2008 Woodie Awards
Sex and...Radio?
Mollie Reilly
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: News
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Two recent Colgate events have started to shift the campus dialogue on sexuality from the Jug dance floor to campus-wide forums such as the African, Latin, Asian and Native American (ALANA) Cultural Center and WRCU.
Last Wednesday, the Office of Undergraduate Studies and the Center for Learning, Teaching and Research hosted a study break in the ALANA living room for students to come and ask frank questions on sex and sexuality. It was followed up on Sunday evening with a discussion on Adjunct Professor of the Health Sciences and Director of Student Health Services Dr. Merrill Miller's weekly talk radio show, "What's Up Doc?"
Wednesday's event started with pizza, wings and an icebreaker activity where students were asked to list different slang terms for male and female genitalia and sexual activities.
"This was very educational in itself with students listing terms coming from different cultural contexts," Emily Blake, Assistant Director for Student Life and Academic LGBTQ Initiatives and co-organizer of Wednesday's event, said.
Event moderators Blake, Miller and Associate Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Shelly Lear then led a discussion about a wide range of taboo sexual topics. When the conversation became slow, the moderators would pick a question from a stack of index cards. Each of these questions had been anonymously submitted by the study break's attendees.
Questions were asked about everything from teaching a sibling about responsible sex practices to knowing when to have sex for the first time to the ambiguous necessity of jumbo-sized condoms.
"My main goal was to provide information to students who have questions about sex. Talking about sex is very taboo in our society. When it comes to having healthy sexual relationships I feel communication is the key," Blake said. "It was my hope that by beginning those conversations in a safe space or allowing people to listen and ask questions, they will continue the discussion with their friends and/or partner."
Last Wednesday, the Office of Undergraduate Studies and the Center for Learning, Teaching and Research hosted a study break in the ALANA living room for students to come and ask frank questions on sex and sexuality. It was followed up on Sunday evening with a discussion on Adjunct Professor of the Health Sciences and Director of Student Health Services Dr. Merrill Miller's weekly talk radio show, "What's Up Doc?"
Wednesday's event started with pizza, wings and an icebreaker activity where students were asked to list different slang terms for male and female genitalia and sexual activities.
"This was very educational in itself with students listing terms coming from different cultural contexts," Emily Blake, Assistant Director for Student Life and Academic LGBTQ Initiatives and co-organizer of Wednesday's event, said.
Event moderators Blake, Miller and Associate Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Shelly Lear then led a discussion about a wide range of taboo sexual topics. When the conversation became slow, the moderators would pick a question from a stack of index cards. Each of these questions had been anonymously submitted by the study break's attendees.
Questions were asked about everything from teaching a sibling about responsible sex practices to knowing when to have sex for the first time to the ambiguous necessity of jumbo-sized condoms.
"My main goal was to provide information to students who have questions about sex. Talking about sex is very taboo in our society. When it comes to having healthy sexual relationships I feel communication is the key," Blake said. "It was my hope that by beginning those conversations in a safe space or allowing people to listen and ask questions, they will continue the discussion with their friends and/or partner."
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