The Oakland Center Gold Rooms filled up with students, all ready to discuss one thing—sex.

The Student Program Board brought in Daniel Packard, a life and love coach, to give Oakland students some therapy.

“I enjoyed all the honesty tonight. A lot of us don’t realize the things we spoke about tonight unless it’s said bluntly,” Alyssa Hurlin, sophomore communications major said.

Packard warned audience members that throughout the show there was a chance his audience members would find themselves “pissed” at him.

“In those moments, ask yourself if it’s because I’m saying something really honest you don’t want to hear,” Packard said.

Throughout the show audience participation was a key factor.

Students could also text a message to a number and have it appear on a screen for students to read before the therapy began. 

One anonymous message up on the screen read, “If there is live sex tonight I volunteer as tribute.”

Upon arriving students were asked to fill out a survey asking random questions. Later, Packard selected random surveys to read to the audience with permission of the writer.

Hurlin was one of the audience members that agreed to share her survey.

“A good friend of mine said that I should start trying to step out of my comfort zone so I decided to share,” Hurlin said.

Packard explained to the audience that this session was not about sex, it’s about connecting and understanding.

“I got to enjoy the event it was really funny and informational,” Cassie Hock, committee member for the Outreach Committee of the Student Program Board said.

 “I cried people next to me cried. It opened my eyes a little bit to guys and accepting them as well as accepting myself,” Hock said.

Packard encouraged students to be authentic and be themselves first and foremost.

“It’s a little on the raunchy side but it’s definitely something students can connect with. I think a lot of people when they look at these kinds of seminars they just get fluff,” Arkeem Thomas-Scott, outreach director for the Student Program Board said.

 Daniel gives students the real deal.

Chris Griffin, a senior at Oakland, also played a role in student participation during the evening. At first he was called up and told to pick out a female and then Packard dropped the bomb on him—say something sexual to her.

Griffin described the moment as nerve-wrecking.

“I thought everyone would hate me,” Griffin said. “I was thinking ‘oh my god I have to say this in front of 300 people, you’ve got to be kidding me.’”

Instead of hatred the crowd cheered and praised his bold efforts as he conquered his fear.

“Rejection is not rejection, it’s just a no,” Griffin said. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work and you can try again next time.”