Seattle nivU ersity ScholarWorks @ SeattleU The peS ctator 9-25-2003 Spectator 2003-09-25 Editors of The pS ectator Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator Recommended Citation Editors of The peS ctator, "Spectator 2003-09-25" (2003). The Spectator. 2204. http://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator/2204 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It has been accepted for inclusion in The peS ctator by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. Presorted Standard U.S. PostagePaid Seattle, WA Permit No. 2783 THE SPECTATOR SEATTLE UNIVERSITY Keynote speaker stirs discussion CarolineSwart Staffreporter A controversial topic stirred up discussionsMon- day askeynotespeaker Dr.JodiO'Brienchallenged the 2003freshmanclasstoopenlydebatethetopicofsexual- ity at thePresident's ConvocationforNewStudents. O'Brien, Associate Professor of Sociology and ChairoftheDepartmentof Society,JusticeandCulture, helpedopenAcademicDayforfreshmen withherinfor- mational talk entitled,"SilenceisCostly:Educationas a Tool for Sexual Awareness, Responsibility and Personhood." O'Brien'stopicstirredcontroversy within thefac- ulty of Seattle University, but organizers felt the issue was tooimportant toignore. "It was like throwing us in the deep end and ex- pectingus toswim.It wasenlightening," saidfreshman DJ.Weidner. O'Brien probed an American fear to talk openly about sex,pointing to a common beliefamong anthro- pologists that Americans have a sexually negative cul- ture. Thismay seemstrange toacountry thatthriveson sexual images in the media, she pointed out; from the looksof it,Americaisa societyobsessedwith sexuality. O'Brienexplained, however,that thereis still an over- Kan Liang, professor of history and Annie James, a pre-medicine major, chat during a whelmingfeeling ofshame andembarrassment associ- break at the Academnic Convocation. ated with thetopic of sexuality inAmerica of. Youngwomenareoftenportrayedbythemediatobe "Ilikedhow she was talking about different cul- O'Brienaskedstudents tothinkabout thefirst time desire-less,girl-next-doortypes,whosepurposeistomake tures but she should have been morein-depth and spe- theybecameawareofsexuality. Inherexperience,most themselves beautiful for young men, according to cificaboutsexualityintheculturesshe was talkingabout," studentsrecallbecomingawareof sexaroundtheageof O'Brien. commentedfreshmanIrisQuimby. 8. Whether it was aparentalhand over theeyesduring Youngmen,however,arecontinuallytoldthat"you "Thediscussion wehadafterwardsmademethink thelovesceneinamovie,orthe over-reactionof afather have tobemasculine,andthattobemasculine youmust about thekindofeducationwe'regoingtogetat Seattle tryingtohosedownacoupleofmatingdogs,reactionsto havesex,"saysO'Brien.It's alwaysimportant tounder- University. It won'tbethe one we mighthave thought, sex in front of youngkids fosters feelings of mystery, stand,sheexplained, isthatnoteverybodyisplayinginto andit willdefinitely pushusoutofourcomfort zones.," intrigue, andshame. the stereotype. Quimby said. O'Briencreditsmuchofthissexualrepression toa O'Brienunderstandsthatopendiscussionsmaynot ThoughQuimby tookthetalk as anindicatorof an cultural environment,as wellas the"sexualstories"and leadtouniformdecisionsaboutwhatis "right"and what open-minded atmosphere shehopes to findin classes, "sexual scripts"thatdefine whopeopleareinAmerican is"wrong,"but she'scertain thateducationwillhelpget otherfreshmenthoughtthetalkhadmoresocialimpact. societyand whytheyfeel thewaytheydoabout sex. ridofthefear,ignorance,andsilencebuiltintoour sexual "Ithoughtthetopicofsexualjusticewassurprising O'Brian emphasizedthe importance of students culture. but good,"saidJenWillden. was"too debate we had afterwards was the first continuallythinkingcriticallyabouttheirculture'ssexual 'StudentsagreedthatwhileO'Brien'stalk "The re- stories andscripts. long,' thecontentofhertalkcertainlydiditsjobof spark- freshingbreak of college life. We realized, hey,we can Genderrolesareparticularly importanttotakenote inglively debateafterwards. talkabout sex here,"Willdensaid. S.U. welcomes recordnumber ofstudents KyleFord college freshmen. Monday had stu- here, both in and out of the class- Sundborgadded. Managingeditor dents back to the orientation grind, room," she said. About 400 transfer students are beginning withtheAcademicDay and It'snotjust freshmen whoare the currently enrolled and that number Seattle University opens its President'sConvocationforNew Stu- new facesinSeattleUniversity class- willgrow to about550throughout the doors to a new year ofeducationthis dents. rooms, transferand graduatestudents course oftheyear. Thenthereare 300 week, part ofthat educationis learn- According toLauriePrince,Di- make upnearly60percentofthenew new law studentsand400new gradu- ing about the campus and the sur- rector ofNew Student Programs,the students on campus. ate studentsincreasingthenumber of roundingcommunity. transitionfromhigh schoolto college According to Fr.Stephen Sund- new faces appearing at Seattle Uni- New student orientation is a is perhapsthebiggest change students borg, S.J., Seattle University Presi- versity. flurryofactivities, seminarsandmov- have facedintheir lives. dent, this is a record year for atten- The new student population is inginthatbeganSept. 19 andcontin- "Orientation is important be- dance. There is a capacity freshman nearly a quarter of the total popula- ued until Wednesday when most cause it eases that transition;helping class of675students whichis theto- tionaccording to Sundborg, who ap- classes began. studentsunderstandthe academic en- tal number of students the Seattle pearedvery excitedabouttheamount First yearstudentsmoved-inand vironment, learn about available re- University can accommodate while of activity the increase in student checked out the facilities with their sources and make new friends in a providing themwith thecorecurricu- population willbring to campus. families. Throughout the weekend supportive and fun atmosphere," lum and facilities that theyneed. "Ithink SeattleUniversityevery they wereprovided withactivitiesand Princeadded. "Additionally, we have a larger year hasbeengrowing in termsofthe service projects to help them get ac- "Theentire university works to thanusualnumber oftransferstudents degree to whichit isan activekind of climated to their new beginnings as make sure students are successful coming into Seattle University," campus," said Sundborg. 2 News Mandatory health insurance anisssue at SU Julie Valdez completedform, along witha copyofthe student's creased over thepast few years becauseindividu- StaffReporter insurance card, needs to be submitted to the SU als have become more aware oftherising costs of HealthCenter by October 1. health care. Starting this fall,all full-time undergraduates StudentswhomisstheOctober 1deadline will Theinsurance automatically offeredtoall full- willautomatically be billed $393 for healthinsur- automaticallybe stuck with thebill and theinsur- time undergraduates is an injury and illness plan. ance. Students startingtheplan duringwinterquar- anceplan, eveniftheyalready havetheirown cov- The annual fee covers services such as general ter willbe charged $262 and$131if theplan were erage. physicals,pap smears, treatment ofskinproblems, to start inthe spring. StudentKristaFink andher parents received allergy shots and immunizations,etc. "It was aninconvenience...another form to notice of thebill during the summer. Consultationformedicalproblemsisprovided fill out,"KatieOlson,sophomore, said. "It'scrazy "We saw the bill and wondered why it was at nocharge, whereas a minimal fee ischarged for that they justput it on your bill." even there," Wanda Peters, Fink's mother, said. many preventive services. Beforethis schoolyear,only theinternational "She already hadinsurance." "The plan covers maximum benefits to studentsandstudentsin thehealthscienceprograms As a new student,Fink didn't know what to $10,000 andhas an additional buyup to $50,000 (i.e. Nursing and Ultrasound) wereO required to door where to turn. for an additional$270/year," O'Connor said. havemedicalinsuranceprovidedby theiracademic "My dadkept bugging me to find out about Although the injury and illness plan covers programs. it,butwhenIwent to the onlinesite,Ididn'tknow injuriesfrom sprained anklestohospitalization,and DirectorofStudent HealthCenter,Maura O' how to check it. Ihad no idea where Iwas sup- illnesses ranging from the common cold to pneu- Connor,MS, ARNP, stated that a recent articlein pose to go,"Fink said. monia, there are still limits to what SU's health theNew York Times claimed that 25 percent ofall Fink was notalone.Not only wasthepolicy a center can provide. public colleges and 90 percent ofallprivate col- surprise to new students,but it was also thecase "Studentsneedinga medical specialist or ex- leges now require that students havehealthinsur- forreturning students. periencing catastrophic illness or injury must ob- ance as a condition of enrollment. Although many may view it as an "inconve- tainandpay for theseservices outside the Student Although all undergraduates at SU are re- nience,"theSUadministrationdidn't automatically Health Center. Thehealth center staff will assist quired to have medical insurance that provides billallundergraduatesjust forthe funofit. Rather, [students] inobtainingappropriate referrals to spe- coveragein Washington State,it doesn't necessar- it was a way toprovide students withhealthinsur- cialists for services