Let them eat 'Quake'

Penn loves sex ... duh. We like sex more than Greek Lady. More than Facebook stalking. More than -- dare I say it? -- Sudoku. We love it.

But for some reason, as demonstrated when Quake -- our campus' first literary erotica magazine -- came out, we might like sex -- but we're slightly less crazy about talking about it. People were outraged, angrily wondering why SAC was funding a "porn" magazine (there is actually a difference between erotica and porn, as clearly noted in the magazine's disclaimer, but that is a story for another day).

I personally support the idea of Quake: I believe that on a campus like Penn, where a sizeable portion of our student body is sexually active and our campus groups have shows with titles like "Comin' to Harass," there should be a forum where students can discuss different views on sex in an open and safe manner.

All discussions of sex on campus shouldn't have to happen in the student health office, on a Saturday night, or through silly (albeit clever) innuendos. If we're adult enough to be having sex, we should be adult enough to talk about it ... like adults. And yet the magazine was criticized across campus for being SAC-funded and for having graphic photos of students engaging in sexual acts. As someone who applauded the creation of the magazine, I was baffled by the number of students who just didn't seem to "get it."

No one understood the "forum" part. They saw the pictures, skimmed the stories and thought two things: "homogeneous" and "porn." And I don't necessarily blame them. Many of the pictures were quite graphic, all the couples pictured were homosexual and the stories all dealt with having sex. And none of that is bad, but it didn't really carry across the message that

Quake was meant to be a forum for all sexual lifestyles on campus: heterosexual, homosexual, one-night-stands, virgins-until-marriage, and everything in between. I have to admit, I was kind of disappointed. My first thought was, "Well, no wonder people are so pissed."

However, after discussing my thoughts with Editor-in-Chief Jessica Haralson, I was surprised to find out that the limited scope of material in Quake's introductory issue was actually an accurate representation of what was submitted.

All the written materials dealt explicitly with sex, and all the couples who volunteered to be photographed were gay. And there is nothing wrong with either of those things, but sexuality at Penn is so much more than that. To my delight, Jessica agreed.

She admitted that she'd like people to submit more diverse pieces; if someone submitted, for example, a thoughtful essay or story about waiting until marriage to have sex, she would be thrilled to run it.

So, there you have it. The Quake staff isn't a group of sex fiends out to "corrupt" our campus. Quake isn't an excuse for promiscuous students to flaunt their lifestyles. It isn't tuition-funded porn, and it sure isn't heroin. It really is meant to be a diverse forum. But they can only publish what is submitted; if the student body wants more varied pieces in the magazine, students have to submit them!

There isn't a Penn student who doesn't have some views on sex. So write about it! Tell us all why you think the way you do. They publish pieces anonymously if you aren't thrilled about the idea of broadcasting your views on sex to 10,000 of your closest friends. There is another issue coming out in the spring, and the submission deadline is Feb. 3. Write about why you are choosing to wait until marriage. Share a story about your weakness for black lacy slips. Tell us about the merits of a one-night stand. You don't need to convince anybody of anything, and Quake doesn't exist to facilitate judgment.

The disclaimer expresses the wishes of the staff to "inspire dialogue, debate, and reflection about human nature and sexuality on the University campus." And if your words spark a mini-debate on Locust Walk about sexuality, then Quake's mission will be considered accomplished.

Of all the characteristics I've ever attributed to Penn, "shy about expressing individual views" was never one of them. Take a walk down Locust. Political groups, advocacy groups, religious groups -- everyone has a point to make, and Penn has always been a welcoming forum for that.

Should this stop just because the conversation has switched from George W. Bush and hurricane victims to sex? No. Be a part of the conversation.

Liz Hoffman is a sophomore political science major from New York, N.Y. New York Minute appears on Mondays.

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