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Kinsey focuses on reproduction, relationships The institute studies one way humans interact through emoji and relationship research.

By Joey Bowling

jobowl@iu.edu | @joeybowling8j

Researchers from across the globe come to the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction to better understand how people talk to each other and the diff erent types of relationships people have.

It was originally founded by Alfred Kinsey, a pioneering biologist and sexologist, in 1947 as the Institute for Sex Research. It has facilitated studies on sexual health, love and relationships, according to its website. As the institute began to w grow, it branched out to diff erent topics such as relationships during cancer treatments and how emojis are used in online dating.

IU’s fi rst chancellor, Herman B Wells, fought for academic freedom and the institute, according to the Kinsey website. He was one of its biggest proponents and felt the knowledge gained from its research would propel the world forward.

“Th e university believes that the human race has been able to make progress because individuals have been free to investigate all aspects of life,” Wells said after the institute published a book discussing female sexuality.

One of Kinsey’s and two other researchers fi ndings while at the Kinsey Institute was the heterosexual-homosexual rating scale, also known as the Kinsey Scale, which helps categorize the sexual history of an individual.

Th e scale was fi rst published in “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.” Th e books “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male” and “Sexual Behavior in the Human Female” are considered to be two of the most infl uential scientifi c books published in the 20th century, according to the Kinsey website.

Amanda Gesselman, a Kinsey research scientist, said some of her research focuses on how relationships work during breast cancer treatment and ways a partner can help facilitate recovery.

She said she and her co-researcher Justin Garcia studied how partners can help with posttraumatic stress and other areas of breast cancer recovery.

She said another research project she recently fi nished was on emojis and how people use them to talk to each other.

“Emojis are treated as this silly thing you put on Instagram or whatever, but over the last two years we’ve been thinking of them in terms of how people use them in online dating,” Gesselman said.

Gesselman said emojis are used as a way to display yourself quickly, as research shows people who send short messages on dating websites gain more attention or responses.

“Th at means that people have to form connections and advertise themselves in one to two sentences,” Gesselman said.

She said a lot of research conducted at the Kinsey Institute is focused on better educating the world on reproductive health and sexuality.

“Everything we do is focused on not only educating but trying to advance wellness or well-being,” Gesselman said. “Everything we do is focused on how can we make things better.” ILLUSTRATION BY MADELYN POWERS | IDS

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An out-of-state student’s guide to Indiana

By Mark Christiansen

mec1@iu.edu

Heading off to college can be a frightening new experience, especially if you’re an out-of-state student. I’ve discovered a thing or two after moving here from Atlanta.

Indiana is a state that I personally knew very little about except for some of the professional sports in Indianapolis, such as the Colts, Pacers and Indianapolis 500. But the state has far more to offer than I would have ever imagined, from food and entertainment to national parks and even the weather.

For starters, the choices for food in Indiana, especially in Bloomington, are more wide ranging than one might think. After two years at IU, my list of restaurants that I enjoy continues to grow, and I don’t think it will stop. If you didn’t know, Bloomington’s ethnic restaurants are worth bragging about.

My personal favorites are A Taste of India, Little Tibet and Big Woods. For me these three provide a wide palate of flavor.

The entertainment industry in Indiana was a pleasant surprise as I, like many who attend IU, love the sport of basketball. Even though I am not a Pacers fan, there’s something amazing about attending a basketball game in downtown Indianapolis at night.

If sports aren’t your scene, maybe music is. Indianapolis often has concerts from big name artists like Travis

Scott and Ariana Grande while Bloomington features smaller, local artists. Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington are great places to look for events.

Perhaps one of the most special things about Indiana is the amount of state parks that are scattered throughout the state. The wide range of lakes and walking trails to go visit feels never ending and are always a spot you can revisit and seem to never get bored of.

One of the things that I have loved about Indiana is just being able to go on a nice drive through the countryside. Something about driving during sunset is a very calming and beautiful gem ofIndiana.

I spent part of my life living in Texas, and everybody there talks about how the weather’s always changing throughout the week. My first year in Bloomington was a rollercoaster of weather patterns from weather feeling like the heat of southern Alabama to a freezing with snow in what seems like Boston temperatures.

Nothing could have prepared me for how fast the weather can change in only a day, but it’s just another fun feature about Indiana.

Indiana is a extraordinarystate with a lot to offer. Over four years of college, the amount of new foods, events, weather patterns and peaceful areas you might discover seem to be never ending.