the Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo, Since 1950
The S pectrum ubspectrum.com
Volume 62 No. 51
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Bands-a make him dance UB student recalls his past as an erotic dancer SARA DINATALE Senior News Editor
For most 18-year-old students, a fake ID is just a license to party. For one UB student, it was a license to work the pole. For this UB student, assuming the identity of “Danny Rivera” was the only way he could make his own money – by taking his clothes off. Clad in nothing but a pair of Calvin Klein briefs, “Danny” – who prefers to keep his real identity anonymous – pretended to be the 26-year-old on the fake ID he used to get into bar in order to work as an erotic dancer in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Danny fell into stripping by accident after getting drunk at a gay bar with his best friend. He worked as a dancer for 10 weeks the summer before his sophomore year, making enough money to get by following an estranged relationship with his parents. Now, Danny is 21 and a junior at UB – he hasn’t stripped semi-professionally in years but holds no shame in his sensual past. “It’s not like a disgusting, immoral thing that I did that I’ll regret for the rest of my life – I have no regrets,” Danny said. “I can’t go around telling everyone I was a stripper because there are certain representations I need to protect. Most of my friends know [and] if a stranger overheard the story and asked me, I have no shame in saying, ‘I was an erotic dancer. It was a f**king fun job and I loved it.’” Danny, who identifies as straight, went to a gay bar with his best friend during the winter break of his freshman year. Determined not to pay for any of his own drinks, Danny decided to turn on the charm and make the most out of his first time at a bar that had go-go dancers. At first, he laughed at the absurdity of being surrounded by men up on pedestals who were “flashing their junk” to the crowded dance club. In his pursuit of free drinks, Danny wound up flirting with the bar’s owner. The owner of the club saw Danny tearing up the dance floor, and he told Danny he could go up to the pole if he wanted and keep all his tips. He made $170 on a Tuesday night. He was amazed. “I’m a straight man who was raised Catholic and I was at a gay bar with my best friend,” Danny said. “There was a serious sense of just dropping the inhibitions and once that kicks in, you just go for it.” Danny went to a back room, stripped down to his underwear and hustled the pole for two hours, mimicking the erotic dancers around him. He admits he was somewhat of a natural. But following winter break, he returned to UB to finish his freshman year. After that, he spent some time abroad, but once back in the states, he was couch surfing and staying with friends. That was until he contacted the bar owner he met in the winter to set up working regularly; he started to embark on a summer of sensuality in order to support himself.
Inside
Continued on page 19
The Spectrum surveyed over 800 students about their sex lives. See what we found out on page 10. Scintillating Tinder app provides new way to flirt 5 Love and sex advice from The Spectrum staff 8 SBI promotes sexual health among students 9 True Life: I'm a virgin 11 Songs to bump during sex and ones to avoid 15
The best love songs you can use to serenade a lover 17 Chivalry? Is that still a thing? 18 Looking for movies you and your significant other can watch on V-Day? 18 Sports romances and sexy uniforms 20-21 Sex on campus? In public? It happens 24 Photo by Alexa Strudler Cover by Brian Keschinger