by Maija Baldauf Staff writer Published May 29th, 2009

Principia College hosted two interrelated question-and-answer sessions with guest speakers last week: the first on using birth control and the second on building a successful marriage. 

Renee Bauer, formerly of Planned Parenthood, was invited to answer any and all questions students had about birth control at her open talk on Monday, May 18, at 8 p.m. in Howard House. Over thirty students attended the talk, which ran overtime to accomodate the wealth of questions students submitted.

The following evening in Brooks, former Dean of Students and marriage educator Dick Davenport led a discussion about the qualities and skills required to create a happy and lasting marriage.

When she first heard about the birth control talk, freshman Mallory Lee admitted she was “a little surprised, just because I know Prin’s all about abstinence.” Freshman Amy Baldauf was also unsure of what to expect, but said that after attending the discussion she felt that “The talk wasn’t necessarily saying that sex is okay. That wasn’t the point.”

Christy Ellington, the Resident Counselor in Howard, said that a birth control expert was brought to campus because it seemed “negligent not to inform and educate [those who will soon be getting married].” Ellington added that the talk was open to the entire community because, “Whether or not students have to face this issue now or later, the issue will be presented to them at some point in time and we can’t pretend our students are exempt forever from having to face the issue of birth control.”

Ellington said she felt she was “coming from the basis of supporting education, not submitting to the idea that [sex] is happening all the time. If you’re informed, you can make your decisions based on an educated place instead of pretending to know something you don’t understand.”

Higherground.com / photo

Dick Davenport speaks to Principia students

Students who attended reported on the informative, helpful nature of the birth control discussion. Baldauf said she felt that myths and misconceptions associated with birth control are all too common. “Having someone come talk to us who we can trust as being an accurate source is so valuable,” she said. 

In his own talk, Davenport acknowledged that there has been a history of naivete among young adults in the Christian Science movement when it comes to “all manner of things sexual,” including methods of birth control. 

Sophomore Rigel Valentine said he found the birth control discussion to be “very productive. Part of a whole man education is knowing about life, and sex is part of life.” 

Rather than viewing discussions on birth control and marriage as contradictory, Davenport said that “the messages [of these talks] were likely complimentary.” Part of a successful marriage, he added, is “taking responsibility for one’s thoughts and feelings in any relationship. If sexual activity enters into a relationship, then both partners need to take responsibility for birth control.” 

Davenport also considered one shared message of both talks to be the importance of respecting one’s partner. 

Before transferring to Principia in the winter, Lee had a more typical experience with sexual education at the college level. She said that condoms were handed out in front of freshman housing during her orientation week at Oklahoma University and were often available on RA’s doors. 

Because of Principia’s policy on premarital sex, Davenport said he believes that “Prin isn’t going to go in that direction.”

Ellington said that while flyers and pamphlets about birth control may be effective at larger universities, she has come to appreciate the “opportunity to have intimate talks on [this] campus” in which students can freely ask questions and have them openly answered. Lee said, “We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about things that might seem uncomfortable.”

In commenting on the wisdom of hosting a birth control talk at Principia, Davenport said, “I would never second-guess the inspiration and direction of residence counselors and OSL staff who are working closely with students.”

Davenport added, “While students attending Principia agree to live by certain standards, it is natural that college students may wrestle with the values presented to them in the process of determining whether [those values] will become their own foundations for life.” 

As a resident counselor, Ellington said that students often come to her with the concern that they are not being taught to think critically about all aspects of their experience at Principia. In dealing with that perception, Ellington cited Mary Kimball Morgan’s writings that state Principians should think “vigorously, accurately, and unselfishly” at all times. “We need to do a better job of encouraging that,” Elligton added. “We are not only educating our students on the issues they are currently tackling, but it is also our job to think ahead and help them plan to make the most educated choices they can in the future.”

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