caro Don’t be a punk: wrap your junk There’s no excuse with all the resources available By Jacey Gibb, Opinions Editor he other day I was reading an article in the paper about how syphilis has been busy in Canada the last decade, with numbers jumping from being almost non-existent to having over 1,600 reported cases by 2009. I shook my head because I knew a large chunk of these numbers were coming from people who weren’t being safe in the sack. That same day, a friend of mine told me about how he hooked up with a girl and they had opted to go au naturale, causing further face palms at how careless people are when it comes to the matter. I know that what he does is his own call, but how can people choose to ignore the hard facts? I’m not going to bombard you with Mean Girls-style speeches (“Don’t have sex. Cause you will get pregnant. And die.”’) but I just thought I’d like to share with you some of the realisms that come with unprotected sex. First on the list is birth control pills. Just because your lady friend is on the pill doesn’t mean it’s a get out of jail free card. On its own, birth control is only effective about 92 percent of the time, meaning that there’s still an 8 per cent chance that you are the father. Furthermore, the pill offers no protection in the case of STIs or anything in that department. Using condoms is a hell of a good place to start, but they aren’t a sure thing either. It’s stated clearly on the wrapper that there’s a chance they won’t be effective, ranging in percentage depending on the type. This isn’t taking into account slippage or improper use either. Unfortunately, ruling basic intercourse out and going for other bases isn’t without risks either. Though not necessarily common, gonorrhea, HIV, and even syphilis can all be contracted through oral sex and even saliva. This article isn’t necessarily getting you in the mood is it? Even with all the resources out there, people still aren’t taking the proper precautions. A simple stroll over to the front desk of the DSU will provide you with a cornucopia of free condoms, removing the need for the time-honoured awkward tradition of having to buy them (uh yeah, I’ll get these condoms and uh, this pack of Jolly Ranchers). There are also clinics spread out across Vancouver that offer free STI testing. So what’s stopping people from utilizing this arsenal of resources? Is it ignorance? It is laziness? It’s hard to say, but knowledge isn’t the only protection you need when it comes to this sort of thing. By Jacey Gibb, Opinions Editor ello again friends! How have your He couple of weeks at Douglas been? Making friends? Avoiding eating fries every other day? Well at least you’re trying your best not to... Oh, not really? Well, tell your freshman fifteen I say hello! Now that you’re established enough around campus that you won’t cry when I yell at you, it’s time for some blunt criticisms for how to act in the classroom. Keep in mind that these aren’t necessarily directed towards post-secondary rookies and that they apply to everyone (even you!). Probably the worst offences in the 12 A lesson in classroom etiquette classroom are linked to technology. I always cringe at the few teachers who say on the Just because you’ve been given the green light to have your phone out in class doesn’t mean you should set a personal goal to see if you can text that guy you met at the bar last night for the entire lecture. Also, I don’t know if I can remember the last time I had a class where there wasn’t at least one phone that set off an existence- reaffirming message alert or ring. I avoid this embarrassment and accompanying temptations to text by simply not bringing my phone to class. In the same category, laptops are also a big annoyance. There are some who use them strictly for note taking and other academic-related objectives, but the majority of people utilize them to fill their imaginary quota of time that must be spent “Just because you’ve been given the green light to have your phone out in class doesn’t mean you should set a personal goal to see if you can text that guy you met at the bar last night for the entire lecture.” first day that they don’t mind if you have your cellphones out, as long as they aren’t distracting anyone. What possible train of thought could lead these naive profs to think people won’t abuse this leniency to the full extent? It’s like providing someone with a bullhorn but asking them to “try and keep the noise level down.” on Facebook. You do realize that unless you’re isolated at the back of the classroom, the attention of everyone behind you shoots directly to whoever’s profile you’re creeping. Keep your Facebook stalking to your own time like the rest of us, mmkay? Now, I know there aren’t any courses currently being offered at Douglas that instruct you on how to not be a pain in the ass in the classroom, but a lot of this stuff stems from common sense. Don’t get into an argument with the professor during class time and force the rest of us to pay attention to why you think your opinion is best. Don’t bogart the class’s schedule just because you think you’re right. Chances are, unless it’s a math or science course, there’s going to be more than one right answer. As well, try to avoid being an Inquisitive Irene, asking the most simple of questions that really shouldn’t be coming from the mouth of a college student. A guy in my astronomy class asked if all satellites were man-made, meaning he was genuinely curious if any were constructed by aliens or perhaps even occurred naturally. A more nitpicky request of me would be to refrain from indulging in overly- aromatic foods while in the classroom. Even I eat in class from time to time, but if you’re bringing something like egg salad sandwiches into the lecture, we need to talk. All of these actions and offences are easy to avoid if you just use your melon and respect everyone around you. Hopefully a few of the worst offenders will read this article and cut it out on some of their habits. And if you’re not sure what I meant by some of the unspoken rules, then you’re probably one of the people breaking them.