SPORTS // DO YOU WANNA BE ON THE PANEL? >> CHeck it out on pG. 10 Volume 143 · Issue 5 • October 7, 2009
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brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.
Let’s talk about sex, baby
SU to hold byelection Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan
Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan
A full week of events on campus aim to inform, entertain, and get students talking about sex. Sexuality Awareness Week is put on by the UNB Sexuality Centre and runs from Oct. 5 - 9.
Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan
Before you leap between the sheets, take in a Sexuality Awareness event this week. The UNB Sexuality Centre, located across from the Ballroom on the top floor of the Student Union Building, is hosting Sexuality Awareness Week, with one event funded by the Student Union. From Oct. 5 to 9, there will be fun and informative events to teach students about healthy sex. “The theme in general is just sexuality awareness. That incorporates a bunch of different things for us. We talk about orientation, different sexual orientations. We talk about safer sex, what that means. We talk about history of sex and what’s
changing. We talk about fun things with sex: sex toys, position manuals, things like that,” Sarah Olsen, coordinator of the UNB Sexuality Centre, said. The Centre tries to encompass all aspects of sexuality and sex in their annual event, while entertaining and informing students in the process. “We look at everything. We really try to touch on some of the more serious things, I mentioned sexual health, but then we also say ‘Hey, sex can be fun. Let’s look at dildos,’” Olsen said with a laugh. On Monday there were games in the SUB Cafeteria, including “Guess the STI” and “Sex-tionary,” a sexual play on Pictionary. There was also a diversity game focusing on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community. On Tuesday evening, Lyndsay Anderson, a residence life manager at Dalhousie University, spoke at the week’s biggest event which was co-sponsored by the Student Union. Anderson works extensively with Dal Allies, a group devoted
to creating safe and inclusive spaces for members of the LGBTQ community on campus. The title of the presentation is Raunch Culture. “She was once a participant in the whole pimp, hoe, raunch culture atmosphere and now, being a Res Life professional, she sort of has a different viewpoint and she’s looking at it and saying ‘lets explore what this culture is.’ We’re not condemning it, but we just want to talk about why it’s happening,” Olsen said. Anderson brought with her a slideshow of aspects of raunch culture taking place on Atlantic university campuses. Wednesday’s event is a Fantasia party in the senior common room in McConnell Hall at 7 p.m. The relaxed evening is for people of any sexual orientation and provides an opportunity to learn about and buy sex toys, lotions, sex games and sensual products. Thursday evening’s event will be a showing of the film Better Than Chocolate at the Harriet Irving Library in the Nolan Room. The plotline follows two
women who meet and fall in love in Vancouver and have to deal with the repercussions when one woman’s recently divorced mother moves in. On Friday, the Blue Room will be transformed into a sex museum, displaying posters, information pamphlets, sex toys, sex models and displays about sex throughout history. Olsen said that Sexuality Awareness Week is extremely important for students. “There is the whole idea of the university culture being a place where you can explore your sexuality, maybe before, in high school you were more restrained. Now you’re coming into university, living on your own, mommy and daddy aren’t watching what goes on in the bedroom so there’s a lot more experimentation and exploration. We’re not condemning that, we’re just asking students to make sure that this is safe,” Olsen said. Sexuality Awareness Week events are free and open to everyone. For more information call 452-6272 or visit the Sexuality Centre.
The UNBSU will be holding a byelection this week to fill the empty spots around the council table. Five positions are open, and candidates for four of the five positions are running uncontested. Joshua Bojahra and Derek AJ Ness are competing for the position of Arts representative. There are three seats on council for this position, and all were filled at the end of last year. Kelly Flinn, however, resigned from her position, leaving it open for nomination. The other two Arts representatives are Tom Cheney and Karlie Hanoski. The position of Education representative is open as well. Erin Maclean, the student who was elected for the position originally, has resigned as well. Lauren Vail has obtained the one-year Senate seat by acclamation. Previously former SU president Bethany Vail held the position, but Vail stepped down as she is finishing her degree at another university. Spots are also open for the positions of Forestry and Environmental Management Representative and Residence Liaison. These positions were not filled in last year’s election. The candidates for these positions, Rachel McKinley and Brad McKinney respectively, are running uncontested. SU President Jon O’Kane stresses the importance of voting. “Students may not see it every day, but the students on council are making decisions and having discussions that impact their education. If students want to have an impact on those discussions, they can make it heard through their vote,” says O’Kane. Students eligible to vote are those from the faculties for which positions are available. That is to say, an Arts student could vote, as could someone from Forestry, Education or the residence community. Someone from the faculty of business, for example, is not eligible to vote since there is not an empty seat for Business Representative. While candidates for most positions are running uncontested, students will still have the option to vote “No.” If the majority of students negate a candidate, the position will remain vacant. Council can call a byelection at any time, says O’Kane. As per usual, ballots will be cast online.