Wednesday, February 8, 2017 | Volume 212 | Number 97 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
I
AN OWA
STATE DAILY SERIES PART 2
EDUCATION ed no 9.4% receiv sex ed
EDUCATING
OUR TEENS *statistics courtesy of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
$1.5 billion spent on abstinence-only programs
COMMENTARY:
Courtesy of Maggie Gehlsen
Maggie Gehlsen, Miss Iowa pageant contestant, became an advocate for sexual assault education and prevention.
Sexual assault ‘survivors who are out there need you’ By Maggie.Gehlsen Miss Iowa Pageant Contestant
50% less likely to become pregnant with comprehensive sex education
On average, teens become sexually active at 17
By Alison.Boysen @iowastatedaily.com ‘Having the talk’ is an age-old euphemism for learning about sexual health typically from parents or teachers. Despite the occasional awkwardness, some educators such as Amy Popilion, senior lecturer in human development and family studies, believes that there should be lots of talks, not just ‘a talk’ in isolation. Sexual education has a history of being very controversial, a fight between comprehensive sex education (CSE) and sexual risk avoidance (SRA)-based education. Today, this battle ensues, the question being which one is more beneficial to teach teens about sex and how to be safe while participating in sexual encounters. Planned Parenthood is an organization that teaches a comprehensive curriculum to schools, colleges and adults. Ascend is an organization that
promotes abstinence as a way to stay sexually healthy. “Our education is comprehensive, age appropriate, medically accurate, so depending on what the request is, we spend a lot of time talking to the teachers … to get an idea of what students are wanting to learn,” said Beth Mensing, comprehensive sexual health educator at Planned Parenthood. Iowa’s standards for sexual education are not specific on how these topics should be taught. According to Iowa’s educational standards, “[…] age-appropriate and research-based human growth and development; substance abuse and nonuse; emotional and social health; health resources; and prevention and control of disease, including age-appropriate and research-based information regarding sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV and the availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome.” In fact, these standards do not
RESOURCES Mary Greeley Medical Center* 515-239-2155
Student Counseling Services 515-294-5056
LGBTSS 515-294-5433
ISU Police* 515-294-4428
Dean of Students 515-294-1020
Ames Police* 515-239-5133
Sloss House 515-294-4154
ACCESS* 515-292-5378
For more resources go online to iowastatedaily.com *These resources are affiliated with the Sexual Assault Response Team
I became an advocate for sexual assault education and prevention in a rather unconventional way. For the last decade of my life, once or twice a year, I’ve stepped foot onstage in pretty gowns and twirled batons and answered questions in front of hundreds of people. You guessed it: pageant queen. I used to love performing the most, and don’t get me wrong, it still is the greatest, most exhilarating thing I’ve done in this lifetime. But now my passions have shifted; my favorite part is the reason why I compete. I compete because I believe in something bigger than me. I believe there are changes to be made, people to help and voices to be heard. So, after my own personal and horrifying experience with sexual assault, I knew I had a unique opportunity to speak about it – and to maybe make some change in the process. Speaking about my own assault has not been easy. In fact, at age 15, when I was assaulted, I didn’t speak about it for four years. I know my situation isn’t unique. Sexual assault happens everyday to normal people in normal places at normal times. When I felt ready and had sought out the resources I needed, my assault became something that no longer held me back – it gave me a voice, and it gave me something bigger than me to fight for. Campus sexual assault education and prevention is not only a needed component on high school and college campuses, it’s vital to our survival. It is absolutely, without-a-doubt, necessary. And it isn’t hard to implement programs on your own campuses. Campuses across the country are enlisting the help of organizations like Know Your IX, End Rape On Campus, It’s On Us and RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) to ensure their campuses are equipped with the tools and resources to prevent sexual assault and most importantly, to support survivors in their journey to healing. We can no longer ignore the blatant is-
TEENS p4
ASSAULT p4
DeVos confirmed as education secretary By Alex.Connor @iowastatedaily.com In an unprecedented tie-breaking vote Tuesday afternoon, President Trump’s education secretary pick Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the Senate 51-50. DeVos, 59, is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She has devoted a large part of her life to expanding educational choice through charter schools and vouchers, but many are concerned with her limited experience with the public school system. Trump announced his intent to nominate DeVos in November, citing that she is “a brilliant and passionate education
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advocate.” “Under her leadership we will reform the U.S. education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver BETSY world-class education and DEVOS school to all families,” the president said. Iowa State President Steven Leath commented on DeVos during an interview with the Iowa State Daily last Wednesday, saying that when it comes to what to expect from the new secretary, many in higher education don’t know. “If you look at her background, it’s mostly K-12. She’s been largely silent
during the confirmation and nomination process on higher ed,” Leath said. Leath said that with DeVos, they will engage through their affiliations to hope to ensure that she has expertise around what affects higher education. “We’re going to be as proactive as we can,” Leath said. Vice President Mike Pence made history in the Senate Tuesday when confirming DeVos, as it was the first time that a vice president was summoned to the Capitol to break a tie on a cabinet nomination. Two Republicans voted against the nomination of DeVos. DeVos tweeted soon after she was confirmed, saying she is honored to serve. “I appreciate the Senate’s diligence &
am honored to serve as [education secretary.] Let’s improve options & outcomes for all U.S. students,” she wrote. Leath said Wednesday that what higher education needs from a secretary of education, is “someone who understands that most people in this country get education from these big public institutions like [Iowa State].” “We need the secretary to engage other secretaries and other agencies in the federal government about the importance of research and how it drives quality of life and economic success in this country,” Leath said, also citing the importance of finanical support such as pell grants. John King Jr. previously served as the 10th secretary of education.
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