The Sex Issue

THE February 14, 2014

ARGOSY

Slipping into something more comfortable since 1872

Vol. 143 The Sex Issue

SEX

Issue

Masturbation, menstruation, and pubic hair in my art books

4

How to have (terrible) sex like famous (white, male) authors

5

Condom delivery service temporarily unavailable

6

Should sex have a soundtrack?

7

The Argosy’s Valentine’s Day mixtape

8

Interactive technology changing the sexual landscape

9

Smartphone controlled vibrating panties set for release

9

Letting the other lips do the talking

10-11

Make your Valentine’s Day date the Sweetest Little Thing

12-13

Police struggle to respond to changing prostitution laws

14

Ryerson’s security fee was unacceptable

15

Cook in your kitchen this Valentine’s day!

16

Food to get you in the mood

17

Sex Bomb: The Olympic golden shower

18

Sex Humor: The birds and the bees

19

THE

A RGOSY

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Richard Kent

w w w. a r g o s y. c a

Independent Student Newspaper of Mount Allison University Thursday February 6, 2014 volume 143—The Sex Issue Since 1872 Circulation 1,700

62 York Street W. McCain Student Centre Mount Allison University Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1E2

506 364 2236

Email argosy@mta.ca

THE ARGOSY is published by Argosy Publications, Inc., a student run, autonomous, apolitical not-for-profit organization operated in accordance with the province of New Brunswick.

disclaimers and copyright

writingstaff

editorialstaff NEWS EDITOR

Christopher Balcom­­­

FEATURES EDITOR

Tyler Stuart

SCIENCE EDITOR

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

­­­

Norman Nehmetallah

Allison O’Reilly

SPORTS EDITOR

OPINIONS EDITOR

Alex Bates ­­­

­­­

Ian Malcolm

­­­

John Trafford

ARTS & LITERATURE EDITOR

Julia McMillan

productionstaff PRODUCTION MANAGER

Julie Whitenect

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Emily James

COPY EDITORS

HUMOUR EDITOR

­­­

ONLINE EDITOR

Madison Downe

NEWS WRITER

Miriam Namakanda POLITICAL BEAT WRITER

Kevin Levangie

FEATURES WRITER

Taylor Losier

ARTS WRITER

operationsstaff

BUSINESS MANAGER

Megan Landry

OFFICE MANAGER PHOTO MANAGER

Nick Sleptov

PHOTO EDITOR

Chris Donovan ILLUSTRATOR

Susan Parker, Kimberly Sayson, Lisa Theriault Rachael Hanakowski

Charlotte Henderson

Daniel Marcotte ENTERTAINMENT WRITER

Cameron McIntyre SPORTS WRITER

Benjamin Foster

SCI/TECH WRITER

Martin Omes

IT MANAGER

James Isnor

CIRCULATIONS

Sam Shury

contributors Paul Boon, Rachael Hanakowski, Kyle Forbes, Caity Brawn, Ryan Lebreton, Brendan Carroll, John Fraser, Brandon Williams, Tessa Dixon, Celian Boothby, Allison Abernethy, Pat Allaby

publicationboard

Marilyn Walker (Chair), Dave Thomas, Dan Legere, Filip Jaworski

The Argosy is the official independent student journal of news, opinion, and the arts, written, edited and funded by the students of Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick.

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of The Argosy’s staff or its Board of Directors. The Argosy is published weekly throughout the academic year by Argosy Publications Inc. Student contributions in the form of letters, articles, photography, graphic design and comics are welcome. The Argosy reserves the right to edit or refuse all materials deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for print, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Articles or other contributions can be sent to argosy@mta.ca or directly to a section editor. The Argosy will print unsolicited materials at its own discretion. Letters to the editor must be signed, though names may be withheld at the sender’s request and at The Argosy’s discretion. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Comments , concerns, or complaints about The Argosy’s content or operations should be first sent to the Editor-in-Chief at the address above. If the Editor-in-Chief is unable to resolve a complaint, it may be taken to the Argosy Publications, Inc. Board of Directors. The chairs of the Board of Directors can be reached at the address above.

All materials appearing in The Argosy bear the copyright of Argosy Publications, Inc. Material cannot be reprinted without the consent of the Editor-in-Chief.

SEX ISSUE

Masturbation, menstruation, and pubic hair in my art books

By: Julia McMillan

M

y sex education could have been better. I spent about year believing that sex was when a man and woman got into bed together—naked—and peed. I learned this from my childhood best friend after her horny dog kept humping my leg, and I asked what he was doing.

Eventually, I took sex ed in school and learned the mechanics of the act—discovering, to my quiet shock and dismay, that I had been mislead with that peeing explanation. I looked at the carefully placed sex books my mom left around the house, and talked with my pre-teen friends, and I thought I had it all figured out.

It turns out that even though I learned about sexual intercourse from a combination of school, friends, and eventually my own experiences, I didn’t have it figured out at all. What I lacked was the knowledge and understanding of female sexuality. It wasn’t about the physical act; it was about sexual identity and agency as a woman. As it turns out, I also ended up learning a lot about this through books, though not the “name and identify the parts” kind of books I knew as a kid. Rather, my understanding of sexuality came from a surprising source: my art history books.

In high school when I started learning about art history, it was easy to identify and understand the omnipresent male gaze. For centuries women had been treated as muses, regarded as the ideal paragon of physical beauty. My art books were, and still are, littered with paintings of the naked female form viewed from a male’s perspective. In each case, the woman lacked a sense of agency. She was merely there, where the artist wanted her to be, emitting a demure or coy sensuality. She was both the object and the subject of the male gaze, and this was somehow okay because it was art.

It seemed beautiful, but it didn’t seem real.

This phenomenon wasn’t new to me. We see contemporary iterations of the male gaze and the female muse everywhere from mainstream media outlets like fashion magazines, TV shows, and music videos to more explicit sources, like pornography. In an overwhelming majority of these sources, women are depicted as unrealistically sexual objects, that, while beautiful, are not necessarily relatable or accessible to women viewers.Their bodies are perfect and hairless, and their faces appear frozen in some state of orgasmic ecstasy that I don’t even think I understood at the time. These women are products of male fantasies and expectations—an observation that isn’t by any means new— but it that can feel alienating and confusing for young women looking to understand themselves and their own bodies.

How was I to understand female sexuality when all I saw was a male’s interpretation of what it was—or rather what he wanted it to be?

When I got a little deeper into my art history education, moving past the stodgy Renaissance and Victorian portraiture, and into the Modern era, I discovered the images I had been unconsciously yearning to see: women making art about women’s bodies.

I encountered feminist artists working in the 1960s and onwards like Carolee Schneemann, a multidisciplinary artist who explores gender, the body’s sensuality and potential, and sexual agency through intimate, graphic, and shocking performance art and photography; the now-iconic Cindy Sherman, who uses costumed self-portraiture as means of parodying the way women are represented in media and society; painter Sylvia Sleigh, who attempts to equalize and reverse the gender roles through realistic nude representations of the human form; and the up-and-coming Petra Collins, a twenty-year-old photographer and designer, who recently designed a T-shirt for American Apparel depicting a menstruating, hairy vagina.

The work of these women, and many others I’ve met along the way, depicted pubic hair, open and on-display vaginas, same-sex couples, masturbation, and overwhelming examples of females exploring their own sexuality.

Sometimes it was beautiful and sometimes it wasn’t, but it was always real. Their work, for me, was always powerful and full of purpose, and answered the questions I had about my own body. These women turned the male gaze on its head, and took control over the way that they were represented. They were sexy, but they were sexy in their own way because they wanted to be, and not because they were told to be.

The male gaze still exists in visual art, and perhaps always will, but having women artists who challenge those representations of female sexuality, identity, and form, make the gaze lose its ability to transform women into submissive subjects.

Feminist artists taught me that the body is beautiful when we take control over its representation. They publicly showed me that women masturbate, menstruate, and have pubic hair. They are still teaching me that a woman’s sexuality is whatever she wants it to be, and that she can be sexy without being an object of male desire. Mostly, they are teaching me that my role doesn’t have to be the muse, it can be that of the creator.

How to have (terrible) sex like famous (white, male) authors By: Dan Marcotte

W

William Shakespeare hile alone, perform an elaborate soliloquy to no one in particular lamenting an absence of sexual relationships in your life.

Fall irrevocably in love with the next person you meet, and remain ironically oblivious to an overly complicated tale of woe unfolding around you. Whenever you have sex with your new partner, banter playfully back and forth with each other in poetic verse.

Use elaborate pet names for each other, such as “Thou spirited, eye-charming sex-pumpkin!” and “O fanciful, skin-pleasing bumbeauty!” Kill your best friend in a duel because they poisoned your lover because their honour was besmirched. After everyone else is dead, follow suit by falling on your own sword.

Ernest Hemingway Buy a .50 caliber elephant rifle, a pack of cigarettes, and a bottle of scotch to help you bask in your white manliness. In between solitary hunting and backpacking trips, drink to excess and glare at the scotch for daring to try and make you feel things. Imagine yourself as the last person on the planet and blame women for this, but respect the earth for letting you stay. Don’t actually ever have any sex, but internalize an immense sexual frustration to appear deep and meaningful.

There is a single white tree in a yellow field; try to relate to it.

Herman Melville Embark on a naval journey to scour the planet for the largest, thickest, whitest penis the world has to offer. Gradually descend

into madness as you do so, and get your entire crew worked up about how incredibly amazing this penis will be to behold once you find it. To assist in your search, study and document the etymology of the word “penis”, and conduct extensive research regarding the differing biological categories and characteristics of the world’s penises. Once you finally encounter what you are looking for, attack it with harpoons to assert your heterosexuality.

Samuel Beckett [Darkish room. Greyness everywhere. White doors on every wall. Floor completely covered in sand. A large metal machine sits in the centre of the room. A single beam of light shines on the machine. Enter YOUR LOVER, who slowly shuffles to stand directly in front of the machine. Pale, bald. Ratty clothes.]

YOUR LOVER: [Long pause.

Fixed gaze, droning voice, lifeless.]

Ah yes. It is time.Time for the sex.

The time in which we engage in the sex. Time no longer exists.

[Pause.] Meaning no longer exists.

Sex no longer has meaning. But we must have it. [Pause.] We must.

[Enter YOU. Stand motionlessly

side by side.]

YOU: [Quietly and with finality.] Yes. [Long pause. Machine sputters to life.]

[Curtain.]

John Keats Fall asleep under a tree at night. In your dream, have sex with several different Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses. If you cannot tell if the experience is real, that is good; it means you are a visionary.

William Wordsworth Wander a few miles out from your country cottage and masturbate by a lake.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Take opium, then wander a few miles out from your country cottage and masturbate by a lake.

Lord Byron Casually engage in numerous sexual affairs with married people of all genders, all the while exuding a cynical and arrogant bravado to conceal dark emotional secrets and appear more intriguing to the public. If anyone denounces you as a misogynist, defend yourself by claiming it adds to your depth

of character.

Henry David Thoreau Ask a friend if you can borrow an axe and squat on their land for a weekend. Go there, chop down tons of trees, and fashion them into a romantic cabin for two.

Invite your partner to your new cabin, and when they arrive, cook them a hearty meal of barley, beans, and raw woodchuck. If they ask why the meal is so bland, tell them that simplicity is preferable to embellishment, and that it brings people closer to nature.

Philosophize together about how society sucks until you are both thoroughly aroused, and then have passionate sex in the dirt to build character. Later, write down every detail about your sexual experience in a book so you can publish and sell it, even though you hate money. Return to civilization with your lover and become a neck-beard enthusiast.

5

SEX ISSUE

Condom delivery service temporarily unavailable By: Christopher Balcom

S

tudents practicing safe sex on campus have a variety of routes to free condoms, but one has been unavailable recently due to a problem with a page on the Mount Allison Students’ Union (MASU) website.

MASU Vice-President, Campus Life Heather Webster told The Argosy she was not aware of the error, and clarified that it was a problem with the website rather than a cancellation of the service.

Webster said the error would be fixed as soon as possible. It is not clear how long the page was not working. Webster said there were ninety condom deliveries to student mailboxes last term.

MASU condom services have been expanded during Webster’s tenure as vice-president. Free condom dispensers were set up in the male and female washrooms in The Pond at the end of November 2013.

Photo by Nick Sleptov

“We expanded on the mailbox service to have condom dispensers,” Webster said.

Webster said that her 2012 vice-presidential campaign had focused in part on improving the efficiency of the Wellness Centre.

The Wellness Centre’s nurse told Webster she spent most of her time testing sexually transmitted infections.

Webster felt that reducing the number of students going to the Wellness Centre concerned about STIs would be useful.

Webster said that while students had access to condoms during the day, through the Wellness Centre and the mailbox program, there was a lack of access at night, when a student may be going home with someone after a night at The Pond.

The dispenser program was initially intended to replace the mailboxes. “I had hoped that we would phase out the mailbox

system,” Webster said.

But the dispenser in the men’s washroom was destroyed in its first night of operation, at last term’s Last Class Bash on Nov. 30. That dispenser will not be replaced.

Webster said she could not justify spending more student money on something that would likely be destroyed again. She said she was told by pub staff that the men’s washroom is constantly experiencing damages.

While MASU bought the dispensers for $116, the condoms themselves are donated by AIDS Moncton.

Because of the destruction of the dispenser in the men’s washroom, it was decided to continue offering the mailbox service, so that male students would continue to have a source of condoms.

“We [needed] to continue offering the mailbox service

because it’s not fair to males,” Webster said.

Nonetheless, Webster said she is pleased with the success of the dispenser in the women’s washroom. Webster said she fills up the dispensers with seventy to 140 condoms every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night.

Webster said that student use of the mailbox service has been slowly declining, which was part of the motivation to phase out the service. In 2003, the first year of the program, there were 401 mailbox deliveries. In 2012, there were only 130 deliveries.

Students can receive five condoms a term from MASU through the mailbox program.

Trojan donates the condoms for the mailbox service.

Students are also able to get condoms at the Wellness Centre.

Those living in residence can also obtain condoms from residence assistants.

I

Should

By: Norman Nehmetallah

sex

have a soundtrack?

f movies are to be believed, sex—or any emotionally or physically wrought occasion—is best had to music. In fact, if movies are to be believed, virtually all sex is had to music. However, if cinematic sex is representative of actual sex, then penetration is a rare occurrence and the deed doesn’t last longer than a couple of minutes. We at The Argosy hope that neither of these is the case.

The practice of having sex to music is a much debated topic. Some experts, like famous sex therapist Ruth Westheimer, believe that, while music can certainly establish a sexual atmosphere, it should be turned off during the sex itself as it doesn’t allow “for fantasies to develop.” However, many people find a rhythmic guide to be an enhancement to sex. The Argosy spent a few hours on campus to find out whether Mount Allison students like their sex to be soundtracked and how they navigate the logistics of playing music during sex.

Of the forty-seven interviews that we conducted with students, seventeen respondents (approximately thirty-six per cent) stated that they did not listen to any music during sex. When asked why, an overwhelming majority of respondents considered it to be too awkward to put the music on, or that it seemed cheesy. One student said that he doesn’t listen to music during sex because he’s “in the zone.”

However, a few proponents of the practice that we spoke to said that they leave a playlist on repeat before anything exciting happens in order to avoid awkwardly getting up to turn music on.

Three students answered that they have tried playing music only once and that they found the practice to range from generally ineffective to a verified mood killer. One student attributed the choice of medium, a vinyl record, to how unpleasant the experience was.

The respondent said that her partner “got up immediately to flip the [Arcade Fire] record” when it reached the end of its first side.

Two respondents said that context, which included who their partner was and how the evening had gone, dictated their choice of music if it was played at all. One anonymous student said that it all depends on his partner.

“If it’s sex I give a shit about, I play the Weeknd, or Chris Brown—something slow. If not, I play Lil’ Dirk, French Montana, or some club shit,” he said.

However, at the end of the day, the student said, “as long as my dick’s hard, I’m all good.”

Twenty-five interviewed students (fifty-three per cent) were firmly in support of playing music during their lovemaking sessions. While the Canadian alternative R&B artist The Weeknd was the most frequently cited response with six mentions, responses varied with regard to what students like to listen to when they are bumping and grinding. While hip-hop and R&B artists like Kendrick Lamar and D’Angelo were popular choices, three students responded that they liked to listen to rock music and slow-paced death metal to set the mood.

Whether they use to it set the mood, or to prevent the noise from permeating thin residence walls, the majority of students that we interviewed liked to listen to music during sex. They said so long as the playlist is on repeat and carefully selected, awkward moments can be largely avoided.

Paul Boon caters his sex soundtrack to the woman he’s with and how the night goes.

He usually has sex to jazz, early 2000s R&B, or mellow hip hop.

Benjamin likes to listen to slow heavy metal music when he has sex.

Caity Brawn occasionally has sex to whatever music is playing.

All photos by Cameron McIntyre

Rachael Hanakowski likes to have sex to “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran.

Ryan Lebreton likes to have sex to an iTunes playlist of Ke$ha and Rihanna.

Kyle Forbes likes to have sex to dustep.

Brendan Carroll had sex to “The Sweater Song” by Weezer.

7

SEX ISSUE

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Argosy! Regardless of whether you’re celebrating or casting scathing glances at couples who are, you should do it to this mix.

Papa Was a Rodeo—The Magnetic Fields Richard Kent: This is the saddest and happiest song ever written about love

between carnies.

In Spite of Ourselves—John Prine and Iris DeMent Norman Nehmetallah: A romantic tune about the least romantic parts of every day

with the one you love and hate. This song can lead into the kind of comfortable foreplay that long-time couples sometimes have.

Maybe I’m Amazed—Paul McCartney Alex Bates: Paul plays every instrument on this track dedicated to his then-wife, Linda.

Let’s Get it On— Marvin Gaye Julia McMillan: A classic, cheesy, and most of all effective lovemaking tune.

I Hate You—Monks Ian Malcolm: To those for whom Valentine’s Day is a necessary evil on the same

emotional plane as picking up after your dog.

Your Love is My Drug—Ke$ha Kevin Levangie: This song is uptempo and captures that initial infatuation that most

of us are all too familiar with. It’s also resoundingly pro-beard.

In My Arms—Jon Foreman Tyler Stuart: A sweet song on wanting and waiting for the girl.

Stubborn Love—The Lumineers Lisa Theriault: You’ll want to sing along to this beautiful tune about being there for someone.

Make it Wit’ Chu—Queens of the Stone Age Allison O’Reilly: One of the sexiest rock songs of the 21st century. Josh Homme is absolutely smouldering.

Forever and Always—Parachute Benjamin Foster: This tune shows you how strong true love is and that love is

forever. Might even make you shed a tear the first time you hear it.

Candy Shop—50 Cent Emily James: This song… no comment.

Crushin’—J Dilla Cameron McIntyre: Don’t let the date define your Valentine’s Day. Do For Love—2Pac Mariyamu Namakanda: This is a nice track that we can all meditate over on V-Day. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman—Carole King

Kimberly Sayson: Stripped down in all the right ways.

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You—Frankie Valli

Julie Whitenect: Classy oldies make you feel like classy lovers.

http://8tracks.com/normnehm/the-argosy-s-valentine-mix

Interactive technology changing the sexual landscape

By: Allison O’Reilly

T

he near-future romance film Her, written and directed by Spike Jonze, is critically acclaimed and Academy Award nominated.The film follows Theodore, played

by Joaquin Phoenix—a lonely, introverted man who falls in love with an intelligent computer operating system with a female voice and personality. In one of the film’s most memorable scenes,Theodore has an intimate encounter with the operating system, named Samantha, in which he edges her to arousal by describing what he would do to her if she was actually with him in physical form.

While fornication with an operating system may seem characteristic of a science fiction dystopia, many sexual technology products in the same vein are starting to appear.

A dating simulation game for the Nintendo DS console called Love Plus has been turning heads. The game allows for players to caress

another’s hair using a touch pad, or go on date, rife with flirtations. Just like Samantha, the personas of the game characters are modified in real time based on the likes and dislikes of the players. The game has only been released in Japan, and is highly popular amongst otaku (‘otaku’ is Japanese slang for those with obsessive interests).

Devices for direct sexual pleasure are also on the market. RealTouch, a USB-connected sex toy, has been developed in order to provide “interactive sex” with another person over the internet. Developed by a NASA engineer, the product comes in two parts: one modelled after a man’s lower anatomy, and another modelled after a woman’s. The device works by capturing sex sensations using technology similar to a touch screen, and then transmitting it digitally to the other. These sensations include heat, lubrication, tightness, and the partner’s motion.

In a report entitled “The Future of Relationships,” published by the Museum of

Sex, partnered with a trend-forecasting firm in New York, a case is made that advances in video game and other intelligence interactivity will allow for people to develop real relationships with their software.

Some of the trends that the report outlines are “long-distance foreplay,” which allows for sexual activity without the presence of a partner, “relationship forensics,” which can analyze your sexual history and provide feedback, and “teledildonics,” which are sex toys operated by computers, such as the RealTouch.

We may not be at the point of making personality adapting operating systems just yet, but one cannot say that technology is not shifting the sexual landscape. Even popular person-to-person apps such as Tinder and Grindr are changing how we interact with one another sexually. One thing we can all agree on is that the act itself has not changed. At least, not yet.

Smartphone-controlled vibrating panties

By: Allison O’Reilly

S

martphone obsessed couples, rejoice: a sex toy has been created just for you. Sex Toy Company OhMiBod announced at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show in Last Vegas panties that can be controlled by a partner.

Husband-and-wife team Brian and Suki Dunham, founders of OhMiBod, came up with the concept when he noticed that he and his wife were spending too much time on their smartphones, and less time being intimate.

Prior iterations of the product required bulky, indiscreet remote controls. The blueMotion massager, which retails for $129 CAD, aims to given women pleasure with the help of the accompanying Android or iOS app—thanks to the briefs Bluetooth chip.

The Bluetooth chip in the massager takes advantage of many smartphone features, including accelerometer, touch screen, and volume controls. One feature allows you to record up to sixty seconds of sound.This can allow for the vibrator to buzz to the beat

and rhythm of your partner’s voice, or a song of your choosing.

“It’s a really fun way to control vibrations without anyone knowing what you’re doing, because the remote is on your phone,” Dunham said. “Technology can drive couples apart, but this is using technology and gadgets to bring them closer together.”

Currently, the app has to be within Bluetooth range for it to sync with the panties in real time. According to Dunham, OhMiBod is working to bring long distance to the app, and should have it running by summer 2014.

OhMiBod has an extensive line of high-tech personal pleasure products.Their first product, also called the OhMiBod, is a music-driven sex toy that allows you to plug in your iPod. The product then vibrates to the beat and rhythm of your favorite music. The volume control is also an asset, as it controls the intensity of the vibrations—the higher the volume, the more intense they are.

The product will not be hitting the sex shop shelves until March. The product released will be one size fits all.

SEX ISSUE

Letting the other lips do the talking

By: John Fraser

O

nce again, Mount Allison University proudly brought the critically acclaimed Vagina Monologues to campus. Partnering with V-Day, an annual campaign to end violence and injustice against women around the world, The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler packs a clever, humorous, and emotional message. The show’s central message aims to empower individuals who identify as women through a combination of self acceptance, self exploration, and intolerance for oppression and abuse. This year’s production was directed co-operatively by Dez Nacario and Evelyn Wainewright, whose talents and experiences blended effectively to deliver a stunning performance through the cast.

The cast this year was a healthy mix of new and old faces. Some of the newcomers were individuals who hadn’t even seen the production, and their performance constituted their first introduction to the production. Some, like Piper Riley Thompson, were drawn to it out of pure curiosity.

“It was interesting to see how many people were really excited to be involved with the production,” Nacario said, “some were nervous at first, but they were all excited about the production by the end.” Many of the returning cast took on new roles this year, creating a sense of diversity for both the actor and the viewers.

Anna Duncan, a third-year Vagina Monologues veteran, took on the challenging role of a seventy-two year old woman struggling to express her sexual identity. “In my first year I had a funny role, then in my second a serious one,” Duncan said, “it was nice to have a role that combined the two.”

The Vagina Monologues have always been a wonderful balance of humour and graveness. Funny monologues are often employed to ease the tension and apprehension behind encouraging women to explore their sexuality and their anatomy more intimately. It was interesting to watch the audience turn from nervous laughs to full joy during the yelling of the word ‘cunt’ as apprehension turned to amusement and laughter. The laughter is mostly mediated by the fantastic energy and acting of the performers, as they boldly and bravely tackle the show’s intentional humour without trivializing the issues the monologues are trying to highlight. Some of the more serious monologues added a severe tone to the production, demonstrating the darker side of female sexuality. The injustice, abuse, and inequality is played with emotional vigour in the monologues, and really plucks at the heart of the issue. Coupled with the fact that many of the emotional monologues are real life testimonials and The Vagina Monologues is able to conjure compassion and empathy for the issues it highlights.

This year’s production features not only new actors, but also a new concluding monologue. In previous years, the show’s final monologue was the standing statistics sequence, but this year, the new monologue,“Spotlight,” describes a dream detailing justice through rehabilitation.

“We thought this ending was better,” Wainewright said. “It promotes a message of rehabilitation and reconnection, rather than feeling like we’re attacking the audience.” This message of rehabilitation is also carried out in the proceeds generated by the production—ninety percent of all proceeds go to the Amherst Autumn House, a rehabilitation centre for women victimized by sexual abuse.

While no men were involved in the performance, as only individuals identifying as female are permitted to perform, some men were involved as directors for the performance. “We feel its important for men to be involved. Their co-operation goes a long way to seeing violence against women ended,” Nacario said. One of the goals of V-Day is their 1 Billion Rising campaign, a call to vocalize the global estimate of female abuse victims. The Vagina Monologues goes a long way to generating these voices, and after seeing it I can say that this writer will definitely be one of them.

Photo by Nick Sleptov

11

SEX ISSUE

Sweetest Little Thing By: Brandon W illiams

S

till unsure of plans for this Valentine’s Day? Dating that special someone but not sure where to take them? Look no further then The Sweetest Little Thing. Now in its fifteenth year, the Sweetest Little Thing combines a night of extravagant attire, sweet baked goods, and an array of contemporary artwork all into one. Over the years, the event has become the most important fundraiser for the Owens Art Gallery, Struts Gallery, and Faucet Media Arts Centre.

Featuring artwork from artists from all over, the event has become somewhat of a tradition in the Sackville community. The event allows attendees to bid on artwork donated by artists from the local, national and international art community.

Although many of the artists are professionals, the event also allows students of the Mount Allison Fine Arts Program to exhibit some of their works in a professional and unique setting.

This year, The Sweetest Little Thing will have a new home at the Royal Canadian Legion at 15

Lorne St. In previous years, the event has been held at the Owens Art Gallery.

The main event of the night is the silent art auction. Although student budgets generally make art buying an unfeasible pursuit, The Sweetest Little Thing features work that can often be purchased at affordable prices.

After the bidding is over, the event promises a continued abundance of fun-loving activities, including the ever-popular cakewalk, where event goers can purchase tickets in order to win cakes made by members of the Sackville community. People can also take in the Instant Lovin’ photo booth, try their hand in a selection of raffle prizes, and join in on a night of music and dancing.

Valentine’s Day themed attire (preferably suitable for lots of dancing) is recommended.

All are welcome to attend this free event. Proceeds from the evening are divided between the Owens Art Gallery and Struts Gallery & Faucet Media Arts Centre to assist with programming throughout the year.

Artists featured: Adriana Kuiper, Andrea Mortson, Clair Paquet, Dennis Austin Reid, Graeme Patterson, Hermenegilde Chiasson, Ilse Kramer, Istavan Zsako, Jacob Dalstrup Jensen, Jamie Ashforth, Jerry Ropson, Jessica Koderas, Joe Camandy, Julie Whitenect, Karen Stentaford, Keeley Haftner, Krista Gunn, Leah Garnett, Marcia Huyer, Yoko Homareda, Nic Wilson, Olivia Cusack, Tara K Wells, Ya-Ling Huang

13

SEX ISSUE

Changing

prostitution laws

By: Miriam Namakanda

T

hree laws relating to the sale of sex were ruled unconstitutional in December by the Supreme Court of Canada.

But the response by governments, both provincial and federal, has been inconsistent, with enforcement varying from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court struck down three Criminal Code provisions regulating sex work.

They include sections prohibiting: “keeping a common bawdy-house,” “living on the avails of prostitution,” and “communicating in a public place.” Three current and former sex workers launched the case in 2007. These laws were criticized by the Supreme Court for making legal sex work dangerous.

“The prohibitions all heighten the risks the applicants face in prostitution […] they prevent people engaged in a risky—but legal—activity from taking steps to protect themselves,” read the Dec. 10 ruling.

Sections 197 and 210 of the Criminal Code criminalized the repeated use of a space for sex work operations, meaning that brothels were made illegal. Section 212(1) (j) criminalized those living off the proceeds of sex workers, targeting mainly “pimps.”

Finally, Section 213(1)(c) outlawed public solicitation of sexual services. The Supreme Court unanimously deemed the three laws unconstitutional in December and gave Parliament one year to come up with new legislation.

In the meantime, Federal Justice Minister and Attorney General Peter Mackay has directed the provinces to continue enforcing the unconstitutional laws for twelve months after the ruling. But the CBC reported that a number of provinces, including New Brunswick, are no longer enforcing the laws.

The CBC reported that New Brunswick’s Deputy Attorney General Luc Labonte

justified the decision, saying it would be “unfair to request a person to answer to charges that we now know have been deemed unconstitutional.”

In Saint John, NB, Police Chief Bill Reid told the CBC that New Brunswick police will not prosecute those who violate the unconstitutional laws. Reid also said he was against a proposal by city councillor Susan Fullerton to “crack down” on sex work. The city also saw protests against the councillor’s proposal.

The CBC also reported two situations where johns were not charged for soliciting sexual services in Saint John and in Moncton.

Some provinces refusing to enforce these laws have ended up following what is often called the ‘Nordic model,’ in which clients and procurers are more harshly prosecuted than sex workers themselves.

On Feb. 4 The Calgary Herald reported that Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis was directing prosecutors to continue bringing cases against men who purchase sex, but not sex workers themselves.

Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have also said the province will no longer prosecute sex-trade workers, but will continue to target johns and pimps, reported the Canadian Press.

The CBC reported claims of harassment from sex workers during a cross-country police operation to combat sex trafficking.

The operation was criticized by some sex workers who said they were intimidated by the police.

“Operation Northern Spotlight” was organized by the Durham Regional Police Service and involved twenty-six police departments across Canada, including two in Saint John, NB and one in Halifax. The police said over 330 women were interviewed, although they have not disclosed how many

arrests were made.

The differing enforcement approaches between provinces reflect the divisive nature of the subject, which has prompted renewed debate among Canadian academics and women’s groups. Some feel that the Supreme Court ruling legitimizes the sex trade, which they think should be abolished.

The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) issued a press release the day of the ruling, stating, “NWAC will continue to support and fight for the abolition of prostitution.”

“Legalizing brothels and escort services will only help to empower traffickers/pimps and continue to put women at risk of violence, while making it more difficult to exit, or report any harm they experience,” read the NWAC release.

Tasia Alexopoulos, a gender studies professor at Mount Allison University, commented on “Operation Northern Spotlight” in an interview with The Argosy. “I think what’s important when we think about raiding sex workers, and raiding their places of work, is do we find that acceptable in any other occupation?” she said.

Alexopolous said there are “so many different sides” to the abolition debate. She added she feels the main issue is “selling sex in a system that has deeply entrenched inequalities,” rather the act of selling sex itself.

San Patten, a sociology professor at Mt. A who specializes in social policy around sex work and drug abuse, shared some information about the debate on sex work as a social issue.

Talking about the future of laws around sex work, Patten said, “Hopefully society is coming around to understanding the overall concept of harm reduction, but I think it’s a slow value change,” citing countries in Scandinavia as examples of a more progressive model.

Men’s rights and misogyny are not the same thing By: Tessa Dixon

For far too long, society has associated men with a sense of emotionless strength that has been heightened by an expectation to carry this stereotype with a sense of hardened pride. Society has become desensitized to the capacity of male emotions and have forgotten about their right to voice them without condemnation.

The Canadian Association for Equality (CAFE) hasn’t forgotten. However, Ryerson University may h ave forgotten as they made it difficult for CAFE to achieve their goals.

Last Thursday, CAFE organized a talk to be held at Ryerson, titled “Are Men Obsolete? Feminism, Free Speech and the Censorship of Mens’ Issues,” headed by YouTube star, Karen Straughan. The talk was designed to advocate for spaces for men to discuss their heath, well-being, and the resistance to the talk itself.

The event was intended as a launch for an on-campus men’s issues society, a group which had been previously denied recognition by the Ryerson Students’ Union.

A past event at the University of Toronto was met with controversy and resistance, resulting in injuries for both the attendees and protestors. Ryerson University categorized the event as “high-risk” and decided to charge CAFE with $1,600 in security fees and changed the location of the event to a lesser known and unadvertised venue.

Ryerson University soon dropped this fee for CAFE after a negative editorial appear in the National Post.

Wait a minute, security fees?

CAFE views this as a thinly disguised attempt to force the hand of the organizers to cancel the event.

Unfortunately, they might be right.

Ryerson University’s fee is more than an extra charge. It belittles the efforts of an organization and the hopes of its participants. Critics have accused CAFE of chauvinism—but this is an oversight of the true intentions of these men. CAFE isn’t advocating for the exclusion of women, nor is it an attempt to lower the glass ceiling.

Advocating for rights of men does not make you an oppressor of women.

If unifying women and girls is a way of promoting pride in their gender, then why shouldn’t it be the same for men?

According to CAFE advisor Janice Fiamengo, “If that had been reversed, if that had been a feminist speaker coming in to talk about the disadvantages that girls face, and a bunch of mostly men had gathered around and tried to prevent young women from going to the event, and had screamed obscenities at them, it would have been front-page news.”

Recent history has programmed society to resist the idea of men coming together to discuss rights. ‘Do they not already have enough?’ say the critics of groups like CAFE. However, it’s a new world. Men’s rights are not the equivalent of misogyny.

If CAFE effectively provides a space for men to express themselves under supportive guidance from fellow men, that is something society—and especially educational institutions—should be proud of.

The distinction between ‘men’s rights’ and ‘women’s rights’ has created a society based upon an unhealthy competition between men and women. Pride in one’s identity and gender should not be quantified in relation to the challenges of another gender.

Equality isn’t a competition. It’s a challenge we face as people, not as a different combination of chromosomes.

15

SEX ISSUE

Cook in your kitchen this Valentine’s day!

By: Allison Abernethy

Valentine’s Day can be a bittersweet holiday, for both singles and couples. Well-intentioned couples often make the mistake of booking ‘romantic’ dinner reservations at over priced, stuffy restaurants, and end up sitting in an over crowded dining area, trying to gaze at your date in a room so dimly lit you can barely see his or her face! This year, skip the reservation, and make it a date night in. Cook dinner at your place, set the table, and put in the extra effort to make the night special—even if you almost set the kitchen on fire, your valentine will appreciate the effort. Hey, it’s the thought that counts, right? This affordable, simple, foolproof Valentine’s Day dinner will make you glad you skipped the traditional route this year.

Appetizer: Caprese Salad Main dish: White Chicken with Balsamic Dressing Lasagna Rolls in a Stewed • 1 ball of fresh mozzarella • 2 large tomatoes Tomato Sauce • Small bunch fresh basil • • • •

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 quality balsamic vinegar Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper

First, slice the mozzarella and tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick disks, place them in a small bowl and set aside. Next, remove basil leaves from the stem and set aside. Then, in a tall glass pour balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, and mix moderately with a whisk (or large fork). Slowly stream in the 1/2 cup of olive oil while continuing to stir the mixture, and continue to stir until all of the olive oil is combined with the vinegar. Now, it’s time to layer the tomato, basil, and mozzarella twice on each plate. For the finishing touch, pour balsamic dressing over the salad, finish with fresh cracked pepper on top and serve.

Dessert: dark chocolate strawberries with vanilla ice cream • • • •

Strawberries Dark chocolate Good quality vanilla or chocolate ice cream (Bryers, Häagen Dazs, Sensations) Wax paper

• • • • • • • • • • •

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 13.75-oz. can artichokes, drained and chopped 1 cup of spinach 3-oz. package cream cheese room temperature 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 3/4 cup ricotta cheese 1 egg 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped Salt and pepper to taste One bottle good quality tomato sauce (Classico, Sensations)

The first step is to bring a small pot of water to a boil, then turn down the temperature to a simmer, and place a large glass bowl over the pot. Make sure the chocolate until it is completely smooth, and then take it off the heat. When you’ve done this, dip strawberries into the hot chocolate, and place them on waxed paper. Place the chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge for at least one hour. Use martini glasses to serve one large scoop of ice cream, and top it off with your chocolate covered strawberries. With a vegetable peeler, grate chocolate shavings on top of the ice cream. Serve immediately, and pair it with your favourite champagne.

Roast chicken breasts in the oven for twenty to twenty-four minutes at 400 degrees (this can be done in advance). In a large pot of boiling water, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

In a large bowl combine parmesan, ricotta, cream cheese, mozzarella, egg, artichokes, chicken, and salt and pepper, and stir together before setting the mixture aside when it is well combined. Then, in small pan add a cup of spinach, and cook until wilted.

Add this into the chicken cheese mixture, stir and set aside. Proceed to spread the filing onto lasagna noodles, and roll each one.

Once they are all rolled, place them into a baking dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese and parsley, and bake for fifteen minutes at 350 degrees. While the pasta is baking, place the pasta sauce into a small sauce pan and heat through. To serve, ladle a large spoonful of pasta sauce into middle of the plate, then place three lasagna rolls per plate, creating a heart like shape on the plate, serve immediately.

How to Keep Your Day of Love Healthy By: Célina Boothby

Yo u and your heartthrob deserve a timeless romantic night. Sound like a lot of work to you? It doesn’t have to be! And you can even ensure there is a nice health kick in there. A healthy main dish and dessert can be quick and simple—if you know how to do it properly.

The main dish is all about being simple yet elegant, economical but not cheap tasting, delicious yet healthy.

Try a one-pan salmon and asparagus dish: Toss potatoes in extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper in an ovensafe dish and cook for twenty minutes at 350°F. Then toss asparagus in with potatoes and throw dish back into the oven for fifteen minutes. Finally nestle the salmon in the dish and add cherry tomatoes, one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon of olive oil, and return to oven for ten to fifteen more minutes of sizzling.

Feel free to add herbs such as basil or even garlic to the dish upon personal preference. Just like that, you can serve right out of the dish on a bed of rice and your thoughtful main dish is complete!

Now that the steamy main dish has been taken care of, it’s time to move on to the romantic dessert. Try this zesty cointreau strawberries recipe that is thoughtful and delicious and

requires only five ingredients: Slice strawberries and place in a bowl along with three tablespoons cointreau, zest from one orange, four tablespoons of sifted icing sugar, and mix well. Cover and leave for one hour so that the mixture forms a nice syrup.

Spoon mixture into martini glasses with a dollop of whipped cream, over a scoop of vanilla ice cream or just topped with fresh mint leaves. This recipe is very straight forward and still including fruits into your evening of love and romance.

Just remember you don’t have to go over the top with lavish dishes to make your loved one feel special. Keep it simple and allow for the flowing conversations and moments of pure adoration while looking deeply into your lover’s eyes to be the focus of your night.

Even remember when giving gifts on this special day to think twice before sending a big box of chocolates. Try for a few dark chocolates or even offer to follow these recipes as a couple and bond over cooking as a team. You can even take the health kick one step further and take a romantic walk around Waterfowl Park. Wherever this Friday takes you, make sure you get a chance to break away from everyday life and focus on each other.

Stay healthy, folks!

Célina Boothby is Mt. A’s Health Intern.

17

SEX ISSUE

Sex Bomb The Olympic golden shower

Y

ou might be feeling like an Olympic gold medalist this Valentine’s Day with the ongoing Sochi Winter Olympics, but without the medal, the feeling could be superficial.

Your chances of becoming an olympian are roughly one in several thousand in your lifetime, let alone winning a gold medal. If you haven’t already had second thoughts about the validity of your nationalistic claims, it’s a good reminder that Sochi is roughly 7,500 km from Sackville. Without further ado, the writers of the Sex Bomb will help you in restoring your Olympic glory in the only way we know how, getting down and dirty.

A casual viewer of the Olympiad may not totally understand just how sexual the games are. “The distribution of condoms in the [Olympic] village is part of the International Olympic Committee’s [IOC] involvement in the HIV and AIDS prevention,” said the IOC in an interview

with the Washington Times.To facilitate the demand, the IOC will provide the roughly 7,650 athletes with 100,000 condoms in the sixteen day Olympiad. If our math is correct, that’s a lot of sex.

“I’ve seen people having sex right out in the open. On the grass, between buildings, people are getting down and dirty,” said Hope Solo, goaltender for the United States women’s national soccer team, in an interview with Yahoo! Sports.

Temperatures are quite frigid on the frozen tundra of Sackville, so Swan Pond is still a no-go for adventurists, but that shouldn’t stop you from doing the deed in an open area. As long as the strike continues, university buildings are like ghost towns, if you’re picking up what we’re laying down.

“The [athletes] there are spending their whole lives training for one day.

Suddenly, they’re done. They’re in a village with drinks and food and all these other [athletes] that are in the best shape of

their lives. As it went on, there became even more debauchery,” said Judo bronze-medal winner at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Ronda Rousey in an interview with TMZ. It’s pretty safe to say that there is a lot of downtime for the athletes. With the faculty strike hanging over Mount Allison, we have good news: You, too, have a lot of downtime. Had auto racing become an Olympic sport, James Hunt would have said it best when he had the following slogan embroidered on his firesuit: “Sex: Breakfast of Champions.” Get your engines revving in the morning as you watch the games, and you might even feel like a Formula One World Champion.

Whether you replicate the Olympic experience through sex or through advanced forms of osmosis with your television set, we hope that your Olympic experience remains golden.

19