Amherst College in Massachusetts, a prestigious liberal arts institution with annual tuition around $92,000, is facing public backlash after an orientation performance included students on stage simulating graphic sexual acts. Critics say the mandatory event pushed sexual content in an inappropriate setting and crossed the line of decency for a campus community. Administrators defended the event as part of sexual health education and wellbeing efforts, while many students labeled it “gross” and forced upon first-years.
The controversial program, known as Voices of the Class, is an annual orientation skit presented by upper-class students using excerpts from the incoming class’s admissions essays. Footage circulating online showed performers moaning, pretending to engage in sex acts under blankets, and even tossing condoms into the audience—actions that many attendees found shocking and uncomfortable. Junior students recounted feeling nearly compelled to leave the mandatory session due to its explicit nature.
While Amherst College says Voices of the Class has been part of orientation for more than 25 years and promotes sexual respect and communication among students, this year’s execution drew unusually sharp criticism. Students voiced concern that the performance was not simply educational but overtly sexual in a way that felt gratuitous, especially given the formal location of the event and its compulsory attendance.
Some juniors expressed frustration that the administration kept orientation leaders in the dark about the level of explicit content, forcing them to send first-years to the event without full disclosure. This has led to broader student debate about the appropriate boundaries of campus programming and whether mandatory orientation events should include such material.
Administrators, including the director of health and wellbeing, defended the skits as tools to encourage dialogue on sexual health, consent, and harm reduction, saying they are part of creating a respectful and informed campus community. However, critics argue the approach might undermine its stated goals by alienating students and normalizing the public display of intimate acts rather than fostering genuine respect.
The broader context of this controversy raises questions about institutional priorities at elite colleges, the line between education and provocation, and how schools balance open discussion of adult topics with respect for diverse student sensibilities. Some parents and critics argue that taxpayers and families investing heavily in private education deserve transparency and moderation in campus cultural programming.
