Sex Education on Campus

It's an uncomfortable topic for most people to talk about, but it's a topic that needs discussing...  More »

It's an uncomfortable topic for most people to talk about, but it's a topic that needs discussing nevertheless. Sex. Should colleges around our area be doing more to educate? Are the programs they have in place already enough? Is it not the universities responsibility at all? We asked those questions to U-Mary, to andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/bismarck-state-college andamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;BSCandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt; and to andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/united-tribes-technical-collegeandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;United Tribes Technical Collegeandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt;. By andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/jason-torreanoandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;Jason Torreanoandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt; andamp;quot;I think it's something that every college campus around the nation could go over more. Cuz, not everybody knows about it.andamp;quot; says Jesse Erhardt/BSC Student. andamp;quot;If you live on campus and let's say you don't have a car or anything, you just live on campus and you don't have a car. you can still meet girls here. What do you do then?andamp;quot; says Cullan Gores/ BSC student. Different students, but similar opinions from those studying at BSC: colleges should do more when it comes to educating people on safe sex. andamp;quot;It's my first year here and I really haven't seen anything about safe sex. I am from andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/minnesotaandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;Minnesotaandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt; where we would have events about safe sex.andamp;quot; says Mohammad Mohammad. Mohammad is a commuter student. For the 270 students in residence at BSC, there is a sex ed. program. andamp;quot;A doctor and a nurse and the personal counselor on campus are the panel that answer these anonymous questions that students have about sex and sex andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/educationandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;educationandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt;.andamp;quot; says Heather Sheehan/BSC. Condoms are available free of charge to residence students, but the students we spoke with say they weren't aware of it. andamp;quot;Were you aware that condoms were available in your college dorm?andamp;quot; asks Jason Torreano. andamp;quot;No.andamp;quot; says Bryce Olson/Student. andamp;quot;Do you think that most of your friends are aware that condoms are availabe on campus?andamp;quot; asks Jason Torreano. andamp;quot;No, not really.andamp;quot; says Olson. And BSC did sell condoms at the bookstore for a couple years, but stopped. andamp;quot;I got them in. We sold one set in two years as a gag gift and we never sold any other ones; so when they expired I just choose not to replenish them.andamp;quot; says Tanya Fuher/Bookstore Manager. Mohammad Mohammad says having sex ed. programs in the residence halls is a start, but their approach needs to be more comprehensive, and allow all 3500 students at BSC to participate. andamp;quot;I mean, have a class about it, or have an event, invite a speaker, more people would be willing to go.andamp;quot; says Mohammad. To United Tribes now where we spoke to the Director of Student Health. UTTC's approach to sex education is similar to BSC's, only the classes they offer are not optional. andamp;quot;What United Tribes has done is it's created a course through what's called the wellness classes and within those classes I teach a class on STDs.andamp;quot; says Suzanne Shields/Dir. of Student Health Center. Contraception is available on campus. andamp;quot;We have condoms on campus. It's free of charge. We get that from the state andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/health-departmentandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;Health Departmentandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt;. we also provide education on the types of contraceptives. We also will make doctors appointments to have people put on birth control.andamp;quot; says Shields. UTTC denied our request to speak with students. And finally to the andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/university-of-maryandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;University of Maryandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt;. The university released only a written statement. andamp;quot;The University of Mary places its emphasis on challenging students to make their personal behavior consistent with their faith by learning about the moral issues involved with human sexuality.andamp;quot; The University says it teaches personal behavior through theology classes. The university denied repeated requests by KX News to speak with students or any staff or faculty members about this issue.  « Less