THE COLUMBIA
CHRONICLE
DECONSTRUCTING TECHNOSHIPS: DATING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
FEB
14
2024
EDITOR’S NOTE: As classes come to a halt due to the strike, music still persists at Columbia » OLIVIA COHEN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Columbia is ever-changing. This was proven by the news that the college’s deficit has grown to $38 million, up $18 million since the Fall 2023 semester. The culture of the college’s campus has shifted significantly campuswide in the wake of the parttime faculty union’s historic seven-week strike. As the college has been hit with changes affecting faculty, staff and students alike, the Chronicle has also pivoted the way we cover the news. In some aspects, these changes have been positive. The college placed free menstrual products in bathrooms around campus. The college has integrated a strong culture of using preferred pronouns campuswide. Columbia’s health center offers pregnancy testing, contraceptive counseling and prescriptions to students through the campus Health Center, free for students because of annual campus fees paid semesterly. The Chronicle is back with its annual Sex Issue, reporting on wide ranging topics and chronicling the ways that relationships, sex and romance are changing. In this issue, we write about how technology and online dating affect relationships and people looking for love, report on the ways that gender norms are shifting in queer and heterosexual relationships and how sex education is pivoting to provide teenagers a fuller picture of what safe practices are. The climate of the school and student’s needs are changing each day, as new announcements roll out of the college. We – the Chronicle – are committed to reporting on and vetting these changes for students, whether it is through a financial, academic or societal
lens. Change is necessary. Change is good. But without accurate and thorough information and reporting, our audience cannot pivot in the ways they need. We are committed to cutting down misinformation and diving into what students need to know. Like any solid news publication, we report the facts. It is up to our readership on how to proceed with that information and what opinion to form based off of it. Embrace the ways that the college may be changing. Use your voice to advocate for positive changes at Columbia and fight back on changes that aren’t in the best interest of students, faculty and staff. Change is inevitable and moves fast. So should we.
»STAFF MANAGEMENT Editor-in-Chief Deputy Editor Campus Editor Assistant Campus Editor Copy Chief Creative Director Director of Photography Director of Multimedia Opinions Editor Audience Engagement Editor
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RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL El Chronicle está de vuelta con su edición anual de sexo, informando sobre una amplia gama de temas y haciendo una crónica de las formas en que las relaciones, el sexo y el romance están cambiando. En esta edición, escribimos sobre cómo la tecnología y las citas en línea afectan las relaciones y a las personas que buscan el amor. Informamos sobre las formas en que las normas de género están cambiando en las relaciones queer y heterosexuales y cómo la educación sexual está girando para proporcionar a los adolescentes una imagen más completa de lo que son las prácticas seguras. Nosotros, el Chronicle, estamos comprometidos a informar y examinar estos cambios para los estudiantes, ya sea a través de una lente financiera, académica o social, escribió la jefa de redacción, Olivia Cohen.
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VOL. 50, ISSUE 2 The Columbia Chronicle is a student-produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of college administrators, faculty or students. Please contact the Editorin-Chief to request reprint permission. All reprints must include the language “Reprinted with permission from The Columbia Chronicle” — along with a live link to the website. Content may not be reproduced, in any form, without permission from The Columbia Chronicle. Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of The Columbia Chronicle. Columns are the opinions of the author(s). Views expressed in this publication are those of the writer and are not the opinions of The Columbia Chronicle, Columbia’s Communication Department or Columbia College Chicago. The Columbia Chronicle welcomes letters to the editor. Letters are meant to be responses specifically to Chronicle coverage. We reserve the right to factcheck and to edit pieces for clarity and length. Please do not submit a letter if you are unwilling to work with a student editor for publication. We do not print unsubstantiated allegations or solicitations for causes. We also do not run press releases or general statements as letters. We reserve the right to limit letters to two per semester.
PAGE DESIGN BY OLIVIA COHEN & ALEX SUAREZ SPOT ILLUSTRATIONS BY RILEY HANNON 2 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 14, 2024
THE SEX ISSUE
BARE MINIMUM IS NEW SEX EDUCATION NORM » ALLISON SHELTON REPORTER
» RILEY HANNON/CHRONICLE
FOR JUNIOR MUSIC technology major Dani Craanen, growing up in a Catholic household held them back from learning the fundamentals of sex. Until she got to college, she didn’t know anything about the female reproductive system. “I went to a Catholic high school growing up, and I grew up in a very religious family,” Craanen said. “I could not look at it and label it, let alone know anything about how to have safe sex or how to enjoy having sex because it’s one of those things where it’s very ‘hush, hush. We don’t talk about it.” Only 29 states require sex education be taught in school, according to The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a national organization that has been advocating for accurate sex education since 1964. The grade level the education is required varies by state. Michael Kowalkowski, a first-year fine arts major, said he learned about sex from a textbook, and anything that didn’t
come word-for-word from the book was considered wrong. “We weren’t allowed to have a wrong answer,” Kowalkowski said. The lack of sex education is concerning not only students but also for sex educators. For Cady Moore, a sex educator and coach based in Sacramento, the education that is taught in schools is the “bare minimum” and uses information that “often comes from a fear-based tactic.” “The information that kids are getting is bare minimum biology, and then how not to get pregnant and how not to get STIs,” Moore said. “So it’s kind of imposing and reinforcing this idea that sex is this big, bad, scary thing.” While some people turn to social media to learn more about sex, misinformation may become a factor in their self-education. Online sex educators have trouble sharing information online with appropriate sex terms without the risk of having their social media accounts flagged or banned. “We have to use euphemisms, misspell things and censor our words,” Moore said. “It’s this constant dance of trying to please the algorithm and trying to
actually give our information that is really vital and important, without risking losing our primary marketing platforms.” Some sex educators also use emojis to help describe certain body parts when talking about sex online to help reduce the chances of being censored. Since Craanen grew up Catholic and lacked sex education during their time in grade school and high school, they turned to TikTok creators, WikiHow and literature to learn more about the topic. While she looked up “silly things” on the internet – like how to give a blowjob or how to kiss – she ran into some misleading information as well. “Literature overhyped things in the way that things are displayed in books,” Craanen said. “And for a long time, I was like, ‘Am I doing something wrong? Am I broken? Am I not? What am I missing that is making it sound like this book description?’ And in reality, it’s fiction. It’s a book.” Parents and guardians can be a first hand information source for some people, but when it comes to the sex talk, some parents may not know how to approach it, said Mason Hubbard, a junior communication major.
“I feel like sometimes parents say that they would rather kids not learn about it in school, but then they also don’t teach kids about it at home,” he said. “It’s still kind of a taboo subject because a lot of our parents didn’t really have sex education, so they don’t really have the tools or means to teach as well.” Craanen said she would rather not have her parents teach her self-education because she has “strict Catholic parents.” “I think that they wouldn’t teach me anything positive,” Craanen said. “It’d be more like ‘abstinence only because having sex ruins your life’ kind of mentality.” For Hubbard, sex education is important to him because “it’s a central part of life.” “I think that being educated sexually is kind of the thing that should be taught more in schools, just because there’s a lot of unknowns on it,” he said. “We treat a lot of it like taboo when I feel like enough people experience it to the point where it should be kind of normal to talk, communicate and understand more.” ASHELTON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL En los Estados Unidos, solamente 29 de los 50 estados requieren que la educación sexual sea enseñada en las escuelas. Para los educadores del tema, es algo preocupante que esta sea la situación. Particularmente, para Cady Moore, una educadora y entrenadora establecida en Sacramento, California, cree que “la información que reciben los niños es un mínimo de biología, y luego cómo no quedar embarazadas y como no contraer infecciones de transmisión sexual”. El uso de las redes sociales se ha convertido en la opción de las personas que quieren aprender más sobre esto, como los que han crecido en familias estrictas y católicas. Sin embargo, esta solución que le han dado, se transformó en un problema, ya que muchas veces la información que consumen es falsa.
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» KAELAH SERRANO/CHRONICLE
THE SEX ISSUE
APRIL, ONE OF THE GUITARISTS FROM PINKSQUEEZE, HOLDS THEIR DEBUT ALBUM ‘BE GAY HAVE FUN,’ AS THEY PREPARE FOR THEIR BAND REHEARSAL ON FEB. 3, 2024. PINKSQUEEZE MEMBERS ANA, APRIL, LOGAN AND AVA, WILL BE PERFORMING AT METRO, LOCATED AT 3730 N. CLARK ST. ON FEB. 23, 2024.
» KAELAH SERRANO/CHRONICLE
» KAELAH SERRANO/CHRONICLE
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LOGAN, THE DRUMMER OF PINKSQUEEZE, NODS THEIR HEAD AND ENJOYS THE MUSIC WHILE THEY PRACTICE FOR BAND REHEARSAL ON FEB. 3, 2024. LOGAN SMILES AND SINGS ALONG WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF PINKSQUEEZE AS THEY PREPARE FOR THEIR UPCOMING SHOW AT METRO.
APRIL SINGS AND FORMS A SMILE AS THE BAND REHEARSES THE SONG, “STRAIGHT GIRL CRUSH” IN LOGAN’S BASEMENT ON FEB. 3, 2024. THE SONG “STRAIGHT GIRL CRUSH” WAS WRITTEN ABOUT THE STORY OF HOW APRIL MET THEIR CURRENT PARTNER.
THE SEX ISSUE
PINKSQUEEZE CELEBRATES QUEER, FEMME FUN THROUGH MUSIC and relationships. “Music can be one of the more like, sexpositive, acceptable media that’s even out there,” April said. Pinksqueeze has worked hard on making music that feels like a safe space where people can celebrate themselves and feel seen. They call Chicago home, and Chicago seems to love them back. “It’s such a community, and this is something we talk about sometimes it’s like, no other city has,” Ava said. The band talks about how much love the music scene in Chicago has given them and the experience of working with other artists. “It can be us and like a band that sounds completely different than us, like polar opposite.” Still, Ava said there could be more diversity within the Chicago scene. “Chicago, in general, is a really segregated city and so that’s something that we’re hoping to continue to be a part of by integrating the scenes some more,” Ava said. The band is currently working on new music and ready to launch a new era.
April said that a good hint for their next era is the word “shiny.” People can catch Pinksqueeze next at Metro on Feb. 23, with Uniflora and Sharp Pins. KSERRANO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM ARICHARDSON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL El poder de la música le ayudó a Logan salir como gay a la edad de 27, y para tomar la decisión de dejar ser pastor, y empezar de nuevo como baterista en la banda “Pinksqueeze”. Sus compañeros de banda también usaron sus experiencias siendo queer para crear su primer álbum “Be Gay Have Fun”. Siguen haciendo música y tocando alrededor de Chicago. Pueden ver su próxima actuación en Metro el 23 de febrero con UNIFLORA y SHARP PINS.
» ABRA RICHARDSON/CHRONICLE
them to create their first full-length album, “Be Gay Have Fun,” which was released on May 12, 2023. The songs “are about a lot of our queer experiences, but also the things that we have been going through at the time,” LOGAN USED TO be a pastor. Now, Logan said. “We realized that some they’re a drummer for the queer common themes were talking to your rock band Pinksqueeze. For Logan, inner queer child and queer joy.” discovering new music was key to their Songs like “Straight Girl Crush ‘’ and coming out. “Queer for Clout” come from personal “I was 27 when I came out, and right experiences that the members of before that, I had started listening to this Pinksqueeze felt highlight the queer album by a band called The Aces,” Logan experience. said. “It was called ‘When My Heart Felt “Straight Girl Crush” is actually the first Volcanic,’ and all of the words in the song I ever wrote,’’ Anna, the bassist, said. songs were very obviously gay, and kind “Which I know is kind of crazy, but it is of in your face about it.” the 100% true story of me meeting and Logan explained they came out for falling in love with my current partner, the first time at an Aces concert because who I met at a craft club.” the band had “paved the way and given April said when she was younger, she me words to express my sexuality that I didn’t have access to learning about didn’t have.” queer identity and hopes their music can Logan, alongside bandmates Ava, help educate others. The band aims for Anna and April, who never give their their music to have a queer-positive and last names for privacy reasons, each had accepting presence to encourage others their own life experiences, which allowed to feel comfortable with their identity » K AEL AH SERRANO DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAHY » ABRA RICHARDSON SENIOR PHOTOJOURNALIST
ANNA PLAYS “STRAIGHT GIRL CRUSH” DURING INKSQUEEZE’S BAND REHERSAL ON SATURDAY, FEB. 3, 2024. THE BAND WILL PERFORM AT METRO, LOCATED AT 3730 N. CLARK ST., ON FEB. 23, 2024.
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THE SEX ISSUE » CHRISTALYN BARKER/CHRONICLE
QUEER RELATIONSHIPS CONTINUE TO BLUR GENDER ROLES » MAYA SWAN-SULLIVAN REPORTER
EVEN AS TRADITIONAL gender roles continue to influence relationship dynamics, some members of the queer community defy those stereotypes while others find comfort in them. “I always consider myself ready for whatever and just ready to protect whether it’s a friend or a loved one,” said Mckayla Tacco “Mills,” who graduated from Columbia last year. For her, being the more masculine one in her relationships comes with certain roles that come naturally. “Just minor things that my dad taught me growing up,” Mills said, who is a lesbian. “If me and my girlfriend are walking up the street, she’s going to be walking on the inside of the street, just in case, just for safety precautions, simple things like that. Also opening up doors.” Although Mills finds herself in situations where she does take on the more stereotypical masculine role she emphasized that at the end of the day every relationship is different. “You can be either in a relationship, male or female,” she said. “It really doesn’t matter. It’s just all about your personality. I would say how you like to go about things, how you like to be in charge.” One 2018 study shows that clearer gender roles can help decrease some
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uncertainty in relationships. Those who identified as heterosexual found that having a set of roles that are somewhat predetermined gave them a sense of security. While some queer relationships fall into behavioral roles that somewhat resemble heterosexual ones, others find that they don’t fit into those categories, and that it’s a good thing. According to Planned Parenthood, the term “queer” is now defined as gender and sexual identities that are not cisgender or heterosexual. It can be used as a way for those who don’t fit into a particular category to define themselves. “We’re very unmasked around each other. And I think that we both had very different journeys and very different paths of gender and sexuality before we came here,” said senior dance major Joey Martinez, who is a lesbian. Martinez and senior social media major Kayla Buer have been in a relationship for a little over a year. For them, conventional gender roles don’t play a part in their dynamic. When asked about gender roles, Martinez said they think about “something that has been so pushed in hetero relationships, that it seems to be something that’s been normalized.” The couple highlighted that they have an overall understanding of one another when it comes to their gender and sexualities. “I just think that being in this relationship is gender affirming,” they
FEBRUARY 14, 2024 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE
said. According to Buer, gender fluidity within their relationship allows them to explore different things about each other. “There’s less pressure for us to act a certain way because we’re not focused on what society expects of us,” they said. “I feel like they help me understand myself.” Another study done in Iran in 2020 showed that relationships with more androgynous roles had higher rates of romantic satisfaction. The study found that having higher feminine characteristics within a relationship, which could include more emotional interactions, can overall enhance connections. For some, there is a consciousness about when gender roles are coming into play, but it doesn’t mean they need to stay there. “I bounce back and forth a lot between masculine and feminine in how I dress, how I act, what I like, that kind of thing,” said Cole Briggs, a senior screenwriting major, who is bisexual. “So kind of like performing gender. It depends on the environment and my mood.” Within Briggs’ current romantic relationship he said gender isn’t something he actively plays a huge role. “I think that naturally there’s circumstances in which we may fall into gender dynamics depending on the situation…Say we’re going out to eat, I’ll be the one to pull out the chair, like pick
SENIOR SOCIAL MEDIA MAJOR KAYLA BUER AND SENIOR DANCE MAJOR JOEY MARTINEZ, A COUPLE FOR A YEAR AND TWO MONTHS, SHARE A MOMENT IN THE STUDENT CENTER ON THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2024.
up the check. I say ‘like’ subconsciously, because we just kind of had that dynamic,” Briggs said. Briggs added that one of the benefits to dating someone who is also queer and non-binary is that there’s freedom to bounce around. “Like I said, we do slip into those moments, but there’s no hard fast rule,” Mills said. “Love who you want to love and enjoy life.” MSWANSULLIVAN@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL Aunque los roles de género tradicionales siguen influyendo en la dinámica de las relaciones, algunos miembros de la comunidad queer desafían esos estereotipos, mientras que otros encuentran consuelo en ellos. Un estudio de 2018 muestra que los roles de género más claros pueden ayudar a disminuir cierta incertidumbre en las relaciones. Mientras que algunas relaciones queer caen en roles de comportamiento que se parecen un poco a los heterosexuales, otros encuentran que no encajan en esas categorías y que es algo bueno. Para algunos, hay una conciencia sobre cuándo entran en juego los roles de género, pero eso no significa que tengan que permanecer allí.
FEBRUARY 14, 2024 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 7
THE SEX ISSUE
ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL EXPANDS IN ILLINOIS » LIZETH MEDINA BILINUGAL REPORTER
LAST SUMMER, ILLINOIS pharmacists were able to dispense birth control without a prescription from a doctor, and soon, people will be able to get an overthe-counter oral contraceptive. The FDA approved the over-thecounter sale of Opill, a progestin-only pill, which has only ever been available through a prescription. Most emergency contraception pills are already available without a prescription. So-called morning after pills work before ovulation. “If you’ve already ovulated, implantation has already happened,” said Adriann Myers-Woods, a nurse practitioner at All for Women’s Health Clinic in Chicago. They can “prevent your ovaries from releasing that egg, so put the brakes on that mature egg” by using the hormone progesterone to disrupt the lining of the uterus, where implantation occurs, causing it to shed,” said Myers-Woods. But it also can cause side effects. Recent Columbia graduate Erin Arzich
recalled experiencing an array of side effects after taking two doses of the levonorgestrel morning-after-pill within two months during her sophomore year. This included an irregular period for five months, migraines, weight gain and increased anxiety. “Don’t underestimate how this could change your body and also your mental health, because that’s a lot of hormones that you’re taking,” Arzich said. Emergency contraception is legal in all 50 states. It does not end a pregnancy. Two-thirds of women of childbearing age (18-49) incorrectly believe emergency contraceptive pills can end a pregnancy in its early stages, according to a KFF Health Tracking Poll. KFF is an independent, non-profit organization focused on national health issues. First-year film and television major Teddi Karnes experienced dizziness, and her period started a week earlier after taking an emergency contraceptive pill. “I was kind of terrified because they talk in the little booklet about implantation bleeding, which means you’re pregnant,” Karnes said. Myers-Woods said irregular bleeding is
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an expected symptom of the pill that can last up to three months. “Estrogen is a hormone that says, ‘hey, don’t bleed, let’s keep the uterine lining super duper stable.’ So, that’s where you get a short light period once a month with your pill,” Myers-Woods said. Pills with levonorgestrel are the most known morning-after pill, with brands such as Plan B One-Step, Take Action and My Way. These can be purchased over the counter at most pharmacies and drugstores ranging from $10 to $50. With health insurance or Medicaid, they can be prescribed for free or at a lower rate by a healthcare provider. Levonorgestrel pills may not work if you weigh over 165 pounds. The other contains ulipristal acetate, and Ella is the only brand available. By prescription, this medication can cost up to $90 without health insurance. According to Planned Parenthood, Ella is the most effective type of emergency contraceptive pill, but it works best if you weigh less than 195 pounds. There is a five-day window to consume orally compared to levonorgestrel pills which work best within 72 hours. However, it is
recommended to take either version of the pill as soon as possible. Fortunately, there is an emergency contraceptive that works during ovulation, is hormone-free and 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. “The Paragard or the copper IUD is the only type of IUD that can be used for emergency contraception and that’s because the copper ring around the body and the arms of the device actually kills sperm, or makes the uterus an inhospitable place for sperm,” MyersWoods said. Karnes said it is important to take the stigma away from emergency contraception. “We’re all college students, we’re all gonna have stories, we’re all gonna have crazy nights,” she said. LMEDINA@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
LA EDICIÓN DE SEXO
LA MENSTRUACIÓ MENSTRUACIÓN EN LATINOAMÉRICA “ES LA ÚNICA SANGRE QUE NO VIENE DE LA VIOLENCIA Y LA QUE MÁS ASCO LES DA” » CITLALLI MAGALI SOTELO BILLINGUAL REPORTER
EXISTE UNA GRAN cantidad de mujeres en Latinoamérica que viven sus ciclos menstruales con profunda vergüenza y pocos recursos. Muchas se ven obligadas a recurrir a trapos, periódicos y papel doblado al carecer de recursos suficientes para costear los productos de cuidado íntimo. Esta cruda realidad evidencia la falta de acceso a artículos básicos de gestión menstrual, vulnerando la dignidad de millones en la región. Emilia Mariel Sanz, quien fungió como maestra en una comunidad de bajos recursos en una región montañosa en el estado de Guerrero, México, siempre tuvo presente que algunas de sus estudiantes faltarían a clases debido a su ciclo menstrual. “A ellas les faltaban los recursos para poder adquirir toallas sanitarias, por lo cual sus mamás les realizaban toallas de telas y trapos usados. No es lo mismo usar una toalla de trapo que una toalla regular, para eso,” recalca Sanz.
Varias veces no contaron con fondos para higiene personal ni fármacos que aliviaran sus dolores menstruales. Las improvisadas toallas se tendían para reutilizarlas, secándolas en comal de barro o plancha, en épocas de lluvia, para evitar quemarlas. Un panorama similar vivió Carmen Ordóñez, estudiante Hondureña de fotografía, al comprar tímidamente en la tienda de su vecino productos de cuidado femenino. “Él envolvía el producto en un papel, como en los que envuelven el pan, un papel café”, añadiendo que “no era machismo directamente, pero me hacía sentir como que ese producto no podría ser mostrado… como si estuviera vendiendo algo ilegal,” dijo Ordóñez. Su llegada a Estados Unidos cambió por completo el panorama a la hora de comprar este tipo de artículos,“ hay un pasillo lleno de productos”, dice Ordóñez. Ella enfatiza que en este país se siente más libre, menos juzgada y observada. Varias mujeres en Latinoamérica reflexionan sobre la dificultad que se presenta para adquirir los productos
de cuidado femenino. Celliny Castro, originaria de Guatemala, tuvo la fortuna de adquirir toallas sanitarias en su país, pero está consciente que no todas las pueden conseguir. “Guatemala es un país de escasos recursos, hay muchas mujeres que quizás no pueden pagar productos de la mejor calidad, pero sí a bajo costo”, dijo Castro. Las experiencias sobre el tema del cuidado femenil en Latinoamérica son diversas. Mia Regina Garrido, quien estudia psicología en Morelos, México, siente que su niñez le fue robada, pues desde los 10 años empezó a tener ciclos. “Fue una experiencia muy rara a mi edad. Me daba vergüenza jugar con mis amigos, los que eran hombres, porque sentía que ya no pertenecía ahí”, añadiendo que “desafortunadamente en mi cultura, muchos decían que estaba lista para ser mujer”. ¿Cómo fue que una persona de tan corta edad, adquirió sus productos menstruales? “El dinero que usaba para comprar cualquier antojo a mi edad, lo empecé a
ahorrar cada mes para poder comprar toallas sanitarias, nadie entendía lo que era eso,” dijo Garrido. Además, ella da fe de las diferentes formas en las que se refieren a la menstruación en su natal México. “Muchas veces se burlaban de mí, decían ‘ahí viene Mía acompañada de Juana la Colorada’”. Según un reporte del diario la República, existen más de 5,000 formas de llamar el ciclo menstrual en Latinoamérica. Para ella lo más curioso es que “todos nacemos de la mujer, todos sangramos. La única diferencia es que, es la única sangre que no viene de la violencia y es la que más asco les da,” enfatiza. Para muchas mujeres, la menstruación no solo implica tener acceso a productos sanitarios, sino que también están expuestas a constantes burlas yhumillaciones. “Los dolores que sentimos sobre la humillación y el machismo duelen más que los cólicos”, expresa Garrido, quien opina que la menstruación hace parte de la naturaleza de la mujer, y que sus derechos a vivirla como tal, deben ser respetados.
»LILLY SUNDSBAK/CHRONICLE
CSOTELO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
ENGLISH DIGEST Many young teens in different Latin American countries are missing school during their period due to a lack of access to menstrual products. The students have to turn to rags, newspapers, cloth and folded paper, usually made by their mothers, as an alternative to disposable products. Emilia Mariel Sanz, a teacher in Mexico, has seen the problem her students are facing firsthand. Women in these countries say the menstrual cycle is still considered taboo in their culture and face humiliation from men.
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THE SEX ISSUE: DECONSTRUCTING TECHNOSHIPS
DECONSTRUCTING TECHNOSHIPS » ALEX SUAREZ/CHRONICLE
DATING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
FILM LOVE IS OFTEN ‘FAKE’ LOVE BUT THAT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE A BAD THING »URIEL REYES REPORTER
“THE NOTEBOOK,” “TITANIC” and “Romeo and Juliet” are some of the most recognizable movies and what do they all have in common? The message of love. The idea of love is prevalent in various media such as movies, television shows and books. Whether it be the love from friendship, family or relationships, its the plot source for many entertainment forms. While love in media has served for countless entertainment, it can build up nearly improbable expectations of how love is supposed to be. Deborah Holdstein, a professor in the English and Creative Writing Department, teaches “Literature In Film: Honors,” a course that explores how story elements translate in book-tomovie adaptations. Holdstein said memorable movies tend to be ones showing what is uncommon in real life, such as having happy endings. “Films in this case speak volumes about our need to see resolution and happiness in an otherwise sometimes very unhappy world,” Holdstein said. She brought up the 1967 romantic-
drama film “The Graduate,” where the protagonist, Benjamin Braddock, tries to figure out his life after college. Amid feeling secluded for not connecting to his parents’ careers, Braddock gets seduced by an older woman, Mrs. Robinson, and continues the affair until he falls in love with her daughter, Elaine. In the end, he runs off with Elaine and they board a bus only to then question their uncertain future. “We have this moment of exhilaration, like ‘wow, they got each other now,’” Holdstein said. “Yet they end up staring off into the darkness…and that’s the end of the movie.” Amar Vojnikovic, a junior advertising major, first saw unrealistic love portrayed in classic Disney movies like “Cinderella,” Marvel films and the most recent film being “Anyone But You” starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Vojnikovic said he hadn’t seen any movie with love-related realism, “unless it’s like a documentary-type vibe.” That’s because the media’s love portrayals “tend to focus on one stage… this kind of intense, all-consuming type, that’s usually the first stage of the relationship,” said Olga Goldenberg, an associate professor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department who teaches psychology courses.
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Goldenberg said oftentimes “when this honeymoon stage of the relationship passes, that’s when the real relationship begins.” Transfer fashion design major Sarah Donnelly said these portrayals make her question whether or not communication between both parties in movies is realistic enough to function in an actual relationship. “You have to just kind of take everything with a grain of salt and understand that. Otherwise, you’re prone to severe misinterpretations that could affect you in a variety of ways in real life,” she said. Junior game design major Christopher Leon said he felt the pressure of having to live up to media expectations at the beginning of his teenage years. That led to him having to change his ways throughout his teenhood as he felt it was the only way to have love. “Some movies depict that a man needs to have maturity, can’t be lazy, puts in the work and have money in order to have a chance,” Leon said. Senior acting major Savanna Peña shared the sentiment over media not displaying realistic relationships. “They don’t show the hard part to relationships that are ugly, that it’s not about 50-50. It’s about if I’m feeling 60
or 40, if I’m feeling 80, you’re feeling 20,” Peña said. Does that mean fake love is all bad? Not really, Goldenberg said. It can make people hopeful, she said, and “believing in that is not a bad thing per se.” UREYES@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL El amor es un tema común en películas como “Diario de una pasión” y “Romeo y Julieta”. Si bien ha servido para un sinfín de entretenimiento, también puede generar expectativas poco realistas sobre cómo debería ser el amor. Las películas memorables suelen mostrar lo poco común, como finales felices. No muestran todas las facetas del amor real. Suelen enfocarse en la etapa intensa e idealizada al inicio de una relación. Cuando se acaba la “luna de miel”, comienza la relación real. Algunos estudiantes dicen que esto les hace cuestionar si la comunicación en las películas es lo suficientemente realista. Otros sintieron la presión de vivir según esas expectativas. Aunque el amor falso en cine no es malo – puede dar esperanza y eso no es negativo en sí mismo.
THE SEX ISSUE: DECONSTRUCTING TECHNOSHIPS
WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS ROSE? SOME STUDENTS SAY ‘NO’ AND OTHERS ‘YES’ TO DATING APPS » AVERY HEERINGA REPORTER
» MARIA SANCHEZ MEDINA/CHRONICLE MEDINA /CHRONICLE
IN A CULTURE largely defined by digital interaction, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of online dating apps has never been higher. Hinge, “the dating app designed to be deleted,” has a total of 23 million users. Tinder has more than 75 million users and 60% of them are under 35. Approximately 48% of college students use dating apps to seek relationships, according to data collected by New York-based Gitnux. With data like this, it is easy to assume that finding lasting relationships online has never been easier. However, immediate success is not always the case. Senior animation major Tyra Carey has used Tinder on and off since entering college and has been on a handful of dates with matches from the app. Though she is glad to be getting experience connecting with people, the online format of meeting fellow singles is not her ideal scenario. “I’ve never gone on a date when somebody asked me in person, it’s only been through dating apps,” she said. “I just wish that people would just come up to [me] and, you know, ask for my number.” Carey said she is thankful that apps like Tinder have allowed her to explore
potential connections, but has recently been contemplating quitting dating apps altogether in an effort to find connections more organically. “I’m a people person, I like to talk to people and get to know them better. So I think forming connections is better that way, because I’ve not really had a lot of strong connections with people on dating apps,” she said. In her role as director of Counseling Services at Columbia, Britt Hodgdon has observed a variety of student experiences with dating apps. “Many people seem to show up believing they’re taking them seriously, and then shy away from the vulnerability it would take to probably get the results they’re hoping for,” she said. “People are really hungry for connection and don’t always have the skills for practicing that connection.” On the flip side, Hodgdon has also observed that apps may offer more opportunities for queer users to get experience connecting with others. “It’s a quick way to identify your dating population,” Hodgdon said. “It’s much safer than going into a public space and calling someone out and asking if they’re into you.” Senior animation major Maddy Humpreys identifies her sexuality as questioning and has used Tinder and Hinge to see what is out there.
“Since I really don’t know much about my sexuality, it’s just kind of exploration at this point,” she said. “Since I grew up in a small town, you kind of don’t get to explore that when you’re 16 or 17.” Fabiola Juarez, a senior film and television major, has found Hinge to be a much more all-encompassing tool for potential matches. “I can understand their personality better with the questions, the prompts and the option of having a video or an audio clip,” she said. “It definitely made me feel more like I was not only choosing from looks, but I was able to get a little bit of insight on their personality.” Sophomore theatre major Bar Schaffer joined apps like Tinder and Hinge first as an entertainment source, but later gained two separate long-term relationships out of them. “Anytime I’m on the apps, it’s kind of like ‘I’m kind of bored, I’m not meeting anyone new organically. Who’s out there?’” she said. “It always started like that. Then very specific people who ticked enough boxes to meet up with them, I did. But that comes very rarely.” Apps, such as Hinge, allow users to filter their pool of prospects through identifiers like height, political and religious beliefs and education level. “They have to be, on paper, exactly my type that I want [when] looking for a man,” Schaffer said. “In a shallow way, sure, I care about how tall you are. It’s definitely a help to see who ticks the boxes.” These preferences allow for a more filtered pool of potential matches, but according to Hodgdon, they can also become impediments to possible connections. “Humans are so much more complicated. If only it were as easy as sort of picking the right ingredients and getting just what I want,” she said. “There’s something captivating about standing with someone and the energy that comes from standing with a real person. I think when we’re skipping that spark and going right to the pragmatic ‘ingredients’ of a person, we reduce the power of the spark a little bit.” Junior music technology major Aaron Diaz has found great success from dating apps, specifically Tinder. He has now been with his girlfriend for over three years after first matching with her on
Christmas Eve in 2020. “The in-person interaction is a lot more genuine and it’s better,” he said. “I think I was just lucky enough to have met my girlfriend on there.” Bela Gandhi, founder of Chicagobased Smart Dating Academy is a believer in online dating. But Gandhi, who specializes in coaching people of all ages that are looking for relationships, finds that people can tend to limit their pool of prospects by only using apps. “I think that it’s important for people of all ages to have that comfort level socially, in being able to approach somebody and not rely on DMs and messages,” she said. “Ultimately we’re human beings and we want real contact with people.” Gandhi said college students particularly should take advantage of their physical surroundings on campus as a way to meet potential connections. “The number of upwardly mobile single professionals, when you’re in college, you’ll most likely not see that again in that type of a concentration,” she said. “Take advantage of this concentration of single people that are all together. We assume it goes on forever, but it doesn’t.” AHEERINGA@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL Del 48% de estudiantes universitarios que usan aplicaciones de citas, algunos las han encontrado de mucha ayuda, mientras otros no han recibido la satisfacción de lo que buscaban. Después de probarlo, la estudiante de cuarto año Tyra Carey dijo que aunque ha disfrutado conectarse con otra gente, prefiere conocer a su pareja romántica tradicionalmente. De lo contrario, a Bar Schaffer, estudiante de segundo año, le gusta Hinge, una aplicación que personaliza las preferencias de los usuarios para ayudarte a encontrar lo que buscas en una pareja.
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»LILLY SUNDSBAK/CHRONICLE
THE SEX ISSUE: DECONSTRUCTING TECHNOSHIPS
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR EX IS HARASSING YOU » ALLISON SHELTON REPORTER
WHEN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHY major Caroline Guffey was in a three-year relationship, using Snapchat’s locationtracking Snap Maps feature was normal. After the breakup, her ex began using it to find and stalk her in person. Since then, Guffey has received constant login attempts from major social platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, with two of them being successful. She said she knew it was her ex-partner because she was being notified of an email only “he knew” to access her accounts. “I knew it was him, especially on TikTok,” she said. “I blocked him, and everyone that he knew, even his new girlfriend. Then, I get a message that somebody’s logged into my TikTok and all of a sudden, none of those people were blocked anymore.” The stalking stopped after Guffey posted publicly about the experience on TikTok, saying she was “able to use technology to get back at him” not only by calling him out on social media but also by using Snap Maps herself to see where he was so she could avoid him. The signs of an unhealthy relationship are often similar, said Neil Callicoat, director of Equity Issues and Title IX
Coordinator for the college. “If someone is constantly breaking the boundaries that you have clearly communicated, or if you find someone is taking advantage of you, whether it’s in person, via a written note or a text message, they’re still red flags.” The Title IX office assists victims of domestic abuse and stalking through counseling referrals on and off campus, police contact or legal action. Callicoat blamed not only technology but also human behavior. “Unfortunately, it just gives people creative new ways to be abusive,” he said. He’s seen fake accounts created solely to follow and collect information about victims. Junior audio arts major Max Cichon witnessed this firsthand when his partner was stalked by an ex. They met through the dating app Bumble and although they’d broken up, the ex still tracked her location via Find My iPhone. As time went on, the ex-partner eventually found Cichon on social media and began to message him through direct messages via Instagram, saying things like “watch out” and “back off of her.” After the ex-partner asked for an in-person meet-up, Cichon’s partner decided it was time to cut off all communication. “The cyberstalking continued to
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happen for a while, until he eventually just gave up, which was good,” Cichon said. “All in all, it was a bit of a dangerous situation”. Callicoat advised students to adjust privacy settings, share information cautiously and formally report unsafe situations at the Title IX office. “Be careful about who you allow to follow you and be mindful of the presence you put out there,” Callicoat said. Social media isn’t always bad when a relationship ends. People use social media to “reminisce about the relationship, see what their partner is up to, or just out of general curiosity,” said Marisa Cohen, a relationship scientist and marriage and therapist counselor in New York City. “This can keep the person in a space where they feel like they’re not fully processing their emotions, and they’re not starting to, essentially, detangle their life from their partner.” That’s why it’s important to have discussions about social media early in a relationship. “I think that the most important thing I can share is for partners to share their expectations and their needs when it comes to technology,” Cohen said. “It’s not so much like a one size
fits all approach, it’s really within the couple when the expectations for what technology use will look like mismatches. That’s when problems arise.” ASHELTON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL El acoso en línea por parte de ex parejas es un problema creciente. Estudiantes de Columbia han sufrido stalkeo y acceso no autorizado a sus cuentas luego de rupturas. La oficina de Título IX de Columbia ofrece ayuda con denuncias, apoyo legal y referidos a consejería. El director Neil Callicoat atribuye esto no solo a la tecnología sino al comportamiento humano, ya que la gente encuentra formas “creativas” de ser abusiva en línea. Recomienda ajustar la privacidad en redes, compartir información con cautela y reportar situaciones peligrosas formalmente. La experta Marisa Cohen sugiere establecer expectativas claras sobre el uso de redes sociales desde el inicio de una relación, para evitar problemas cuando ésta termine. Tener estas conversaciones temprano es clave.
THE SEX ISSUE: DECONSTRUCTING TECHNOSHIPS
SURVEYS FIND GEN Z MORE LIKELY TO FANTASIZE ABOUT CHARACTERS IN MEDIA WHEN VIEWING PORN » CONNOR DORE REPORTER
“With art, I have more of a connection to what happens,” he said.
GENERATION Z IS not only shifting away from watching porn solely for sexual gratification but also acting out their fantasies in the media they consume, according to a top porn site’s annual review of what people like to watch. PornHub’s 2023 Year in Review showed that the search term “cosplay” went up by 146%, and“hentai” — a form of Japanese pornographic anime and manga — increased by 94%. “Interactive,” which is a subgenre of porn where the viewer participates in the video’s outcome, increased by 80%. Cosplaying means dressing up and taking on a character’s personality. Daniel Flores, an illustration student, said he prefers pornographic art over videos.
Grace Martin, an Oak Park-based family and marriage therapist, credited the popularity of cartoon-based porn to the modern age. “It could be the internet and what’s accessible with AI being able to generate cartoons,” Martin said. “The artistic aspect of it, like growing up watching movies and watching YouTube.” Martin said interest in cartoon porn
doesn’t mean someone wants to act out a porn fantasy in real life. “A lot of people watch animated porn,” she said. “Does that mean they want to actually have sex with an actual cartoon character? No. These are just fantasies that turn people on and it’s okay to fantasize about wild stuff.” Cari Beecham-Bautista, a part-time instructor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department and former sex health educator, said the interest in pornographic art likely stems from a more general interest in anime. “I know generally my students are very interested in anime, but I think that there is this idea that we don’t want a corporate take on this, and we don’t want advertisers to sell us specific views on pornography.” she said. “I wonder too if part of it is ethical concerns. In professional pornography maybe there is
a little more concern about people being exploited.” Julia Murray, a sophomore film and television major, was introduced to anime when she was 11 and discovered hentai five years ago. She likes hentai more than porn with “real people.” “I find watching IRL porn is more uncomfortable for me,” she said, using the abbreviation for “in real life.” “With standard pornography, it feels like it is focused on one thing whereas hentai it could be in this magical world.” According to PornHub’s data, Gen Z consumes porn more than any other generation, comprising 27% of the site’s 2023 viewership. Jaime Sinaloa, a junior marketing major, said he used to watch porn once a day, usually through PornHub’s website but has since slowed down. “I feel like it kind of negatively impacted me, but there is also kind of a positive because you learn what’s out there, what you like and what you don’t like,” he said.
»ALEX SUAREZ/CHRONICLE
CDORE@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL La Generación Z está cambiando sus hábitos pornográficos, usándolo no solo para gratificación sexual sino también para representar fantasías. Las búsquedas de “cosplay”, que significa la adopción de una personalidad de ficción con disfrazarse, aumentó 146%. El género de porno animado japonés, “Hentai”, también aumentó 94% y el “porno interactivo” 80%, según un informe de PornHub. Estudiante de ilustración Daniel Flores, prefiere la pornografía de arte a los videos porque dice que se puede conectar más con lo que pasa en el porno.
FEBRUARY 14, 2024 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 13
THE SEX ISSUE
STUDY: MORE TEENS WAITING TO HAVE SEX UNTIL THEY’RE OLDER »MARIA SANCHEZ MEDINA/CHRONICLE
» PERLA MÍA VALDEZ SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT CREATOR
FEWER TEENS ARE having sex in high school, continuing a decadeslong decline, and boys in particular are waiting to have their first sexual experience with a girl, according to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Data from the National Survey of Family Growth from 2015 to 2019 found that 38.7% of boys and 40.5% of girls between 15 and 19 had engaged in heterosexual, vaginal sex before marriage. The government focused on heterosexual sex because it uses the survey to look at the health, economic and social costs of pregnancy and childbearing among the teen population. Teen pregnancy and birth rates have been declining since the early 1990s and have reached historic lows. There are many reasons for this, said Cary Archer, director of education for Planned Parenthood of Illinois. “No one factor can be pointed to as the cause of this reduction,” Archer said in an email. “However, there is very strong data that when teenagers have had comprehensive sex ed, they are more likely to delay sexual activity.” Junior illustration major Symphony Ely
had been with her male partner for about a week when she had sex with him for the first time. She said she was comfortable and ready “to see what the hype was about regarding sex.” She was not nervous at all and knew what she needed to know about being safe, Ely said. “After a couple seconds, I was fine and was able to go three rounds. While I do regret dating him and having sex with himspecifically, I don’t regret my first time and I’m glad I was able to have a good experience.” Nearly 4 out of 5 teenage girls said they used contraception in their first intimate heterosexual encounter, according to the research, and more than 90% of teenage boys used contraception during their first sexual experience with a girl. Senior social media and digital strategy major Robbie McClain was 16 when he had sex for the first time and said he now wishes he had waited. “It was with some guy I barely knew and who was definitely not near my age,” McClain said. They had sex at 1 a.m. in his garage on a bare mattress on the concrete floor that had just been taken out of a spare bedroom. “I remember the garage being pitch black, smelling like gasoline and freezing inside. It was honestly a typical, sloppy, gay experience. Looking back, I wish I had
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saved my first time for a better moment.” Archer, of Planned Parenthood, said younger people benefit from “medically accurate and more inclusive information.” “They can make decisions that are best for themselves and for their bodies,” Archer said. First-year film major William Molina expressed how he lacked the education needed to have a comfortable experience, but nonetheless had no regrets. “The first time I had sex was when I was 15 years old and still closeted to my parents,” Molina said. “I had a boyfriend that lived almost an hour away. After a few months of dating, we ended up having sex. It wasn’t bad because I was doing it with someone I trusted, but at the same time, it was kinda weird because it was the first time I ever bottomed and no one teaches you about how that works and how to prepare yourself. But after that relationship, I wouldn’t say I regret it, I’m just happy it wasn’t bad.” First-year art history major Ken Amos had sex for the first time at 14 on a dare, “It was very weirdly the result of a Truth or Dare game at a friend’s house after school with my first girlfriend,” they said. “It wasn’t what I had expected and nothing like what happened in movies and on TV between straight people.”
Amos remembered being glad for it to be over. “I do, personally, wish I would have waited to be in a different situation,” they said. PVALDEZ@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL Según un estudio de los CDC, menos adolescentes están teniendo sexo en la preparatoria, siguiendo una tendencia de décadas. En particular, los chicos están esperando más para tener su primera experiencia sexual con una chica. Casi 4 de cada 5 chicas adolescentes dijeron haber usado anticonceptivos en su primer encuentro heterosexual. La educación sexual integral se correlaciona con la demora de la actividad sexual. Algunos estudiantes de Columbia compartieron sus experiencias. Algunos se arrepienten de no haber esperado, mientras que otros no se arrepienten pero desean haber estado más informados y preparados.
THE SEX ISSUE
CULTURAL CONVERSATIONS: THE TABOO OF THE ‘THE TALK’ »RILEY HANNON/CHRONICLE
» KATE JULIANNE LARRODER REPORTER
THE CHRONICLE Q&A
IN WESTERN CULTURE, CULTURE “the talk” is seen as a rite of passage where parents or guardians are given the chance to guide their children through the intricacies of sex and everything that falls under it. However, how this conversation is approached and covered differs significantly in other cultural contexts. The Chronicle sat down with six international Columbia students individually and asked them what “the talk” is and how it was approached in their culture. First-year film and
television major Sơn Lê Quản from Vietnam and graduate student of arts management Qianyi Wang from China both said that they were familiar with Western idea of “the talk.” Graduate student of arts management Xin Huang and sophomore arts management major Feihong Guo, both from China, were not familiar with the English phrase. In most Asian countries, discussions about sex education typically fall into two categories: either parents have “the talk” with their children, or they do not discuss the topic at all. In Vietnam, “the talk” is usually brief and to
the point rather than a formal sit-down conversation. In China, whether or not parents have “the talk” with their children depends on their traditional views. In South American countries, “the talk” is given, but it is not as structured as in Western countries. That is why first-year major Manuela Lopes from Brazil was aware of the concept. So was first-year music major Rebeca Urzúa, who is from Mexico. RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL Muchos han escuchado la simbólica historia de las aves y las abejas, pero algunos
estudiantes tienen diferentes perspectivas sobre esta temida charla sexual, reporta Kate Larroder. Se sentó con seis estudiantes internacionales de Columbia individualmente y les preguntó qué es “la charla” y cómo se aborda en su cultura. En la mayoría de los países asiáticos, las conversaciones sobre educación sexual suelen dividirse en dos categorías: o los padres tienen “la charla” con sus hijos, o no discuten el tema. En países sudamericanos como Brasil y México, se da “la charla”, pero no está tan estructurada como en países occidentales. Esto impacta a los estudiantes
KLARRODER@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
FEBRUARY 14, 2024 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 15
THE SEX ISSUE
» PATIENCE HURSTON COPY CHIEF
Sexually transmitted infections are at an all-time high in the U.S., with three of the most common — syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea — rising 1.9% from 2018 to 2022. In response to these increasing rates of STIs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has created the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Task Force. The task force aims to serve impacted communities and “promote health equity” by providing resources. It’s an epidemic that is only going to get worse if something doesn’t change. We live in a culture that makes it easy to have sex but shames us for partaking in it. Because of that, people who get infected may be reluctant to seek treatment. Of the top STIs, the increase in syphilis cases is the most alarming. According to the CDC, syphilis cases increased 80% in the United States between 2018 and 2022 (from 115,000 to
more than 207,000). They stated, “nearly every demographic group and region increased, as did disparities in the burden of disease among certain racial and ethnic populations.” Syphilis, while curable, can cause hair loss and sores in its earlier stages but can cause blindness, dementia and, in the worst case, death. It’s important for people to recognize the early symptoms and to get treated right away. A single injection of long-acting penicillin G benzathine can cure the early stages of syphilis, according to the CDC. Treatment will cure the infection but not repair damage already done. This isn’t an issue that only affects sexually active adults. There has been an increase in infants with congenital syphilis, more than 3,700 babies were born with congenital syphilis in 2022 — 10 times more than a decade ago and a 32% increase from 2021. “It is clear that something is not working here, that something has to change,” the CDC’s Dr. Laura Bachmann told the
Associated Press. “That’s why we’re calling for exceptional measures to address this heartbreaking epidemic.” It’s not enough to push abstinence. Various societal factors including poverty, lack of education or inaccessibility to health care prevent people from receiving care. The stigma of having an STI also holds people back. This is especially concerning because of all age groups, the highest prevalence of STIs is among college-aged students. According to Hartford Health, about 1 in 4 college students has an STI. One way to curb this stigma is to provide adequate education and open dialogue around STIs and how to take care of one’s sexual health. This is something Columbia needs to do. To protect our community, Columbia must do more to educate and provide resources to the student population. Implementing more condom distribution centers, giving more information about where to go for resources and promoting getting tested regularly could save student
» PEYTON REICH/CHRONICLE
OPINION: COLUMBIA MUST STEP UP TO TACKLE RISING STI RATES
lives. Events centering around safe sex and promoting Columbia’s Safe Sex program could make it easier for students to reach out if they require treatment. Informing them on how commonplace STIs are and how to prevent them would foster a community of more responsible sexual partners. One upcoming event on Feb. 16 called “Are You Coming?” is tackling this very important issue. The forum will be taking place at the Student Center in the 2nd floor boardroom. The event will have a discussion on safe sex, toy giveaways, free condoms and a Q&A. Events like these should take place year-round. Sexually active adults should get tested for STIs at least once a year or when changing sexual partners. Stocking up on condoms and other prevention measures are also effective ways to keep yourself and our community safe. While the resources we have are a great first step to tackling this issue, the college needs to do more to ensure students are informed and safe. Sexual health is not something to be hidden away. The only way to stay healthy is to encourage being proactive and help people get the treatment they need.
PHURSTON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
»LILLY SUNDSBAK/CHRONICLE
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL Las infecciones de transmisión sexual como sífilis, clamidia y gonorrea están en niveles récord en Estados Unidos. La cultura facilita el sexo pero luego genera vergüenza, lo que dificulta buscar tratamiento. Columbia debe intensificar esfuerzos para educar y brindar recursos a los estudiantes sobre salud sexual, dijo Patience Hurston en el escrito, dado que 1 de cada 4 universitarios tiene una ITS. Se necesitan más centros de distribución de condones, información sobre dónde conseguir ayuda y eventos sobre sexo seguro. Exámenes anuales y uso de condones son esenciales. Romper el estigma en torno a las ITS y fomentar la responsabilidad sexual salvarán vidas estudiantiles. La salud sexual no debe ser un tabú. 16 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 14, 2024
THE SEX ISSUE
OPINION: HOT AND COLD DYNAMICS: UNPACKING THE “SITUATIONSHIP” » ALINA PAWL-CASTANOÑ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
» LILLY SUNDSBAK/CHRONICLE
IT STARTS WITH a touch. It could be a touch from a hand or from your phone screen illuminated by the latest dating app, but the end results are the same. Flirtations and phone numbers are exchanged, and the chase of the “do we, don’t we?” begins. As the infatuation fades and the “honeymoon phase” makes its curtain call, reality comes into focus and the feelings of uncertainty creep in. It makes you wonder if the thrill of the game is not so thrilling at all. If you ask your friends for the definition of a situationship, you are going to get a different answer every time. This gray-area of intimacy is so ingrained within the modern dating pool that it has become commonplace — stuck in limbo between the rejection of dating but accepting the situation as more than friendly affection. It is no wonder that the term “situationship” has had a record amount of interest in Google search trends in the past year. Is a situationship a form of freedom, or is it truly an illusion of control under faulty foundations of blurry boundaries, defining intimacy for an entire generation of young adults entering the dating world? Psychologist Susan Albers defined a situationship as having a lack of obligation or exclusivity. “There are elements of friendship and romance, but they exist without defining the relationship,” she told the Cleveland Clinic. Situationships can have their own time and place within the structure of someone’s life. Whether it is the pressure of the college workload or the rebuilding after a bad breakup, enjoying the privileges of a partnership while maintaining the stress-free status of being single and the opportunities that come with it can sound appealing. The alluring secrecy adds a level of excitement and risk that you do not achieve within a traditional dating dynamic. Young adults agree, considering that Tinder saw a 49% increase of the term “situationship” being added to users profiles between the ages of 18 to 25, in 2022.
Within this excitement is undefined territory, leaving one or all parties involved on uncertain ground. When expectations are addressed and continuously reviewed, a situationship can be an interpersonal exercise of exploration and reassessment of what you want for yourself and of future partners. However, the term “situationship” and its popularity amongst an entire generation has caused the lack of communication and vulnerability within a partnership to become a main pillar of the shaky foundations of modern dating. When you do not know where you stand with someone, this uncertainty has the potential to breed doubts, regret and anxiety within a fantasy of your own creation. As the dust settles, and your situationship stops texting back or cancels plans with little-to-no explanation, this fantasy can easily change from hot-to-cold. As a result, participants are often left feeling unfulfilled and undervalued once it is over. Within my first situationship at 18 years old, less than a year after I broke up with my high school sweetheart, my eyes had yet to be opened to the world of casual dating and the nuances that come with it. Just like a lot of young adults first entering the dating world, I yearned for genuine connection, any connection, and turned to dating apps to find them. I found my connection within a man four years my senior. I devoured his affections, sweet comments and future planning of trips we would take. I ignored the fact that our meetings solely consisted of the confines of our respective apartments. I found myself swept up within the fantasy that we had created. Until the bubble of delusion popped a month later. His affections and attention dwindled as his replies became more
and more impassive. His touch became less kind and gentle. “You’ll understand when you’re older,” he said. As I cried into my mother’s arms, feelings of shame, guilt and regret reached a boiling point within me. Why was I not enough? This question would echo through the summer and follow me to Chicago. After four years, his last impression still stings. Consistent exposure to this hot and cold behavior can leave lasting effects on an individual’s perception of self-worth and how they conduct themselves within future relationships. Or worse, eliminate emotional vulnerability and connection all together. Generation Z is often referred to as the loneliest generation, with isolation rates higher than both Gen X and Millennials. Situationships, put into the spotlight by hookup culture and the plethora of dating apps and social media, is a double edged sword; it encourages exploration and autonomy, yet at the same time, enforcing and normalizing destructive behaviors of detachment, dishonesty and objectification. The perfect ingredients to create an intoxicating pairing. My first situationship was not my last. Within the icy feeling of loneliness and self-deprecation, I sprung into a familiar
behavior within casual dating, trying to create a distraction within someone else. After many tears shed and names forgotten, I can look back at my history and point at the lessons to be learned. The biggest one to date is that it is better to be alone than to be in a cold embrace. RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL “Situationship” es un término que ha crecido en popularidad recientemente para describir la etapa de una relación sin título de noviazgo, amistad, etc. Se percibe de diferente manera en cada relación. Lo principal es que no hay parámetros sobre si las personas involucradas pueden o no salir con otras. Para algunos, esto ofrece libertad, pero para otros, como Alina Pawl-Castanon, quien argumenta que produce falta de control y comunicación, causando ansiedad y dudas personales debido a la informalidad de la relación. EMAIL EDITORIALBOARD@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM TO SUBMIT AN OP-ED.
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THE SEX ISSUE
OPINION: WE ARE ALREADY NON-MONOGAMOUS. LET’S MAKE IT ETHICAL » TRINIT Y BALBOA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
»MARIA SANCHEZ MEDINA/CHRONICLE
FOR MANY PEOPLE, PEOPLE the word “polyamorous” carries a negative connotation: infidelity, cheating and jealousy. However, in the digital space where many people are meeting online and exploring multiple relationships, it is already the norm. “Sleeping around” is often a college cliche, even if it is not respectably discussed. It is an exciting, new change for many of us, where we can lean into exploration and learning. Suddenly, new opportunities to experience your sexuality and identity with others may start arising. It can be a way to rebel from the things you have been previously told, or a way to express yourself. Either way, many of us have chosen to embrace it. Our resources now — various barrier methods, PreP, vaccinations — have made it easier to have safe sex. However, this will never make the discussions around having sex easier. This can create unhealthy conflicts for many of us as the conversations around sex can feel like a war zone. This may be inflamed by popular relationship forms between college students and ideas of sexuality between people with words such as “situationships,” the “talking stage” and “friends with benefits.” Here enters the practical idea of ethical non-monogamy:
a way to respect yourself, your sexual identity, wants and needs; as well as your partner’s. Understanding the basics of this can be infinitely valuable to those of us in college, on dating apps or crushing on people. The fundamental basis of ethical non-monogamy will always be that of consent, knowledge and respect. My dad, a long-practicing polyamorist, told me, “It always must be a hell yes!” in respect to these things. I am also polyamorous, and it can be a fantastic way to learn how to discuss and define your sexuality in a relatively safe space through clear boundaries. Ethical non-monogamy can range from casual, sexual-anarchy type situations to having an open relationship with a primary partner to having multiple partners at once. It may be helpful to selfdefine what is considered a relationship, what is considered cheating and what you want from a relationship. Personally, I find the idea of friends and lovers mingling attractive; I enjoy being able to love my friends in numerous contexts. I love the closeness I can feel with people, seeing others in private, sweet settings. No matter how close and confident you may feel in these situations, these conversations can always be hard. It can be awkward and uncomfortable. This can be nerve-wracking for some of us. For me, it felt analogous to clumsily coming out, over and over again. I’m a terrible
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blusher and I would get all red in the face. It did not matter, because these were the conversations that would allow my partner to find more comfort and trust in me. Comfort and trust, after all, is what I wanted in my relationships. Jealousy is another pesky feeling that may prevent some of us from stepping into this concept. Analyzing why you feel this jealousy may be helpful — do you see this person as your possession? Are you envious of the things other people could give them? Confronting these can be helpful. It is a long process and you should allow patience for yourself, but it is valuable for your future relationships. Consider other ideas, maybe having multiple partners can satisfy multiple different needs and wants. I want my partners to be happy— and if other partners make them happy — I can be happy too. This is not to say that you should ever feel pressured to pursue this entirely. Again, consent is paramount for this entire thing, including your own. Stick to your boundaries. Overall, I think it’s time we may consider this term for wider use as we step into a digital age. Dating apps are an incredibly easy way to talk to multiple possible partners at once in a way we do not even think about as being non-monogamous. Is a “talking stage” monogamous, or if not, is it worth disclosing? It’s always better to be safe
than sorry. Even that can be intimidating, but again, open communication allows for more freedom. Is a situationship still a situationship if they’re in other situationships? With these new labels, we’ll have to make new decisions. Our generation can pioneer this new age of non-monogamy as being positive, loving and confident. RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL En la era digital, las relaciones no monógamas se están volviendo más comunes entre los jóvenes. Trinity Balboa encuentra valor en la no monogamia ética, ya que enfatiza el consentimiento, respeto y comunicación abierta en relaciones múltiples, también conocidas como relaciones poliamorosas. Puede satisfacer necesidades variadas y explorar la sexualidad de forma segura. Los celos y la incomodidad al discutir límites son desafíos comunes inicialmente. Nuestra generación puede liderar la normalización de estilos de relaciones no tradicionales, redefiniendo ideas de infidelidad. Lo más importante es priorizar el consentimiento propio y ajeno, establecer límites claros, y permitir que estas conversaciones ocurran con paciencia y comprensión. EMAIL EDITORIALBOARD@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM TO SUBMIT AN OP-ED.
THE SEX ISSUE »RILEY HANNON/CHRONICLE
COLUMN: LACK OF SEPARATION BETWEEN CULTURE, RELIGION HINDERS MUSLIM GIRLS FROM SEX EDUCATION THEY DESERVE » SAMAHER ABURABAH COPY EDITOR
ACCORDING TO HEART, HEART an organization aiming to promote sexual health and advance reproductive justice for Muslims, Muslim scholars such as Imam al-Ghazali have emphasized that it is the obligation of Muslims to learn about sexual desires and health in a way that is clear and direct. So why is it that sex is seen as a taboo and shameful topic in the Muslim community worldwide? The answer is a lack of separation between culture and religion. Due to cultural upbringings, Muslim families often feel they cannot discuss sex education with their children. The older generations in these families were raised in a state of ignorance when it came to sex. These same people who never had the education they deserved leave it to their children’s schools and the media to provide sexual learning. When the youth’s only exposure to sex is through the media or public education, many young Muslim girls never learn the practices of safe sex, and in turn, either have high expectations of what sex is supposed to be or turn to unrealistic depictions of intercourse like pornography. When young girls muster up the courage to inquire about an aspect of intercourse they are curious about, many are told to “just figure it out after marriage” and straightforward answers are not given.
The younger generation of Muslim women is seeing this absence in the community, and instead of passing along the avoidance culture of sexual repression, they have started to create websites, infographics and communities for conversation through social media apps. These channels aim to distribute resources for sexual education in ways that are safe, realistic and pious. Instagram accounts run by women have opened with the goal of becoming a safe space for Muslim girls and women around the world. Accounts like Amirah Zaky, a certified sex educator, focus on questions from followers to directly answer what people are curious about. Zaky provides free content for people of all faiths who want to learn sex education in a God-conscious way. HEART and Islamic Research Foundation International provide infographics and resources for Muslims to learn about sex in a researched and cited format. HEART created “A Guide to Effective Programming for Youth” focused around sexual education. This source touches upon cultural myths, sexual abuse, body image and more topics relating to sexual and reproductive health. Other than informing readers about the actual logistics of sex, this resource touches on body positivity and how to identify sexual abuse. Without proper education, many women have trouble identifying sexual abuse. They assume that what they are expected to do with or
for their spouse is natural and a given in their marriage. When responding to what the implications of a lack of sex education are relating to abuse, HEART included in their sex education resource, “Young women and men who are neither informed about their bodies nor educated about what constitutes a healthy relationship will remain unequipped to identify when they are being abused or who they can turn to for help. A number of online blogs and anonymous, informal surveys are raising awareness about sexual violence among Muslims and are seeking opportunities to address the subject.” The Islamic Foundation has a resource on their website titled “Young Muslims Guide to Sex Education,” where they have posted information they deem necessary for young children in the community who are developing through puberty to know. TikTok creators such as Lackytalkss have dedicated their pages to educating Muslim women on topics seen as taboo in the community. Some of Lacky’s videos touch on women’s sexual rights, combating common myths about sex in the community and knowledge of the body and sexual urges. Opportunities like this are the only ways safe sex education is getting to the young Muslim women population. Sex is not something that can be disregarded by the community forever. Our generation is becoming the change in this once-ignored topic because we have
seen firsthand how it negatively affects our women. Muslim women should not be told “you will figure it out after marriage” or “you do not need to worry about it” when they ask about sex. They should be encouraged to seek sexual education in a healthy, safe way and not told that knowledge of sex is harmful. SABURABAH@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM
RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL Debido a la educación cultural, las familias musulmanas a menudo sienten que no pueden hablar de educación sexual con sus hijos. En la columna de Samaher AbuRabah, dice que es debido al estado de ignorancia donde las generaciones más antiguas crecieron cuando se trata del sexo. Estas mismas personas que nunca tuvieron la educación dejan que las escuelas de sus hijos y los medios de comunicación proporcionen aprendizaje sexual, dijo AbuRabah. Ocasionando que las mujeres jóvenes musulmanas nunca aprendan las prácticas de sexo seguro. La nueva generación de musulmanas notaron esta ausencia en su comunidad y han empezado a crear sitios web, infografías y discusiones por redes sociales con el fin de distribuir recursos para la educación sexual de manera segura, realista y piadosa.
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SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE COMING MAY 8, 2024 20 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 14, 2024