I came to WSU in the fall of 1985 as a graduate student in clinical psychology. I was assigned to be the teaching assistant for Human Sexuality, now affectionately referred to as “Dirty 230.”

My undergraduate university did not offer a sexuality class, nor did the high school I attended. I was as fascinated by the information in the textbook as most students are. Unlike most students, I was also beginning my training as a therapist. Soon, I became aware that sexuality is a powerful force in most people’s lives. It can be powerfully positive or powerfully negative, but it is rarely neutral.  

Over the course of more than 20 years of clinical practice, I have used the academic material I learned from my experience as a TA, as well as the comfort I developed in discussing sexuality, to work with a variety of clients. I do therapy with survivors of sexual abuse and their partners, help parents understand their children’s sexuality, and help people be more open to discussing topics around sexuality and relationships with partners or health care providers. I also assist clients coping with sexual dysfunction, unplanned pregnancies, loss of pregnancy, sexually transmitted illnesses, and infidelity.

When I returned to teach at WSU six years ago, I realized how much I missed the energy of a college campus. Nowhere else is there such optimism and anticipation of the future mixed with freedom and independence to make choices that can change that future forever.  

During my office hours I visit with students contemplating important life decisions like changing their major or applying to graduate school. These conversations are important to me because I know they have the potential to impact the course of someone’s life. Similarly, Teaching Human Sexuality seems like a semester long conversation with a group of students. Over the past six years, I have come to see “Dirty 230” as a type of preventative health program blended into important academic topics.

The memorable moments for most students in “Dirty 230” may be times when Todd Auditorium erupts with laughter, and I truly enjoy those moments as well. I believe that I must hold some type of record for using the word masturbation in a classroom. My family has gotten used to students calling out in public that I was their sex teacher, and I have come to appreciate former students letting me know how much the lecture on sexually transmitted infections impacted them as they are making my coffee.

What many people don’t realize is that students also ask questions or make comments that let me know that teaching this class is far more than an academic exercise. I am genuinely moved when students approach me after class or during office hours to ask about resources because they realize that a past sexual experience was coercive, or when an abuse survivor tells me that after taking this class they feel better about sexuality in general and their ability to have healthy sexual relationships. These moments let me know that the classes I teach intersect with deeply meaningful aspects of student’s lives.

When I think about what I would like students to take away from “Dirty 230,” in addition to the academic material, several things are important to me.  First, I want people to have the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about relationships and sexuality for themselves. I also hope that being informed and thoughtful will allow students to be assertive when they are faced with choices, especially choices that others may not agree with. Finally, I hope that I am creating an intergenerational change where current students partner and parent in ways that increase the likelihood that future generations find relationships and sexuality a positive, healthy and enriching part of life.  

When I say, “GO COUGS!” I mean go out (after your academic obligations have been met of course) and responsibly enjoy everything college has to offer. If you think that you, or someone else you care about, may decide to be sexual, make sure that you have unexpired condoms in your pocket or purse. And don’t forget everything you have learned in Dirty 230; good sexual experiences are informed and intentional.