9 minute read
SEX ED pg
from February 7, 2020
by The Gatepost
By McKenzie Ward Interim Columnist
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ranked Massachusetts as the state with the lowest birth rates among teenage girls ages 15 to 19.
But just because teenage pregnancies may be falling, that doesn’t mean sex education is up to the highest quality it could be.
As of 2020, 27 states mandate both sex education and HIV education. However, out of 50 states, only 17 require sex education to be medically accurate. Medically accurate sex education is defined as scientifically-based and published in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks.
Dr. Linda Lindberg and colleagues analyzed data from a national survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in their National Survey for Family Growth and found only 60% of girls ages 15 to 19 reported receiving a formal education on birth control methods.
This is a 10% decrease between the 2006-2010 survey when compared to the 2011-2013 survey.
In the 2011-2013 survey of male teens, only 55% of individuals reported receiving a formal education on birth control methods, a 6% decrease from the 2006-2010 survey.
There is a large misconception concerning sexual education that teaching students to “just say no” is the best decision because if schools educate students about sex education, it will encourage them to participate in sexual activity.
However, this three-word campaign slogan pushed by Nancy Reagan in the 1980s does not help the students who do say yes.
By providing a sex education that includes information on teen pregnancy, different methods of birth control and the importance of STD testing, along with the idea of consent, teens will learn about sex in a much more realistic way than just avoiding it altogether.
By teaching students abstinence-only sex education, it reinforces taboos of sex and fails to provide students who are sexually active proper and safe education.
According to Columbia University, the United States government has spent $2 billion on domestic abstinence-only programs from 1982 to 2017. Instead of spending this money on abstinence-only programs, that have been proven to only delay sexual initiation, not decrease teen pregnancy and prevent STDs, this money could be better spent on providing comprehensive sex education nationwide.
Just last month, the Massachusetts Senate voted to require schools who offer sex education to provide medically accurate information, discuss consent, and include LGBTQ+-inclusive material, while allowing parents to opt their children out of the class. The bill will go back to the House, where it has died
twice so far.
It shouldn’t matter if sex education makes you uncomfortable. Shielding teens from reality isn’t protecting them - it’s encouraging misinformation, and potentially serious mistakes. If we don’t teach our kids, they’re
FAFSA DAY @ FSU
Need help filing the 2020-2021 FAFSA?
still going to seek the information out - but often from inaccurate or misleading sources.
Teens have a right to make their own decisions and control of their own bodies.
Did you know FSU has a priority deadline of March 1st?
Don’t miss out on any Financial Aid - come to FAFSA DAY!
Where: Student Lounge, McCarthy Center 308 When: February 11 th & 13 th 11AM - 2PM
And February 24 th & 26 th 11AM - 2PM & 4PM - 6PM What to Bring: 2018 Tax Documents, FSA ID
and your Laptop. No Appointment Necessary
FSU’s Financial Aid Staff will be available to help you with the process.
THE GATEPOST Framingham State’s independent student newspaper Join...
Writing...
Gain Valuable skills in...
Editing...
Designing...
Photography...
Meetings at 6:30pm | Mondays & Thursdays McCarthy Center Room 410 Gatepost@framingham.edu
Campus Conversations
Do you think FSU provides enough support for students who go hungry on campus? By McKenzie Ward and Thomas Maye
“I haven’t really seen anything about it so I would say no.” -Laura Hunter, freshman
“I have to ask people if they could swipe me into the dining hall because I can’t afford 9 dollars for lunch, 9 dollars for dinner if I want to eat here twice a day. That’s almost $20. It’s just a lot.” -Krista Jameson, junior
“I pay a ton of money for [campus food] to not even be good. So I pay all this money and I’m still kind of hungry because I don’t want to go eat at the dining hall. -Zachary Manna, freshman
Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff. “No, you don’t hear about it very much.” -Shelby Lear, sophomore “They probably could be doing a better job at that.”
-Sidney Gallheher, sophomore “I know they have done food drives that they have, but I don’t think they do a good job to advertise it enough.” -Kimberly Cajuste, senior @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
ARTS & FEATURES
Kim Dexter leads FSU toward equal opportunity
By Lizzy Stocks Staff Writer
Directing the University’s policies regarding discrimination on the basis of one’s sex, race, or age is Kim Dexter, the director of equal opportunity, Title IX, and ADA compliance.
Dexter said her position was created in 2013 because a standalone Title IX coordinator was needed to take on oversight for compliance of the entire University.
Though she earned her current position almost seven years ago, Dexter has been working on campus since 2005 when she was hired as the residence director of Larned Hall. Before coming to FSU, Dexter attended the University of Maryland where she worked as a resident assistant for three years.
With an open mind about where her career path would take her, Dexter said she applied for jobs all over the country.
She visited FSU for an on-campus interview and remembers calling her mom during a break. “I really hope I get the offer here because the people are so amazing,” she told her mom.
She spent nearly the next nine years in Residence Life, before taking on the role of director of equal opportunity, Title IX, and ADA compliance.
Before her position was created, she said the Dean of Students Office and the Human Resources Office had separate Title IX coordinators for students and employees.
While the two offices still have separate Title IX coordinators, Dexter’s role specifically takes on general oversight of compliance regarding Title IX for both students and employees.
She said, “There is a shared responsibility in a lot of the work,” but her role came with the responsibilities of Title VII coordinator, Title II Section 504 coordinator, and overseeing anything that has to do with the compliance of laws and policies regarding discrimination and harassment.
Title IX focuses on sexual harassment and gender-based harassment, whereas Title VII prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Title II Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.
Dexter said the regulations regarding these and other laws are covered in the University’s Equal Opportunity Plan, which she is responsible for implementing, disseminating, and ensuring the community’s compliance.
The Equal Opportunity Plan is shared amongst the nine Massachusetts state universities. Dexter said it is written with the assistance of legal counsel and is “developed in such a way it is applicable to and will work for all of the different communities.”
Dexter said she is typically the investigator for complaints regarding employees, but she works closely with Community Standards, Residence Life, and University Police. She added, “We also have a very meaningful off-campus relationship with Voices Against Violence.”
She said the organization has provided direct confidential support services to students for several years. The partnership includes an advocate with walk-in office hours on campus, as well as their membership on the University’s Title IX compliance team. The organization conducts trainings on campus and also developed the University’s bystander intervention training.
Dexter said the work in her field causes “high burnout” rates because it often concerns “the very worst things that have happened in someone’s life.” She must maintain a certain level of control while also making sure she is giving back a level of control to the individual she is speaking to. She said, “A lot of times with Title IX, the individual feels control has been stolen away from them.”
She added, “Having a net of wellness for yourself is really important.”
Despite the challenges she may face, Dexter said, “You have to re-frame the experience and you have to look at the small wins - this applies to so many important work that has to be done.” In her free time, Dexter enjoys going to local music shows to see bands such as Darlingside and Twisted Pine. During the summers, she tries to spend time camping and kayaking with family in Gloucester. She and her wife Samantha recently adopted Grace the
different things in life. Then, you have to get right back in there because it’s greyhound and regularly take her for walks and hikes. Though she values going to concerts and spending time outdoors, Dexter said, “Cooking is a solo activity where I can check out, focus on something, and really appreciate the outcome. So, I do a lot of the cooking at home.”
A simple, yet comforting dish she likes to prepare is chicken soup with the unique addition of white beans and leeks. But, one of her favorite meals has to be blackened catfish with mango-avocado salsa.
At the turn of the new year, Dexter signed up for ASL classes and has challenged herself to learn how to play the guitar, but she said her ultimate goal for 2020 is “to continue doing the work.”
She said, “I want to be somebody who has an impact and who makes contributions, despite the stress that comes with the work. I just want to keep doing that in a meaningful way.”