To the Editors:
A recent letter to the editor made a plea for a better sex column. In response, the writers of "Celebrating Sex" acknowledged that they transmit "admittedly light-hearted musings on an important subject," adding that there are numerous organizations on campus which address the more serious aspects of sex. While I thank the writers for being so forthcoming with their goals and agenda for "Celebrating Sex," I must admit I am still dissatisfied with the column. Yes, there needs to be a forum in which the positive aspects of sex are highlighted, but I expect more from a featured Orient column.
A column in "the nation's oldest continuously published college weekly" is an opportunity to discuss sex in a revolutionary and progressive way. More than an opportunity, it is a responsibility to the campus community, one that I do not believe the column is meeting.
In addition to giving us tips about where to hook-up on campus, why not provide us with insightful articles about neglected, uncomfortable, or novel topics? For example, I would love to see an article about the practicalities of anal sex, or one that discusses what it's like to have sex with an intersex partner. There are numerous potential topics that will help expand the boundaries of sexual discussion at Bowdoin, and as a visible leader in that discussion, I implore "Celebrating Sex" to do so.
Sincerely,
Elsbeth Paige-Jeffers '10
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Comments
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Alanna Beroiza: (Nov 6, 2009, 8:11 pm)
Well said, Elsbeth. I agree wholeheartedly. It's one thing to focus on the "lighthearted" aspects of sex, but is the orient really the place to do it? As was mentioned in the opinion piece, the Orient can and perhaps should be a vehicle for progressive and provocative writing that stimulates the campus and everyone who reads the Orient.
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