Today concludes College Week! With an eye on the next generation of Bedsider ambassadors, our BedsiderUMD group interviewed BedsiderATX (in pictures ‘cause they’re cool like that) about what they’d tell them.
If you think that next generation of Bedsider ambassadors should include you, shoot us an email at college@bedsider.org and introduce yourself!
College Week, Day 1: Never Ask Your Sex Educator About Her Favorite Sex Position
Today’s “College Week spotlight” is on the never-shy go-getters of American University. Bedsider ambassadors from the University of South Carolina interviewed them about their experiences as sexual health crusaders.
1. Q: What’s been your favorite event this year or semester?
My favorite event this year was definitely the viewing party we had at Gen’s apartment. We had about 12 girls there watching the movie The Pill and it was really great to talk to girls in an informal and relaxed setting about our sex lives and the importance of us as young ladies being on birth control.
—Kelly
2. Q: Have you ever done anything crazy at a Bedsider event?
The craziest thing that I’ve ever done was at a pub trivia event we held at the tavern. About 10 frat boys participated in pub trivia and for one of the questions I had two of them show me the lotus sex position. During the same event, I used a microphone to promote the event shouting “do you know what the number one tip for hot sex is?!”
—Genesis
3. Q: Has working on the Bedsider campus ambassador program changed your outlook on sex, relationships, or life?
It’s given me a wider network to talk about safe sex, relationships, and different forms of contraception than before. It’s a great resource for me as someone who has been on the pill for a long time and is now looking for a new form of contraception and the [Bedsider] website with each type of contraception’s pros/cons and testimonials has been super helpful making me a more informed person in choosing my form of contraception.
—Jess
4. Q: What is the most awkward/embarrassing question someone has asked you at a Bedsider event?
Someone once asked me what birth control method I use and I also got asked what my favorite sex position was!
—Genesis
5. Q: What do you think are some benefits of having Bedsider on your campus?
It’s great to have a large network of people to talk to because we can provide that friendly face to a brand for college students our age who are either looking for a new type of birth control or just a conversation!
—Jess
6. Q: Is there any advice you want to give the next generation of campus ambassadors?
Make sure that you always communicate with one another so that everyone is on the same page. Also, remember that there are always opportunities to promote Bedsider. I always carry chapstick or postcards with me, in case there’s a chance for me to do some sort of shameless plug.
—Genesis
Holla, Hollaback: An Interview with Emily May
So you’re walking down the street, headed to work, or school, or the laundromat (because only the sweatpants and T-shirt you have on are clean) and you hear: “If no one has told you how beautiful you are today, please let me be the first.” What do you do?
a) Stop and give out your phone number immediately!
b) Keep your blinders up and start walking a little faster.
c) Smile and say thank you.
Personally, I’m an option “c” kind of girl. As I admitted in Street Hollas: When Is It NOT Harassment?, I enjoy the occasional compliment from a stranger in the street. But yes, the reality of how quickly a “You looking good, girl” could potentially turn into a “F*** you, B****” is always in the back of my mind. And when it happens, the experience can ruin more than just your day.
So what is the solution? Because as a single gal in NYC, eliminating the public sphere as a possible place to meet “Mr. Right” is just not realistic.
To get some answers on when a street “holla” crosses the line into “street harassment,” I spoke to Emily May, Executive Director of Hollaback!, an international movement dedicated to ending street harassment by empowering victims to share their personal stories. (FYI, according to Stop Street Harassment, street harassment means unwelcome words and actions from unknown persons in public, which are motivated by gender and invade a person’s physical and emotional space in a disrespectful, creepy, startling, scary, or insulting way.)
Emily talked to me about the difference she sees between a friendly street holla and street harassment and explained why she thinks Hollaback! is so important.
Your turn: what are your thoughts and experiences RE street hollas? Is a holla always harassment?
*****
Veralyn Williams is a Multimedia Freelance Journalist currently working in New York City. She has spent 4 years at WNYC Radio working with various departments including: Radio Rookies, Culture, News, and Freakonomincs. Also freelancing for Black Enterprise, BronxNet Television,Bedsider, and The Museum for African Art. Her independent work is featured on her website VeralynMedia.com. Through all of her endeavors she aims to give a voice to perspectives that are often forgotten in the media.
