page
page
The annual Clery Report on campus crime shows high alcohol citations.
4
5
page
LGBTQ discrimination laws have yet to be passed by Idaho’s legislature.
10
Coach Petersen approaches his historic 100th game as Boise State’s football coach.
arbiteronline.com The Arbiter Indepen d en t
S t u d e n t
V o i c e
o f
B o is e
S tat e
Si n c e
@arbiteronline
1 9 3 3
October 24, 2013 • Issue no. 18 Volume 26
Boise, Idaho
First issue free
traightla ced S
Women’s center shows documentary exploring gender roles
Jeff Bulger
ing the film can start a dialogue between parents and youth about gender issues. “We’re hoping to have some good discussion between parents and youth about how gender influences them and how it’s more of a social construct than a binary choice when we’re born,” Morgan said. Morgan feels that the Women’s Center has a positive impact on the students who are involved with it and its projects. “I believe that equality is really important, especially on a college campus. These are the formative years of our lives …
“I think that it’s important to create a space where youth, adults, and nontraditional students who have children are able to listen to these kids so that they can create that conversation about [gender roles] in the home and open up a space for communication,” Lundquist said. “There are a lot of different challenges that our kids are facing. I think creating a space for that conversation is a good thing.” Lundquist particularly wanted to see if more nontraditional students would come, as she feels they
are an underrepresented group on campus, particularly in the campus media. “You typically see an 18 or 19-year-old college student,” Lundquist said, referring to nontraditional students’ underrepresentation in student media. “Over 50 percent of our students on campus are nontraditional … but they are not very visible [in student media].” Lundquist says that all students, nontraditional and otherwise, are welcome at the Women’s Center. In particular, she cites
the Women’s Center as a motivation in staying at Boise State despite the challenges posed by being both a student and single mother. “I almost dropped out of college until I started going to the Women’s Center,” Lundquist said. “When I found a space that I could get involved in on campus it helped [me] want to stay in school … getting involved on campus is proven to help people stay in college.”
Photo: :Kalee hinkle/THE ARBITER
Its website reads, “The Women’s Center is a place for everyone” and that students there should “feel safe expressing all aspects of their identities.” Keeping with this theme of equality and acceptance, the Women’s Center hosted a viewing of the documentary “Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up,” followed by a discussion on gender roles on Oct. 22. The film deals with sexuality, gender, bigotry and society’s expectations of teens. “Straightlaced” makes the case that society’s definition of gender roles is in a state of fluidity and constant flux. It also touches on the subjects of discrimination and bigotry that many teens face in their daily lives. Daniel Morgan, a gender equity peer educator with a focus on masculinity and LGBTQIA issues, believes that show-
where we become who we’re going to be for the rest of our lives,” Morgan said. “I want to be there as a support for LGBTQIA students and show them that Boise State is a safe place to be.” Tasha Lundquist, gender equity peer educator at the Women’s Center with a focus on nontraditional students, conceptualized and helped organize the event. Lundquist, a single mother and nontraditional student, hopes that she can help make the conversation about gender roles in the home easier to engage in.
Photo: :Kalee hinkle/THE ARBITER
Staff Writer
Women’s Center seeks to engage students.
Women’s Center shows Straightlaced documentary to campus.
Clap common on campus Cher Wada Koenig @Wadapatch
Photo courtesy/mct campus
Ben, a Boise State sophomore construction management major, said he doesn’t have any sexually transmitted diseases (STD) but he has a couple of friends who do. Ben preferred to remain anonymous for personal reasons. “Some guys I know don’t like to use condoms and don’t really think about it too much, until they got something (a STD),” Ben said. Ben doesn’t worry about STDs because he practices safe sex, even though he’s
not in a monogamous relationship. “I like to use protection,” Ben said. “And when I’m in a relationship it’s protected too.” Dr. Vincent Serio, medical director for University Health Services, said chlamydia is the most common STD the Boise State Health Center sees, along with gonorrhea. Although they do see high rates of HPV (human papillomavirus), which he explained was actually the most common STD, but it appears less than chlamydia due to its lack of laboratory screening for HPV. Serio said stereotypi-
Condoms are available at the Health Center.
cally speaking, one might expect college rates to be higher than the national average of STDs, but they’re really not. “HPV is probably the most common disease worldwide that’s sexually transmitted,” Serio said. “HIV and Syphilis are very uncommon in college settings.” Serio said there’s going to be two situations in which a student would go into the health center to talk about STDs. “One is (a diagnostic situation), they’re going to have some type of symptom,” Serio said. “The second scenario is (a screening proposition) the student that doesn’t have any symptoms at all and just ‘wants to know.’” According to Serio, people should do everything they can to prevent the diseases that are preventable. “HPV is probably the most common sexually transmitted disease worldwide and it’s also the only one in which there’s a vaccine to prevent,” Serio said. “So the first thing on your list should be getting a
HPV vaccine. That’s for both men and women, from the ages of 9 to 27.” Serio listed the second preventative method as barrier protection. “Most of the other STDs are transmitted through skin-to-skin, intimate contact with the genitals,” Serio said. “Using a condom is a very effective way of preventing most of those types of sexually transmitted diseases. They’re not 100 percent affective but they’re really the best next step that’s available. Abstinence is the only surefire way of preventing a sexually transmitted disease.” Though students at Boise State like Ben haven’t practiced abstinence, Ben explained he’s never come across someone that argued about using protection, but if he did he would definitely have to talk about it. He also discussed the number of sexual partners he has. “I would say two or three in a month,” Ben said. According to Ben, all his partners know he has others and are okay with it. Ben
admitted he and his friends hookup with other students, coworkers, friends that don’t attend school, at parties, or where ever they can. On the other end of the spectrum, there are students who are very cautious. Bre Clifford, sophomore communication major, said she’s been in a monogamous relationship for five years. “Before we were sexually active we went and got tested together and because it was just after I had broken up with somebody, we went and got tested again a few months later,” Clifford said. “And we’re both good to go.” Clifford said they still practice safe sex though, because they are not ready for a STD or a baby. She believes most people are promiscuous on campus and although she doesn’t personally know someone with a STD. She has heard there are people on campus with one. Clifford offered advice for other students around campus. “Practice safe sex,” Clifford said. “We don’t need STDs or babies.”
The Health Center is used to having these discussions with students. Everything is fully confidential and they offer anonymous HIV testing that doesn’t require any blood work, just walk in and you get a Q-tip swab on the inside of your cheek; painless, anonymous and free.
Dr. Serio explained the typical symptoms of a STD. In males it’s usually burning with urination, or discharge from the penis. In females it’s typically a vaginal discharge, or odor. “In both cases sometimes, things on the genitals that don’t seem right, that shouldn’t be there; lumps, bumps, sores, something visible on the genitals that wasn’t there before,” Dr. Serio said. “Those are the common symptoms.”
page Design Christian Spencer/THE ARBITER
News
The Arbiter
pg 3
Opinion
pg 6
Arts & Entertainment
pg 7
Sports
pg 9 arbiteronline.com