Dan Savage, renowned sex-advice columnist of Savage Love, sat down with the Emerald to talk about a variety of aspects of sex in college before his Q&A lecture Tuesday evening at the Ford Alumni Center. 

Do you have any advice for young couples wishing to fulfill their sexual desires?

The problem that people have with kinks (is thinking) ‘I hope they love me still despite this horrible thing about me,’ and you know, that’s the wrong way to do it … (You) should have the attitude that being with me, we get to have these adventures and do amazing, crazy things I like, and now I want to hear the fun and crazy things that you like.

In your opinion, what’s the best way to educate about and begin to remedy the issue of sexual assaults on college campuses?

We need sex education beginning at an age-appropriate fashion at a very young age, 5-7, to create a culture of consent … We have to have real sex education and have a real awareness of sexism and double standards in order to push back hard against them and hopefully turn the tide, but it’s going to take a lot of effort and a lot of time.

The Oregon United for Marriage will be put on the ballot for next year. How has the gay marriage act passed in Washington affected your home state?

I think queers who wish to marry should be excited and straight people who wish to live in a world where all people are treated equal should be excited. It was a really big deal in Washington. Terry and I as one gay couple were really thrilled to finally live in a state where we were fully franchised citizens and to have the same rights at the federal level is really meaningful.

What’s the best sex advice you can give to college students? 

Be who you are. Look at your queer friends — I went to my mom and my dad when I was a teenager and said, “I put dicks in my mouth.” There are so many straight kids that have problems saying to their peers — their partners who they really are sexually — because they’re so fearful. To tell your partner that you’re not normal is terrifying. A lot of straight people waste years not being who they really are sexually because they’re afraid to tell the truth. Don’t waste that time when you’re young and hot.

Dan Savage, American author and renowned sex columnist of Savage Love, visited the University of Oregon Tuesday and gave a Q&A formatted lecture on sex advice and relationships to a sold out show of 300 UO students, staff and locals.

As 7:30 p.m. drew near, people were scurrying to find their last-minute, first-come first-serve seats. Upon each was a blank notecard and pencil for audience members to write an anonymous question for Savage to answer.

When Savage strolled onto the stage, members of the audience cheered and praised his presence. There was not an empty seat in the Lee Barlow Giustina ballroom at the Ford Alumni Center.

“You guys are setting the agenda tonight, so however dirty or inappropriate the conversation gets — it’s your fucking fault,” Savage said followed by laughter and amusement from the audience. And from there, the night progressed.

Savage has been writing his advice column Savage Love since 1991, touching on issues relating to his passion, opinion and beliefs of sex and relations. He has been known to push the boundaries of sexuality and the pursuit of sexual desires by opening people’s minds to the many different representations of sex. This is his second visit to the UO since 2011.

Throughout the lecture, Savage addressed questions of a wide variety of sexual topics including the importance of sexual education, to kinks and fetishes, experimentation and communication as well as same-sex marriage.

As he flipped through from card to card, he answered questions dealing with the sexual act of fisting to gorilla suit fetishes; the roaring response from the audience was unanimous. With his witty, vivacious rapport and strong visual images through his casual conversation, it is clear Savage will say what is on his mind.

For the past year, Keith Van Norman, Marketing Manager of Health Promotion at the UO health center has been working to bring Savage back to the UO and believed that the hard work has paid off. Van Norman thought the night turned out fantastic.

“It’s really important to make his time as rich of an experience as possible and I think this really did that, which was really great,” Van Norman said. “The crowd seemed really stoked to have him.”

Savage has been pushing for same-sex marriage for more than 20 years. Last year gay marriage was legalized in Savage’s home state of Washington. “We can push on multiple issues, we will have breakthroughs and successes,” said Savage, one of these successes being his marriage to his husband.

The last question of the night left Savage stumped, and that doesn’t happen often.

“Ha, this is a terrible last question, for me; not that somebody couldn’t knock this out of the park but I am not the guy … ‘How do you teach a man to go down on a woman properly,’” Savage said, “fuck if I know!”

Fall is a time consumed with change. The weather becomes crisp and the colors outdoors are in the midst of transformation. School is again upon us, which means that whether you’re excited for the football games, fall fashion or the weekly shenanigans that take place at dollar beers, it’s here.

Plus, for all you beer lovers out there, fall means the release of the seasonal craft beer selections. Oktoberfest, the largest beer festival in the world, takes place in Munich, Germany and is currently underway. Being a beer fanatic, it is my dream to one day be able to attend. But until my school days are over, I can get by with enjoying some of the exceptional seasonals that can be found in stores near us at this time of year. Here’s a list of a few:

1.) Pumpkin Ales: Whether the brewers are using real bits of pumpkin or pumpkin flavoring during the brew process, pumpkin ales are quite popular and can vary from brand to brand. Typically, they’re made with spices that would be found in pumpkin pie such as cinnamon and nutmeg. One of my favorites would be Samuel Adam’s “Harvest Pumpkin Ale.” The spices and flavor are well-balanced, and it’s full bodied and darker in color. If you prefer something lighter, perhaps Blue Moon’s “Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale” would better suit you. Its citrus flavors shine through a pumpkin wheat taste.

2.) Oktoberfest: Just because you can’t make the journey to Munich to taste Oktoberfest beers from around the world that the festival has to offer, you can still enjoy some of the festive flavors that are being served. Oktoberfest beers are typically malty and full-bodied and pack a lot of punch with caramel flavors. One that I enjoy is the “Okto Festival Ale” from the Widmer Brothers Brewing Company located in Portland, Ore. They were the first American brewery to make an Oktoberfest style beer. This amber is brewed German-style and has sweet, malty flavors with a crisp aftertaste. If you prefer something with a heavier feel, then I suggest the “Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen.”

3.) Harvest Ales: With fall being the time of harvest, many brewers collect hops from the fields and directly incorporate them into harvest ales, completely capturing the strong and fresh flavors of the plants. Many have a citrus or pine-like taste and wheat-y tones. A popular choice would be the “Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Ale,” brewed with hops grown in Sierra Nevada’s fields booming with fresh and citrus flavors.

Whether you prefer a lighter and more subtle taste or something heavy with a kick, there is something out there for you! Don’t be afraid to try new flavors and participate in the fun fall festivities that the time has to offer.

Dried sweat coated our sun-exposed skin and trickled down our faces as we pushed our bikes up hills that seemed like mountains, through gravel logging roads, hay fields with grazing cows and forests not meant for biking. It seemed as if we spent most of the day pushing rather than pedaling. The cows gazed at us curiously, probably wondering what the hell we were doing as flies buzzed around our heads.

The lesson we learned that day: Don’t divert from the original route and Belgium has hills.

As 6 p.m. rolled around, a feeling of hopelessness came over me as I contemplated paying a Belgian farmer to take us over the seemingly never-ending plains to the border.

This was day five of our European biking adventure beginning in Rotterdam, Netherlands with a destination of Venice, Italy. My original summer plan was a month-long cruise throughout the Baltic region of Europe with my mom and ended up being a 2.5 month excursion throughout — exploring 17 countries and biking 800 miles through five of them: Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France and lastly, Italy.

Our day in the Belgian hills was one of several struggles we faced on our journey. I’m not sure what was more challenging: that or being stranded in Switzerland for 24 hours without any money.

As that day grew longer, the hills grew higher and the descends shorter. I was exhausted and my ass hurt. Despite my aches and pains I pushed forward. I was the navigator. Mom followed close behind, using the least amount of gears possible to stay up right on the bike. It was quite hysterical hearing her grunt and grumble about whatever challenge we were about to face next, as she swayed from side to side. I never realized how funny she was before that trip.

We decided we had enough when pushing the bikes became equally hard as riding them. We used the GPS to find an alternative route to avoid such mountains, then didn’t see another human soul for three hours! The highlight of the day was making it out of the hay fields and then more hills to follow. Soon after, it was smooth sailing. At the end of that day we laughed until we fell asleep, reminiscing on the ridiculous day, snuggled in our tent.

As we biked through small towns and charming villages via cobblestone streets, our days were long and we covered anywhere from 25-75 miles from one country to another. We camped under grapevines and took in our surroundings. Three weeks and 1,200 kilometers later, we had arrived.

For the next three days we sat, drank, ate, embraced the beautiful culture and lost ourselves in Venice.

Throughout the trip I constantly found myself looking forward to the next town or the next country. The bike trip was an uplifting learning experience and one that I could never possibly forget. We had fun along the way — despite the strenuous biking — or perhaps, because of it. Looking back, I realize that the most important thing isn’t what you find when you get to where you’re going, but what you see along the way. The journey itself is the destination.

As the school year draws to a close and finals are finally over, stress-relief is a high priority and that summertime mentality begins to set in. Some students will travel, some will return home to work and others will remain in Eugene for summer classes. Don’t worry, there’s a positive to sticking around campus for the summer. Eugene is in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, which means there are many outdoor summer adventures that await us.

Whether you prefer to camp, hike, kayak or mountain bike, Eugene has something to offer for everyone. Utilizing these natural resources can be difficult for someone without the equipment, but for a student, obtaining supplies is not hard thanks to the UO Outdoor Program on campus. The program will run throughout the summer and the “Barn” on the corner of East 18th and University has all the outdoor equipment imaginable for rent to the community.

Planning trips through the Outdoor Program allows a student to plan a trip, rent the gear and even rent vans. The Outdoor Program has many resources in and near Eugene and can offer a numerous amount of ideas on where to go for your next adventure. To become an “initiator” of a trip is easy; all one has to do is go into the office in the EMU and pin a trip to the trip-board, and take a two-hour initiator clinic. The destination of the mini-vacation is all up to you and the length of your stay is too. If you are participating in a trip, the cost of renting gear is a 50 percent off regular prices.

University of Oregon senior, Ariel Coleman, the service project coordinator at the UO Outdoor Program says that summer is the busiest time for student trips.

“There are probably three or four trips a week. There are so many hikes within 45 minutes of Eugene — where you can pretty much choose your own adventure, from one mile to many — backpacking, camping or whatever,” Coleman said.

Some of the popular outdoor adventures are right here in Eugene, such as Mt. Pisgah and Spencer’s Butte. About an hour outside Eugene one could explore Fall Creek or Silver Falls for beautiful and scenic hikes. If you’re more interested in water adventures then maybe you would enjoy Fern Creek Reservoir, a great spot for kayakers, or Fall Creek Reservoir, a great outdoorsy scene with many good jumping spots.

Coleman says that one of the most popular outdoor activities in the summer is river rafting. “There’s like 1,001 things to do outdoors,” she said. “We live in the Pacific Northwest, we live in the densest place in the country for all these amazing things. Sure, Eugene is urban, but if you get out of Eugene, even just 30 minutes out, you’re in the wild.”

If you are interested in utilizing the great Outdoor Program the University has to offer, Coleman encourages students to drop by and check out the website.

Whether it’s a sleeping bag or a bike that you are looking for, the Outdoor Program can help you out.

“We’re all outdoor enthusiasts,” Coleman said. “We have something for everyone.”

Senior members of Collegiate Design are promoting their brand throughout campus, sporting their brand and logo, “Know the Code.”  
Left-right: Alex Ezhari, advertising major- Elias Gedyon, Head of Publicity- Jemiel Lowery, Vice president & Co-founder- Daniel Taniguchi, CEO & Co-founder.  (Savannah Wasserman/Emerald)

Growing up with the desire to make a difference, University of Oregon sophomore and business major Daniel Taniguchi thought there was no better place to start a company than in college — where all the learning and instruction takes place. In fall of 2012, Taniguchi and several friends sat around a table in his apartment at Skybox and talked about the possibilities. That meeting was the beginning of their student-run company, Collegiate Design clothing.

Since then, the group of seven UO students and young entrepreneurs have been hastily working on building a business and clothing-line based around the need of college students.

Being students themselves, they could relate to the day-to-day struggles that students face such as paying rent, keeping up with classes and having jobs on the side. The company is aimed at providing students with work and real-world business experience, as well as providing products at an affordable price.

UO advertising major and Collegiate Design business head of marketing, Alex Ezhari said that their intention to only hire students is what makes the business unique. “Our goal is to bring out that college mentality while highlighting the business side of things, especially in the business world now,” said Ezhari.

Collegiate Design was officially founded in March 2013 and the team is currently working on promoting the business by interacting and engaging with students on campus, giving away free T-shirts or tanks, hosting events and through social networking.

Taniguchi said that by engaging with students first-hand provides personal and hands-on experience that allows for effective promotion. “One of our main focuses is to be innovative, not waiting for people to come up to us, but for us to approach them; that way we’re able to get the word out and talk about what it is that we’re doing,” Taniguchi said.

Collegiate Design’s slogan, “Knowing the Code,” provides the company’s rules as well as serves as their “life application.” The groups goals are to know the community, provide a clean image, serve students and always look for new ways to be creative.

Their goal is to have their website up and running by fall 2013. Through their website they hope to reach out to students and begin recruiting team members based on majors or specific areas of interest (I.E. marketers, designers, etc.).

“Every person included can have the opportunity to experience the innovation that we strive for and the company we care so much about — we want to keep the options and supply visible to all the students,” said Taniguchi.

To keep up with the group or get involved, look for Collegiate Design on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates, information and events.

University of Oregon senior Craig Loper didn’t know if he’d be able to afford his college tuition.  A letter from the UO sent prior to his freshman year would solve his dilemma. He and his mother sat down and opened it together and she immediately began to cry.

In the letter, Loper was notified that he was eligible to become a part of the UO’s PathwayOregon program, in which all members are offered and guaranteed tuition and fees covered for all four years of their college experience. He was accepted and is now graduating, along with hundreds of other Oregon students who were accepted into the program, this spring. Loper is graduating college almost debt free —  although he will have to pay for courses he took during summer terms. They are not included in the program.

The cost of higher education is a problem for many students, especially with talk of a 6 percent tuition increase and student debt on the rise. The PathwayOregon program’s goals consist of increasing graduation rates and decreasing the reliance on student loans.

“Once we got accepted into Pathway, everything changed,” Loper said. Oregon became his number one choice for college, and with good reason. “I wasn’t going to pass up a free education. It was already a tough time financially, and receiving this just took a lot of weight off my mom’s shoulders.”

PathwayOregon aims to serve Oregon residents who are eligible for the Pell Grant, incoming freshmen and those who graduated from an Oregon high school. The program began in 2008 and promises to cover tuition and fees. Students must complete 12 terms within five years, allowing for up to three terms off. Not every student graduates debt-free, as the program does not cover housing or book expenses.

Carla Bowers, director of the PathwayOregon Program, says that Pathway students work closely with advisers who act as a resource to help students get access to whatever they may need — whether that be mapping out a grad plan or tutoring services.

“I like to say that we are the right place to start if you don’t know where to go because we’ll help you with where to go next,” Bowers said.

The first class graduating under the program was in 2012, which successfully met its goal of increasing graduation rates of lower-income residents whose previous graduation rates in the state of Oregon were less than 25 percent. The first group of PathwayOregon graduates achieved a 43.4 percent four-year graduation rate, a significant increase in comparison to 2011, a year in which there were no Pathway graduates.

Bowers says that money does make it easier for people to take advantage of opportunities that a specific community may have to offer, but it is people partnering with students and helping them understand what their choices and options are is what makes the program special.

“I didn’t know what to expect, so to be able to have tools at your disposal, being able to work with and talk to throughout the process has been really helpful for me,” Loper said.

Loper is graduating in the spring of 2013 with a journalism degree and plans to take eight more credits in the summer to finish up. He currently freelances for Fox Sports and plans to pursue work with them after graduation.

On the walls of the Erb Memorial Union, 54 black and white photos consisting of a wide array of students hang near the elevator. Each photo contains an individual who does not identify sexually as 100 percent straight, or someone who identifies with the LGBTQ community and is eager to share their story.

The series of photos are a part of a larger photography and videography project organized by UO junior and Women’s Center member, Kristin Taylor. The project is called “Facing Equality.” Through the power of images, the goal of the project is to create a sense of awareness in the community, and more importantly remove the stigma associated with identifying as anything other than straight.

Taylor photographed various members of the Eugene community and asked them to share their stories. She asked each person to describe equality in one word and then put the results together in a video that will be displayed at the OUT/LOUD Queer Women’s Music Festival that will take place on June 1 at Kesey Square, in downtown Eugene.

“Personally, I believe this project is meaningful because if I had seen the photos and video when I was still in high school — or even before that — maybe I would have seen a little bit of myself in those faces and the stories that they share,” Taylor said. “Maybe I would have been able to be myself during a time when that’s one of the (toughest) things to do.”

UO senior Andrea Pointer, the Women’s Center’s event coordinator, said that it’s a great festival, and she hopes for a large turnout. As for the Facing Equality Project, she hopes to capture more faces and display them in the project, “I want at least 50 more people, a thousand!” she said.  She emphasized the importance of “humanizing” the cause.

“One of the most important things about this project is that these are real people,” Taylor said. “And they are their stories and that’s what makes it so powerful; to be able to capture it on camera and show it and tell them to other people.”

The festival will be featuring artists such as Girl in a Coma, THEESatisfaction, Tender Forever and many more.  OUT/LOUD will begin at noon and end at 10 p.m., free of charge until 6 p.m. After 6 p.m., there will be a charge $6 for student entry and $8 for community members.

University of Oregon students have been working hard to collect 2,013 pairs of recycled athletic shoes on campus by the end of the NCAA championship at Hayward field in June. Led by Master of Business Association students at the Lundquist College of Business, they’ve already collected over 800 pairs as part of the “A Step in the Right Direction” initiative.

Striving to use the power of sports to create social and environmental change, the UO students are partnering with organizations such as Nike Reuse-A-Shoe and Playing 4 Kickz. The shoes that still have life will be donated to Playing 4 Kickz for children in need and the remaining shoes will be recycled with Nike Reuse-A-Shoe.

One of last year’s UO MBA student organizers, Mitzi Ing, said the support of each organization brings a sense of pride to the “A Step in the Right Direction” initiative.

“Nike Reuse-A-Shoe and Playing 4 Kickz are organizations that support the greater sports community in different ways,” she said.

Collection bins will be placed at the entrances of Hayward field at the Prefontaine Classic, May 31-June 1^st, and at the NCAA championship, June 5-8.  Other than these events, bins have been placed strategically around campus in athletic buildings, the rec center and even the Duck Store.

The Eugene community is encouraged to participate in “A Step in the Right Direction” by donating old athletic shoes on campus throughout June 8, and encouraged to drop off unwanted shoes throughout the year at the Nike Eugene store. All brands of athletic shoes are accepted.

With June just around the corner and the school year coming to a close, many students will return home for the summer and leases will end. People are moving — whether it is in or out. To help make moving easier for everyone, students and neighbors alike, the University is putting on two separate events that will assist students when getting rid of unwanted and reusable household items.

“Lighten your Load” and “Duck Donation Days” will be taking place in June and are multi-facetted events promoting being a good neighbor and sustainability.

“Lighten your Load” will take place on campus from June 5-14. Bins will be placed in residence halls throughout campus at several locations. The student affairs team is working with a local charity called the Springfield Public School Resource Center, who will also be working hand-in-hand with local nonprofits for this event.

Lauren Miller, the director of marketing for University housing, emphasizes the importance of the messages of sustainability and healthy living.

“We’re really trying to teach our students to try and be good stewards in their communities, and how to make smart decisions about these kinds of things,” she said. “It aligns with a lot of the missions that we have for the entire department and student affairs — it’s healthy to make these kinds of decisions.”

So what about the other 20,000 students who live off campus? Along the same lines as “Lighten your Load,” working with St. Vincent de Paul and campus recycling, Jen Summers, UO director of substance abuse prevention is overseeing “Duck Donation Days.”  This event runs from June 4-12.

Students will have the opportunity to sign up online through the Dean of Students office and request a pick-up of unwanted household items; such as couches, food and clothing that they want to get rid of. St. Vincent de Paul will then come by specific locations within the allotted time-slot for free of charge.

Summers says something needs to be done about dealing with and disposing of unwanted items properly.

“We want to get it where neighborhoods can be clean and great, and a thriving community,” she said. “It’s not just everything out on the streets, however, you can find some cool stuff on the streets, you can find cool stuff at St Vinnie’s and that’s how we give back to them.”

Kristine Gerron, a student coordinator for “Duck Donation Days” said she understands the importance of keeping the neighborhoods a clean and safe place.

“The biggest thing for students is convenience,” she said. “If we can keep old, unwanted household items off the street as much as possible, I think it’s a good goal to set.”