, which must be picked up in person. In order to minimize in-person contact, community members can fill out an online order form before picking up their products at the office. Please note that we are not currently able to ship products to community members’ homes. 

For virtual office hours, community members can visit us at doxy.me/ssis. In some cases, there may be a short wait if an SSIS member is assisting another person. 

Currently, the majority of our workshop content will be virtual. 

How can I get involved in SSIS?

Thank you for your interest in SSIS! Every spring we open our applications for new members and that process is a little different this year! First, anyone interested in applying fills out an application, which will be available virtually this year. After completing the application, every applicant will have a 20-minute interview with current SSIS members, where they will be asked about their application. No prior experience is needed to apply to SSIS; our fall training covers all the material you need to know in order to serve in this role. 

Keep an eye out on our Facebook & Instagram pages for updates on when our applications open! If you have any questions, feel free to text us at 586-ASK-SSIS!