Andy Rota/The ObserverBCSDH distributed 2,000 dental flossers near Upper Campus.
BCSDH told The Observer that students on campus are not given easy access to oral care products that could prevent gingivitis and periodontal (gum) disease.
“Right now, students have to travel to the bookstore or, when it’s closed, City Convenience, for disease-preventing products. This isn’t right,” said Nathanial Sanders of BCSDH.
BC Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH), another group of students, were distributing condoms near Upper Campus at the same time. BCSDH suggested that students ignore the condoms and instead focus on the more relevant and pressing issue of dental health.
BCSSH confronted BCSDH as they were handing out floss to students.
“I approached the group and introduced myself, and asked them to do the same. I then told them that I accepted the fact that BC students have different opinions on this issue and welcomed a dialogue,” said Marion Halftermeyer of BCSSH.
“I did, however, explain to them that I thought this was not the best way to start a discussion about these issues and that the comments they were making were very rude and disrespectful,” she added.
BCSDH said they handed out 2,000 floss packets to students, while BCSSH said they handed out 1,000 condoms.
Mike Villafranca, BCSDH, noticed that “A lot of people threw down the condoms at our feet and took floss instead; people seemed thankful that there was an alternative available.”
Andy Rota/The ObserverBCSSH challenges the peaceful distribution of floss near Upper Campus.
“While I fully support dialogue about this issue, I feel that the Boston College Students for Dental Health was being disrespectful and inappropriate in their comments. I feel the best way to engage in diplomatic dialogue is through calm conversation. This is not what BCSDH was attempting to do,” Parry and Halftermeyer wrote.
Villafranca disagreed, and instead said that the main goal of BCSDH was to encourage conversation on a very important campus issue.
“Students don’t realize that nearly one in 25 people under the age of 34 have periodontal disease, and it just gets worse as they get older. They need to take steps to prevent it now, and the university just isn’t facilitating that,” said Villafranca.
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, periodontal disease disproportionately affects those at or below the poverty line, and those without a college education.
“The time has come for dialogue that brings together all concerned voices to discuss dental health on BC’s campus,” said Villafranca.
“We’re not encouraging students to eat sweets, but if students choose to do so, they should be protected,” said Sanders, adding that students should not be forced to pay for this basic health service.
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This article did not need to be written, that is, unless this is part of some new parody thing The Observer has going on. Since I highly doubt that may I please ask on thing, “Really?” I am now less intelligent for having read this and I feel like I speak for the great majority of BC students when I say, “What in the the Hell is wrong with you people?!”
hallelujah to that!
I agree entirely with Sean Francis. This is a truly ridiculous display of immaturity and ignorance that is not in keeping with the lofty traditions of Boston College. If you disagree with BCSSH (although personally I’ve never particularly understood that, whatever the Church says about birth control), fine, but do so in a classy and respectful manner that allows them to operate unhindered as they see fit. These are the antics of snarky middle schoolers, not BC students. Shame on the Observer for giving BCSDH front page coverage.
Imitating another organization! And doing it right next to said organization! What an ingenious way to prove that students don’t need to make safe decisions regarding sex! Bravo
I’ll support dental health just as much as the ADA, but would BCSDH still sneer and mock as they handed out their floss to the millions of people around the world dying of HIV and AIDS?
Yeah nothing screams class and respect like handing out condoms to students after class. After all, BC students can’t be expected to be responsible enough to walk down the street to the convenience store…
maybe some students can’t afford to go to the convenience store and buy their own condoms. or maybe some students didn’t get proper sex ed and do not understand that condoms are necessary to prevent diseases. maybe those students would benefit from an organization on campus to teach about safe sex so that they can be the “responsible” and “classy” student you seem pride yourself in being. nothing screams class and respect like ignorance…
Great point anonymous! BC is definitely a school that attracts students who don’t have a few dollars to spare on getting condoms (and yet most have no problem spending plenty on alcohol).
http://bcgavel.com/2011/12/06/opinion-new-bc-dental-health-group-deserves-harsh-criticism/
@ Mike – There is certainly no respect in offering disease preventative measures after class to a population at high risk for unsafe sexual behaviors. After all, BC can’t be expected to be responsible enough to its student body to offer adequate sexual health services (especially not in response to an election referendum passed two years with the highest voter turnout in recent election history, in which 89.47 percent of voters agreed that BC needs to improve sexual health education and resources on campus).
This article is a joke and one of the most ridiculous breaches of journalistic ethics that I have read at BC. Andy Rota doesn’t deserve to be call himself a journalist after publishing this piece. Regardless of whether or not you agree with BCSSH, the counter distribution of dental floss by “BC Students for Dental Health” is clearly an immature and unwarranted attack against the group. Frankly, implying that BCSSH was doing the attacking against this group is not only untrue, but it insults the intelligence of readers. I mean seriously… dental health? come on. Also, last time I checked, the BC students for dental health isn’t recognized as a legitimate student group and is not authorized to distribute any kind of materials.
We’re adults. With such controversial issues as condom distribution at a Jesuit university, it is important to maintain an open and civilized forum for debate. This article sets us back 100 years in this area, and prevents a respectful discussion.
Maybe the next time Rota decides to write an article, he should consider that journalism encourages objectivity. Get your facts straight before you insult me by expecting me to believe that BCSSH hates dental health.
Hi Stephanie,
I appreciate you comment! I just wanted to respond to a few of the claims you make:
You note that the event was “clearly an immature and unwarranted attack against the group.” I’m not sure that your assertion is “clear,” and it is not my position to judge whether the events on Friday were immature or unwarranted, on either side. I did not make any such claim in the article.
Neither BCSDH nor BCSSH are Registered Student Organizations at Boston College. I did not make such a claim in the article.
I spent an hour on Upper Campus last Friday observing the events taking place, writing copious notes, taking photographs, and speaking with the parties involved. I received statements from both groups, and included the much of their comments in this article. In fact, much of this article is made up of direct quotes from both groups.
Of course, I think many would agree that there was a disparity in the tone of each group’s comments. BCSDH was rather satirical in their responses, while BCSSH was more serious and upset about the event. I think the “joke” you see in the article is the humorous incongruity between these two ways of articulating an understanding of the event.
If I misquoted someone, reported an inaccurate fact, or otherwise breached journalistic ethics, please feel free to specifically point that out.
Otherwise, it seems that your accusations are unfounded.
Andy, gven the title of your article, you most certainly did make a judgement about the events on Friday.
Hi Stephanie,
The title of the article is completely accurate. I don\’t know if you were there on Friday, but criticize is a rather tame word for what occurred that afternoon. BCSSH acknowledged confronting BCSDH, as I reported in my article. I hardly think either side, or those who observed the actual events, would take issue with the accuracy of the article\’s title.
Regards,
Andy
Hi Andy,
Contrary to what you’ve said, the title of this article is not “completely accurate” unless you can point me to the part of the article in which BCSSH members criticized the act of distributing floss. In fact, the only time criticism of any type is mentioned is when Perry and Halftermeyer shared that they felt “the comments they were making were very rude and disrespectful.” I think we can both agree this criticism was in response to BCSDH members’ behavior, not the fact that they were promoting dental health.
I should also point out that the caption under the second picture, which reads “BCSSH challenges the peaceful distribution of floss near Upper Campus” is also false. That is, unless you accidentally omitted the crucial part of your story in which BCSSH opposed handing out floss. In addition, this caption clearly implies a bias against BCSSH.
I also take issue with your apparent belief that the fact that “much of this article is made up of direct quotes from both groups” clears you of any culpability. As someone who is hopefully familiar with the ethical standards of journalism, I’m sure you are aware that the manner in which you present the facts affects the integrity of your work. Picking and choosing quotes to get your point across is not ethical. In fact, the whole ordeal seems like an underhanded, defamatory political stunt a la James O’Keefe. Your article is judgmental and lacks journalistic integrity, and I think you know it.
What a bunch of idiots. Good thing we have BCSSH around to tell 20 year olds that they need condoms to have safe sex. You’re the type of people who think that the rest of the world would be lost without your incredibly obvious advice. Like seriously, as if I would even have sex using your cheap condoms anyway. Also, what kind of BC student analogizes handing out condoms in Newton to the state of aids in Africa?
The attacks on BC Students for Dental Health just goes to show how intolerant some people on this campus really are.
It would be one thing if BCSSH was something that, you know, actually needed to be lampooned. Instead this just comes across as some BC students really stretching how funny they think they are. Not really taking any offense, just don’t think their joke was worth taking beyond the 2 AM wisecrack about “Dental Hental” kinda-sorta sounding like “Sexual Health” that it assuredly started as.
The kids who made this BC students for dental health are the kinds of the kids who don’t belong at BC. What a waste of time and energy.
@Darth Vader
Yeah totally, The students for sexual health are much more in line with the catholic values BC stands for oh…. thats right the catholic church is the one that against contraception.
Hilarious! Way to go, BCSDH! A great idea!
A creative way to illustrate the absurdity of BCSSH!
This is why I love the Observer!
Clearly, it took both creativity and courage to do that. Well done, Students for Dental Health!
creativity? I would say more like cowardice and childishness
Condoms do not prevent Aids. Abstinence does. Passing out condoms at a Catholic University is wrong! Oh yeah, BC stands for Barely Catholic. To say people are going to have sex anyways is a cop out, that’s like saying people are going to kill each other anyways, here is a gun. Wake- up Kids time is running out!
Actually, condoms prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV which later becomes AIDS in its last stages. Abstinence does not completely prevent the contraction of HIV, there are many other ways in which the virus can be contracted. Condoms also significantly decreases the chance of pregnancy when used correctly. Passing out condoms at any Univerisity, Catholic or not, is not wrong. If the school itself as a Catholic institution were to hand out condoms to students that would give your argument some validity. As it is the condoms are handed out by a student organization which is perfectly fine, even at a Catholic University.
If you are going to spread your opinion at least have your facts right.
Obviously it’s allGeorge Bush’s fault!
Wait so being able to buy floss at the bookstore on campus isn’t good enough?
This story reeks of kids who have too much time on their hands…and handing out condoms between classes? If they really cared they would supply them discretely somewhere on campus, not handing them out for attention like a school day is some kind of rave or fantasy party.
Get a job or something, do some volunteering or charity work.