'The Female O' informs A&M-Commerce through sexual education

On March 7th, the Campus Activities Board, along with Campus Wellness and Greek Life, brought "The Female O" to Texas A&M University-Commerce in an effort to educate students about female sexual health.

Hosts Marshall Miller and Rachel Dart kicked off the event by sharing some laughs with the audience, but also explaining their purpose.

"Having information about sex doesn't mean you're going to put it to use right away," host Marshall Miller said. "Whether you use this information years from now, months from now, days from now, or depending on how close you live, minutes from now, it's important to have this information and to be safe."

The comedic duo used examples of sexual humor from various media sources such as movies, magazines and books to illustrate their points. Things quickly changed when the hosts split the audience into male and female groups, with the male group following a host into a different room. Once divided, each group was given the opportunity to talk openly and ask questions and get advice from their host.

"Spend more time on foreplay," Marshall said. "And just when she thinks you're about to have intercourse, don't do it."

After a few minutes of being in divided groups, the men were able to join the women back in the main room. Once back in one group, the hosts continued with a mixture of jokes and information.

Many of the audience members were pleased with the outcome of the event. Greek Life representative Amber VanLue Johnston spoke positively about the program and the feedback her office has received.

"The majority of the e-mails we've gotten from students and faculty have been positive and excited," she said." We had a huge turnout, and I was excited to see the guys here tonight because this isn't a one-sided issue."

Sophomore Jarrod Johnson was one of many men in attendance, and he spoke highly of the program, from the male perspective.

"I think it was enjoyable," he said." I definitely felt more comfortable talking and asking questions in the men's room segment. I feel that it was really informative for a lot of people, but a lot of the information was stuff I already know, but I was never bored."

From the female perspective, sophomore Cheryl Strube felt that the program was "refreshing," and thought that it was nice to see other women be open about this topic.

"It was funny," she said. "I liked that they taught about HIV and sexual pleasure for women, and they really made it humorous instead of like a lecture or something.

Many men and women purchased buttons and shirts after the program, an indication that it was well accepted. More of their products and information are available online.