Sex and Drinking

For the students. We did a welcome of Mental Health business as well as safety on the ship. Damian talked about reaching out and being inclusive in the community, and I talked about drinking and sex. For my students who know--what is one of the most important things to learn from Mary-There is always time to go to the bathroom. I solicited information about where all the public restrooms on the ship, to make that common knowledge, then I had people all take some deep breaths, and reminded them that excitement and anxiety can feel the same, but when we activate our frontal lobes, we realize all that we know, and we adapt to our surroundings with ease.

We sail in international waters. The students, some in gap year, and some just graduated, but most are in between. They are permitted to drink at sea, and it is always an interesting dynamic to accommodate. Would that Americans not be so enamored with alcohol! Damian said that when he studied abroad years ago, someone said the only drunkenness you will see is the American tourists. I cautioned against blackout drinking, and invited everyone to chant my LA-Driving mantra: I have all the time that I need. This is about drinking and sex. To stumble through the halls of a rocking ship is different than to navigate the walkways of a land-based campus. I want everyone who started this voyage to finish, rather than untimely endings due to accidents or honor code violations. I want people to be their best selves in how they interact with one another. This ship is not big enough for alienation or embarrassment with one another.

Then about Sex: I spoke about the range of modesty to adventurousness. Stand Up For Yourself. I suggested that if someone wanted to say yes to sexual activity, to say yes confidently, and to always practice safe sex. There are FREE CONDOMS in front of the Clinic. FREE SAFE SEX! I also said it was okay to say No, and many ways to say no. No way. No thank you, no, not now, but maybe later, no more. I assume, just as I do with my own graduate students, that there are sexually naive, and sexually active members of any group. There are monogamous and sexually generous individuals. There are sexually curious people who want to learn and grow and experiment. There are students who are asexual, or in graduate school I call it, Big Head syndrome, when one is so much involved in pursuits of the mind that they are disconnected from their bodies.

First day of classes. My partner gets to assist with a Digital Storytelling course, an excellent mix for a writer with a film background.