Sarah Levy
November 17, 2008
*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Though pretty much every other topic is addressed, there is one aspect of how life changes upon leaving for college that never comes up, even with all the pamphlets and weeks of organized introductory activities.
Masturbation.
“I definitely thought about it before coming,” said Stefan Mathews ‘12. He said he was worried about how he would be affected by the lack of privacy that dorm life would bring.
Mathews is not the only first year that worried about personal changes that would come with college life. For many it was an issue.
Rosa Montague ’12 said she thought about the change beforehand, but wasn’t worried about it.
“I wondered if I would have time, what if my roommate were to find out, that kind of thing,” said Montague.
Montague said her habits have changed since college, because they are more random and more rushed. However, she said she does not do it any less than at home. And she does not really plan it out.
“I’ve learned [my roommate’s] schedule,” she said. “It’s just like, ooh, she’s left. This will be fun.”
Not everyone has been able to so easily cope with the burdens of dorm life.
“Yeah [my masturbatory habits] have changed!” said Alister Korb ‘12. “How have they changed? I don’t.”
Korb said that he did not realize until he got here that things would be different than at home. He said he cannot masturbate in his room because his roommate is usually there, and he does not feel comfortable doing it in the bathroom.
“I feel like it’s gross to do in a public shower and I think how I would feel if I were in the shower next to mine,” he said. “That would suck.”
Korb is not the only male who held off from this practice because of college. Gabriel Sutherland ’12 said the first time he masturbated after coming to Macalester was almost two months after leaving home. But for him this was not that big of a deal, even though he described his habits since coming to college as “somewhat moderately different” than at home.
“There are a lot more things to keep me occupied here,” he said. Sutherland said he has not really been affected by the change and that on average he does it less than once a week.
“I guess I just keep it all bottled up,” he said.
Another issue that comes with dorm life is that of walking in on people having sex, or being walked in on.
Suzanne Li, a senior, said that sophomore year she and her roommate would draw a “5” on their white board as a sign of “Do not enter.”
“If there was a 5 and you really wanted to go in, you knocked once and waited and if no one answered you still wouldn’t go in,” she said.
As for Montague, she said she has worried about someone walking in on her. But she does not lock the door.
“If I’m in there alone with the door locked, I’m worried about what someone walking by will think,” she said. “Because I don’t want them assuming I’m doing that.”
While some students have found ways to cope, for others relative problems have arisen. One such issue is stress.
“Masturbation is a mood-booster and if you can’t do it as often [as you would like], it does make you a bit grumpier,” said Mathews. He said that since college, he has been masturbating much less frequently than before and only during certain planned out times, which he said at times affects his stress-level.
The lack of privacy can also affect students in ways beyond just the emotional.
“I keep getting urinary tract infections because I don’t go pee after sex because it’s too much effort to go down the hall [of Dupre],” said Cece Harkins, a sophomore. “And I don’t want to have to see my RA, or that girl I have class with, or that neighbor who just heard me having sex.”
But generally students learn to cope.
“The first week or two was pretty bad,” said Jon Royce ‘12. “Then I figured out [my roommate’s] schedule.”
Montague said she doesn’t worry about walking in on her roommate or visa versa.
“We knock. I figure if you give it like two seconds, anything that’s going on can stop.”
Li said she hasn’t been walked in on, or walked in on anyone in her time at Macalester.
“But I have done things while other people were in the room and I’m not sure if they woke up or not,” she said. Li shed some light on the issue as someone with more collegiate experience.
“As you get older it gets a lot less awkward,” she said. “Because everyone, by the time they’re a senior, has been in a room while other people are having sex. They call it ‘being caught in the wing.’”
Harkin offered advice to first years regarding what she has learned.
“You learn to be silent,” she said. “You learn to do it when it’s convenient for your roommate and not for you.” She added that she has been walked in on a couple times in awkward positions.
“To make sure you get to the end, you’ve got to make it fast sometimes even though you don’t want to,” she said.
With two more years’ experience under her belt, Li continued.
“It’s just kind of like, look, we’re in a cramped space. When I say ‘Go,’ go. People understand.”
She paused to think.
“People don’t get more mature, though.”
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
20,000 Travel to Georgia to Say, "Shut Down the SOA"
Sarah Levy
November 24, 2008
On Sunday the 23rd, upwards of 20,000 people attended a Georgia vigil to commemorate those who have died as result of School of the Americas violence.
“We are here once again to say, ‘Basta. No mas. No More,’” said Father Roy Bourgeois, who started the School of the Americas Watch 18 years ago. The yearly event takes place outside the gates of Fort Benning, the military training site for the school.
“The problem is that most Americans don’t know it exists, or don’t know the terrors that have resulted because of it,” he said.
Father Jon Sobrino, one of the only survivors of his Jesuit community in El Salvador because of SOA-incited murder, explained the reason to be there.
“Any school in which violence and torture is being taught should be closed,” he said. “Any school in which lies are being taught, should be closed. Any school in which the accumulation of wealth as the main joy of life is being taught, should be closed.”
The funeral procession consisted of the names and ages of those who had died as result of SOA violence, being sung off, one by one, alternating Spanish and English. Following each name, a sea of voices solemnly sang back “Pre-sen-te,” each holding up a white cross to represent one person. A single drumbeat followed every name.
“It feels really powerful to remember the names of the dead and to bring that to the doors of the people that murdered them,” said Zeph Fishlyn, an artist who was attending the event for the first time.
Earlier that morning, six people had crossed the border onto the military base in an attempt to bring the protest down to the school. They were arrested and are facing up to six months in federal prison.
The night before, Brian Derouen, who served four months in jail for crossing the line in 2006, addressed a crowd regarding why this protest is important.
“This weekend is not what matters,” said Derouen. “If everyone goes home and tells one person and writes one letter to congress, the school could be shut down in a year. People can’t just be here and then go home and feel good about themselves.”
After putting their crosses on the fence as the culmination of the procession, people stood crying, hugging, and simply staring at the scene in silence. On a patch of grass near the fence, dozens of actors with white face paint lay in black cloths strewn with red paint to represent the dead.
Police loudspeakers didn’t seem to notice the sentiment, and proceeded to blare their message.
“Anyone who crosses the line is subject to fine and imprisonment,” a recording projected for the umpteenth time throughout the weekend. “The sole purpose of this institution is to provide military training of soldiers. It is a non-partisan operation. As a democratic institution it is upholding the constitution.”
Luckily, the weekend’s events, which consisted of many speakers and educational panels, had taught the crowd what a lie this was.
Said Deroen, “In the end, change happens when good people break bad laws and accept the consequences.”
November 24, 2008
On Sunday the 23rd, upwards of 20,000 people attended a Georgia vigil to commemorate those who have died as result of School of the Americas violence.
“We are here once again to say, ‘Basta. No mas. No More,’” said Father Roy Bourgeois, who started the School of the Americas Watch 18 years ago. The yearly event takes place outside the gates of Fort Benning, the military training site for the school.
“The problem is that most Americans don’t know it exists, or don’t know the terrors that have resulted because of it,” he said.
Father Jon Sobrino, one of the only survivors of his Jesuit community in El Salvador because of SOA-incited murder, explained the reason to be there.
“Any school in which violence and torture is being taught should be closed,” he said. “Any school in which lies are being taught, should be closed. Any school in which the accumulation of wealth as the main joy of life is being taught, should be closed.”
The funeral procession consisted of the names and ages of those who had died as result of SOA violence, being sung off, one by one, alternating Spanish and English. Following each name, a sea of voices solemnly sang back “Pre-sen-te,” each holding up a white cross to represent one person. A single drumbeat followed every name.
“It feels really powerful to remember the names of the dead and to bring that to the doors of the people that murdered them,” said Zeph Fishlyn, an artist who was attending the event for the first time.
Earlier that morning, six people had crossed the border onto the military base in an attempt to bring the protest down to the school. They were arrested and are facing up to six months in federal prison.
The night before, Brian Derouen, who served four months in jail for crossing the line in 2006, addressed a crowd regarding why this protest is important.
“This weekend is not what matters,” said Derouen. “If everyone goes home and tells one person and writes one letter to congress, the school could be shut down in a year. People can’t just be here and then go home and feel good about themselves.”
After putting their crosses on the fence as the culmination of the procession, people stood crying, hugging, and simply staring at the scene in silence. On a patch of grass near the fence, dozens of actors with white face paint lay in black cloths strewn with red paint to represent the dead.
Police loudspeakers didn’t seem to notice the sentiment, and proceeded to blare their message.
“Anyone who crosses the line is subject to fine and imprisonment,” a recording projected for the umpteenth time throughout the weekend. “The sole purpose of this institution is to provide military training of soldiers. It is a non-partisan operation. As a democratic institution it is upholding the constitution.”
Luckily, the weekend’s events, which consisted of many speakers and educational panels, had taught the crowd what a lie this was.
Said Deroen, “In the end, change happens when good people break bad laws and accept the consequences.”
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Unheard Tale: What It's Like for Lefties and Repubs at a Truly "Liberal" Arts School
Sarah Levy
November 3, 2008
With two days until the election, Minnesotan Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate for U.S. senate Al Franken spoke at Macalester, urging people to “stand up and fight for the next 48 hours.”
Leading up to the event titled “Two Days ‘Til Tuesday,” for anyone living on campus it was hard not to see a flyer advertising Franken’s visit. On multiple levels of dorm stairwells and poster boards, as well as in class buildings and the campus center, Franken’s face could be seen smiling at passers by.
While some students weren’t fazed by this phenomenon, others, such as Dan Castelli ’11, said they were frustrated by the occurrence and others similar to it that have become more and more common as the election nears.
“As a person whose politics lie well outside the corporate framework of the Democratic and Republican parties, I can't help but feel alienated by the political culture on this campus,” said Castelli, who said he is planning on voting for Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney.
“Everyday I'm told that if I voted for the candidates who best represented my views, the ones who best sought to dismantle racism, economic inequality, homophobia, sexism and the overwhelming corporate privatization of society, that by expressing interest in the candidates with real principles and with real agendas, that I was throwing my vote away,” continued Castelli. “So don't come to my door and tell me to vote, when you're telling me my vote doesn't matter to begin with.”
Jenny Dawson ’12, said she merely thought the Franken advertising was excessive and unnecessary because it was wasting paper.
None of this seemed to affect the enthusiastic crowd of around 450 who attended the Sunday night rally sponsored by Mac Dems and held in the Campus Center, according to Alex Rosselli, president of the group. Besides Macalester students, present were students from nearby campuses and community members.
Following a brief performance by the Trads, which was flavored with several pro-Obama and pro-vote messages within their songs, Franken addressed the crowd.
“I’m pro-A’capella,” he said. “[My opponent] Norm Coleman hates A’capella.”
Franken acknowledged that there are specific reasons to come to a campus like Macalester where the majority of students are already going to vote Democratic.
“I want people out working,” he said. “The future belongs to those who are passionate and work hard.”
While Rosselli said he was pleased with how the event turned out, he said he was not sure how much of an influence it could specifically have to further mobilize students.
“[Macalester] is already one of the most active communities in the state,” he said. “It has been recognized as being extremely effective in getting out the vote.”
However, while many Mac students have been taking Franken’s message to heart as Rosselli said, not everyone has been acting as part of the Macalester Democratic status quo.
James Weismuller ’12, said he thinks all the pro-Obama energy of Macalester could be harnessed more effectively.
“I think this kind of political energy, especially on such a widespread and vibrant scale as we have witnessed during this election, could be used in ways that directly assert the will of the people instead of merely electioneering,” he said. Weismuller said he is not sure yet whether he will vote.
Paul McGuire ’12, said he doesn’t feel attacked by the Obama vibe of Macalester, but rather is amused by it. McGuire said at this point he is not sure whether he will vote for Republican candidate John McCain or Libertarian Bob Barr.
“I knew it was going to be like this when I decided to come to this college,” said McGuire. “I’m amazed by how people respect [Obama] so much, but I’m not surprised by it at all.”
On the opposite side of the political spectrum, Castelli did not take the issue so lightly.
“I feel like my views are made to be illegitimate,” he said about the mass of Democratic propaganda at Mac. “I am whole-heartedly disappointed with Macalester College for being so vehemently supportive of this two party system. If you want change then don't trust politicians; force them to act on your behalf.”
Though it cannot be told whether Franken was aware of this or not, at one point during his speech he seemed to be addressing the issue.
“Some of you—and you know who you are—need new friends,” he said, only partly joking.
The Election-Related Statistics, according to Al Franken:
• Number of Minnesotans without health insurance: 440,000
• Number of Minnesotans who can’t find a job: 170,000
• Number of years it has been since the unemployment level of this state has been this high: 22
• Number of phone calls made so far for this election: 1.5 million
• Number of doors knocked on so far for the election 2.8 million
Al Franken was a writer and performer on the show Saturday Night Live between the years 1975 and 1980, and again from 1985 to 1995.
In 2003 he published the book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.
Now he is running as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in the state of Minnesota.
November 3, 2008
With two days until the election, Minnesotan Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate for U.S. senate Al Franken spoke at Macalester, urging people to “stand up and fight for the next 48 hours.”
Leading up to the event titled “Two Days ‘Til Tuesday,” for anyone living on campus it was hard not to see a flyer advertising Franken’s visit. On multiple levels of dorm stairwells and poster boards, as well as in class buildings and the campus center, Franken’s face could be seen smiling at passers by.
While some students weren’t fazed by this phenomenon, others, such as Dan Castelli ’11, said they were frustrated by the occurrence and others similar to it that have become more and more common as the election nears.
“As a person whose politics lie well outside the corporate framework of the Democratic and Republican parties, I can't help but feel alienated by the political culture on this campus,” said Castelli, who said he is planning on voting for Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney.
“Everyday I'm told that if I voted for the candidates who best represented my views, the ones who best sought to dismantle racism, economic inequality, homophobia, sexism and the overwhelming corporate privatization of society, that by expressing interest in the candidates with real principles and with real agendas, that I was throwing my vote away,” continued Castelli. “So don't come to my door and tell me to vote, when you're telling me my vote doesn't matter to begin with.”
Jenny Dawson ’12, said she merely thought the Franken advertising was excessive and unnecessary because it was wasting paper.
None of this seemed to affect the enthusiastic crowd of around 450 who attended the Sunday night rally sponsored by Mac Dems and held in the Campus Center, according to Alex Rosselli, president of the group. Besides Macalester students, present were students from nearby campuses and community members.
Following a brief performance by the Trads, which was flavored with several pro-Obama and pro-vote messages within their songs, Franken addressed the crowd.
“I’m pro-A’capella,” he said. “[My opponent] Norm Coleman hates A’capella.”
Franken acknowledged that there are specific reasons to come to a campus like Macalester where the majority of students are already going to vote Democratic.
“I want people out working,” he said. “The future belongs to those who are passionate and work hard.”
While Rosselli said he was pleased with how the event turned out, he said he was not sure how much of an influence it could specifically have to further mobilize students.
“[Macalester] is already one of the most active communities in the state,” he said. “It has been recognized as being extremely effective in getting out the vote.”
However, while many Mac students have been taking Franken’s message to heart as Rosselli said, not everyone has been acting as part of the Macalester Democratic status quo.
James Weismuller ’12, said he thinks all the pro-Obama energy of Macalester could be harnessed more effectively.
“I think this kind of political energy, especially on such a widespread and vibrant scale as we have witnessed during this election, could be used in ways that directly assert the will of the people instead of merely electioneering,” he said. Weismuller said he is not sure yet whether he will vote.
Paul McGuire ’12, said he doesn’t feel attacked by the Obama vibe of Macalester, but rather is amused by it. McGuire said at this point he is not sure whether he will vote for Republican candidate John McCain or Libertarian Bob Barr.
“I knew it was going to be like this when I decided to come to this college,” said McGuire. “I’m amazed by how people respect [Obama] so much, but I’m not surprised by it at all.”
On the opposite side of the political spectrum, Castelli did not take the issue so lightly.
“I feel like my views are made to be illegitimate,” he said about the mass of Democratic propaganda at Mac. “I am whole-heartedly disappointed with Macalester College for being so vehemently supportive of this two party system. If you want change then don't trust politicians; force them to act on your behalf.”
Though it cannot be told whether Franken was aware of this or not, at one point during his speech he seemed to be addressing the issue.
“Some of you—and you know who you are—need new friends,” he said, only partly joking.
The Election-Related Statistics, according to Al Franken:
• Number of Minnesotans without health insurance: 440,000
• Number of Minnesotans who can’t find a job: 170,000
• Number of years it has been since the unemployment level of this state has been this high: 22
• Number of phone calls made so far for this election: 1.5 million
• Number of doors knocked on so far for the election 2.8 million
Al Franken was a writer and performer on the show Saturday Night Live between the years 1975 and 1980, and again from 1985 to 1995.
In 2003 he published the book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.
Now he is running as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in the state of Minnesota.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
