Dear Editor,
Admittedly, I have not read the East Tennessean for a few years but I appreciated them when I attended Open House on Saturday.
The topics are remarkably similar to my own college experience a number of years ago. I particularly related to Feleesha Sterling’s article and her plea for life’s lessons. Thank you Feleesha. We are all on this journey and there are many days that I might refer and highlight entire pages of a life manual.
The ETSU Counseling Center apparently planned a very successful program to facilitate positive body image for the women of ETSU. The importance of caring for our bodies is a remarkably valuable life lesson, however, this is one often learned the hard way.
Life’s lessons are often painful, and it is painful to see younger women making some of the same erroneous decisions as made by the “older generation.”
I felt a very real pain of heartache with sadness when I read Melissa Tate’s article titled “Dual-duty cervical cancer vaccine sparks controversy.”
This controversy seems far beyond whether or not the vaccine could be an effective prevention of cancer.
The article seemed to comment on extramarital sex occurring with or without a condom, in comparison to the current option of getting a shot. (I pleasantly chuckled with recall of the day the East Tennessean put various color condoms in each paper in the news stands . . . it happened!)
Regardless, Melissa, it is absolutely impossible to “forget the STD part,” as many co-eds live a lifetime with damage as a result of the sex, sex, parties and sex experienced during college years.
Indeed, cervical cancer, STDs and infertility are only a few of very real consequences of choices made during the college years. The parties often end at graduation, but life continues.
While popular media does not mention consequences of random sex, I would like to encourage the East Tennessean to stand above popularity.
Please, please, editors – please consider promoting awareness of positive self-respect and self-image, as well as positive body image for the young men and women at ETSU.
The resources listed in your front page article by Heather Seay seem to be a good place to start.
Also, please consider further editing your cartoons. The artwork of “Living in Sanity” appeared quite demeaning to women and men. Even though the degrading messages appear subtle, the negative messages compile to create negative self-image that often manifests later – as we learn the lessons of this life.
Julia Cantrill

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