University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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3Lmilp Forty years ago, residence halls at the University were still divided by gender. In 2006, Michigan students had gone far beyond simply sharing residence halls to cohabitation of all kinds. From one-night hook-ups, to long-term relationships, students across campus engaged in a broad range of sexual activities all year. While many resources provided by the University, such as Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC), dealt with the consequences of sexual relations gone sour, many students were hard pressed to find a resource promoting the positive side of sexual activity. However, the Safe Sex Store, located on South University, provided a new, and unique way to create a healthy sexual experience. The Safe Sex Store offered a variety of products that ranged from glow in the dark condoms and flavored lubricant to strap-ons and vibrators. Graduate student and Safe Sex Store employee Lauren Proux said, Many students feel comfortable asking questions because they know that S3 is a non-judgmental environment. It is important to have places on campus where all kinds of people can express their sexuality. A growing number non-sexually active students on campus voiced their views through many venues. Most notably, multiple Facebook groups arose during the year, including F No: College Virgins, which stated, Maybe we planned it this way. Maybe we ' re waiting. Maybe we can ' t get any. Or maybe it just randomly turned out this way, and we don ' t needlessly obsess over it. For whatever reason, we ' re virgins, and it ' s no big deal. However, there were also students who were very sexually active and proud of it. Contrary to the Facebook groups for virgins, there were also groups devoted to ample sexual activity such as the group Sexaholics Anonymous. Junior biology major Elisa Jorgenson said that she enjoyed sex and let little come before it. However, she did note that, when I was studying for the MCATs, I only had sex twice a week. Hooking up was another term that students used often because it was vague enough to leave what really happened up to their friends ' imaginations. Hooking up could mean anything from making out with someone for a short period of time to having sex, or doing sexual activities with the same person over a long period of time without actually dating. Those with roommates with partners or hook- up buddies often found themselves in awkward situations. Even if someone was okay with people having pre-marital sex, it .did not mean that they wanted to see their friends making out with someone in their bedroom. This was an especially difficult situation in the residence halls as students wouldn ' t necessarily have any other place to go after being sexiled. Senior biochemistry and sociology major Matt Flynn said, I hate being sexiled. It always happens at the worst times, for example, when I have to wake up the next morning at 9 a.m. for work. Being sexiled also means that I am the one that is not getting any. Whether people were supporting the healthy nature of sex, or speaking out about why it is good to be a virgin, sex was a topic on everyone ' s minds and floated through conversations on every part of campus. Michigan Life.1 9

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SBMBtail A couple shows their affection on a couch. It was often hard to find privacy while sharing a room which resulted in roommates being sexiled. L.Bucci photo X The Safe Sex Store, located on South University, sells many different types of condoms including non-latex and flavored. The store was a popular resource for students to find products which met their needs. L. Worcester photo Michiganensian. 18

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Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! was a song that rang true every day in houses, dorm rooms, restaurants, and bars throughout campus. Birthdays were like small holidays when it came to having one in Ann Arbor. From a sophomore ' s 20 th birthday to a junior ' s 21 s1 birthday, there was always somewhere to go or something to do on the special day. Lucky ones were taken them for a night on the town by friends. Many restaurants in Ann Arbor offered birthday specials. If Italian cuisine was a favorite, then Cottage Inn on Williams Street was where you went to receive a free birthday dinner. If the birthday person enjoyed good beer and good steak, Grizzly Peak was where they went for a free dessert, a $10 gift certificate, and a beer glass. For all those celebrating their 21 st -and-over birthdays, Good Time Charley ' s was most likely on the list of places to go. With a free dinner (as long as someone else was getting dinner) and a free drink, one could party the night away, at least until the manager decided to cut you off and throw your rowdy party out the door! For a 22 nd birthday, some people tended to go a bit classier, like senior German major Elizabeth Schreiner. Her birthday was during Welcome Week, so a trip down to Main Street followed. The drunken party took place at Connor O ' Neil ' s, complete with quite a large bar tab. Insisting her friends were the best in the world, Schreiner said, If getting older is this good, I never want to get younger. For the party students, a birthday party thrown on or near a weekend was always a ticket to a rocking birthday bash. In general, themed birthday parties were the way to go. Themes ranged from an Alpine Ski Birthday bash, to a Deuce Deuce party, to a crazy luau. Either way, it meant you were celebrating your birthday in style. For students turning 19 during their stay in Ann Arbor, there was always a short 45-minute drive to the Windsor-Detroit border. Windsor ' s streets were lined with bars, most frequented by underage American drinkers. In Canada, one could legally drink and gamble at age 19. For students near the Canadian border, turning 19 was like a right of passage, much like turning 21. Some opted to have designated drivers bring them safely back after celebrating; others simply got a hotel room in Canada. Birthdays in the dorms sometimes needed to get creative. My freshman year, my friends decorated my door and also chalked campus for my birthday. Unfortunately, it rained, and I didn ' t get to see all the work they did! senior sports training major Randielle Humphries said. In all, Ann Arbor offered many ways to celebrate in style for all ages. Michiganensian.20