by Alexandra Hildreth, PHC VP Recruitment, Publicity & Extension

Coming to college can be a daunting experience the peer pressures abound and underage drinking is only the beginning.  The pressure that is less talked about is that of our notorious "hook up" culture. 

With hormones still raging it would be silly to turn your head to all of the sexual interaction that happens within our community.  However, what struck me as well as my organization is how little our Cornell community knows about, not only how to protect themselves from pregnancy, but also about the risks of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). 

I am the president of the Sexual Health Awareness Group, known to most students as SHAG.  We are a peer run organization whose mission is to destigmatize a lot of the issues surrounding sexual health and reach out to as many members in our community as possible to educate them about the risks of many STIs on this campus and how to protect themselves not only physically but emotionally as well.  We are an unbiased voice with only the best of intentions to help our peers make the healthiest choices for them as individuals.  We acknowledge the fact that everyone has a unique sexuality and encourage open partner communication before engaging in any form of sexual activity. 

During the spring semester a big task of ours is to visit all of the IFC, MGLC and Panhellenic chapters to give presentations to their new members.  It is required that they witness our presentation before they are initiated into their organizations.  We have also made presentations to many of the athletic teams and resident hall advisers.  Most recently we helped run the Sexual Health forum on the Wednesday of Woman's Wellness Week. 

Coming up on April 1st is an event that SHAG is very excited about co-sponsoring with StubPubs (the umbrella organization for Student Organizations).  It will be a column of Ivy League Sex Columnist where we will discuss the function of the sex columnist and whether they exist simply for titillation or do they have a deeper relevance.  I hope to see many members of the Greek Community at this event! 

For more information about our organization visit our website at shageducation.com

To schedule a presentation please contact our VP of Scheduling, Eric Stern.