A pleasurable evening

Lines stretched from the Student Union Theatre to the Union Street Market Tuesday night as students gathered for the highly-anticipated presentation, "I <3 Female Orgasm," put on by the SUBOG Lecture Committee.

Students waiting in line did not seem to know what to expect from the lecture. Joanne Zambo, a 3rd-semester anthropology major, didn't mind arriving nearly 45 minutes early for the show. "Rumor has it, it's well worth the wait," she said.

Apparently others agreed, as the house was packed; it included visitors from the Women's Center, as well as the Department of Wellness Prevention and Health Services, who acted as co-sponsors for the event.

Eric Bouchard, head of the SUBOG Lecture Committee and 7th-semester political science and economics major, welcomed the celebrated speakers back, for their fourth year speaking to UConn students. "This is our big kickoff to the year," Bouchard said. "It's supposed to be sex and comedy, lighthearted and easygoing." Bouchard also noted that the show was so popular last year that 150 students had to be turned away at the door.

During the main presentation, sexuality experts Marshall Miller and Dorian Solot kept the crowd laughing while answering questions that many students would otherwise be too uncomfortable to ask. After leading with a short video clip of When Harry Met Sally to get the crowd in a playful mood, the speakers dove right into the uncensored material that the audience came to see. Audience members quickly volunteered their answers to even the most personal questions, with regard to first-time orgasms methods, and personal inquiries. But the night was not a mere delve into a "nitty gritty" sex talk. With every topic brought up by Miller and Solot, an honest note was soon to follow, as they reiterated that sexual experiences are about communication and confidence, not just body parts.

Miller and Solot, both graduates of Brown University, spoke routinely back and forth about anatomy, pop culture and other social aspects that influence the female orgasm. Quoting magazine covers such as "Cosmopolitan" and "Esquire," they showed the crowd how sex is made so literal in society, and how it can sometimes make the average person feel as if they don't fit into a "sexual norm."

It was hard to find a moment during the two-hour lecture that wasn't chock-full of laughs throughout the candid presentation. And with SUBOG having added a second showing this year, students have another opportunity to experience "I <3 Female Orgasm" Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre.