2008 Woodie Awards
'Sex Ed and the State' shown on campus
Aaron Swenson
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: News
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Jim Winkle's documentary "Sex Ed and the State" could not have been shown at a better time at SCSU.
Winkle's documentary was shown to SCSU students at 2 and 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Miller Center Auditorium and Atwood Little Theatre six days after important conclusions were made by one of the main sources of the documentary.
Douglas Kirby, a senior research scientist at Education Training Research (ETR) Associates and other fellow scientists ended their study in sex education programs that use abstinence as the lone option, and proved they do not produce affects on teenager sexual behavior.
Winkle's documentary examined Minnesota high schools' sex education programs and their failure to pass a comprehensive sex education act.
He also said half of all pregnancies in America are unplanned, one third of high school students have sex before graduation and 82 percent of Minnesota parents are in favor of both abstinence and contraception as part of sex education.
The Women's Center became aware of these facts after the documentary was passed on to them via DVD.
"The producer of this did some public showings in the cities and it was forwarded to me. We were interested because of the ideology of sex, only in marriage and abstinence-only is an agenda many of us believe is really restrictive," said Jane Olsen, director of the Women's Center. "The 90 percent of parents who believe in comprehensive sex education I think need to contact the local school boards to say what is happening in the schools and to tell them we want our children educated."
DFL senator Sandra Pappas also said she believes public schools must provide students in grades 7-12 appropriate sex education, including teaching students about abstinence and all forms contraceptives.
Olsen said she has similar beliefs on the issue and believes it is only a matter of politics.
"What I think needs to happen is that the House and the Senate need to pass the comprehensive sexuality education bill, and there needs to be enough pressure on Pawlenty to sign it," Olsen said. "It is not promoting sex, it is not promoting deviance. It is promoting honest, accurate information that all students need in order to make healthy decisions."
Winkle's documentary was shown to SCSU students at 2 and 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Miller Center Auditorium and Atwood Little Theatre six days after important conclusions were made by one of the main sources of the documentary.
Douglas Kirby, a senior research scientist at Education Training Research (ETR) Associates and other fellow scientists ended their study in sex education programs that use abstinence as the lone option, and proved they do not produce affects on teenager sexual behavior.
Winkle's documentary examined Minnesota high schools' sex education programs and their failure to pass a comprehensive sex education act.
He also said half of all pregnancies in America are unplanned, one third of high school students have sex before graduation and 82 percent of Minnesota parents are in favor of both abstinence and contraception as part of sex education.
The Women's Center became aware of these facts after the documentary was passed on to them via DVD.
"The producer of this did some public showings in the cities and it was forwarded to me. We were interested because of the ideology of sex, only in marriage and abstinence-only is an agenda many of us believe is really restrictive," said Jane Olsen, director of the Women's Center. "The 90 percent of parents who believe in comprehensive sex education I think need to contact the local school boards to say what is happening in the schools and to tell them we want our children educated."
DFL senator Sandra Pappas also said she believes public schools must provide students in grades 7-12 appropriate sex education, including teaching students about abstinence and all forms contraceptives.
Olsen said she has similar beliefs on the issue and believes it is only a matter of politics.
"What I think needs to happen is that the House and the Senate need to pass the comprehensive sexuality education bill, and there needs to be enough pressure on Pawlenty to sign it," Olsen said. "It is not promoting sex, it is not promoting deviance. It is promoting honest, accurate information that all students need in order to make healthy decisions."