Advice Columnist
My name is Susie O'Connell. Near the end of my first semester at the local community college my English teacher, Ms. Richards, asked me to stay after class. A girl came in and Ms. Richards introduced her as Darlene White, the editor of the school paper. Darlene told me that the paper needed an advice columnist and that I had been recommended to her. Both Ms. Richards and the school counselor had told her I was a good writer and others had told her that I was good at helping people. Apparently she heard about my helping Corey's friends to ask girls out and be more socially aware. I didn't think she knew I had used nude bathing and a personal female anatomy lesson as part of my technique.
I agreed to consider it.
I told my parents about the offer and they thought it was a good idea. I told them that it might give me a chance to see what kinds of questions I might get from girls when I become an Ob/Gyn.
"I doubt the questions are all about sex," my mother said.
"Some of them are bound to be," I responded, "and if I answer them well I'll get more."
"Do you think the school paper will publish frank questions and answers about sex?" she asked. "I bet they will either reject them or edit them severely."
"You should talk to the advisor for the paper about what you can say and what kind of censorship they do," Daddy suggested. "You should look at the questions and answers from the advice column for the past few years to see what kinds of questions and answers they publish. Perhaps you could ask to see some of the letters they have right now."
I had another thought, "and I could write answers to them. If there are some about sex I could write the answer I would like to give and see what the editor and advisor say."
Both Mommy and Daddy thought that was a good idea. Mommy said, "You should probably try writing an answer to some non-sex related questions too."
After English class the next day I told Ms. Richards I would like to talk to her and Darlene about the advice column and she arranged a meeting for later that day.
When I met with them I started right in. "First of all I'd like to know what kind of censorship or editing will be done. I want to be able to honestly answer questions, even those about sex." Before they could object, I explained my ambitions to be an OB/Gyn and my desire to help girls with their sexuality. "I hope I can get an idea of what that might entail with this advice column."
"You should probably know that I am sexually active," I confessed. "I have not been secretive about it so I expect most of those who know me also know. I know some girls who are in real difficulties because of their sexual activity, even sexual addiction. If it weren't for my boyfriend, Corey, I might have succumbed to such an addiction myself."
"You should also know that I have done some things I am not proud of." I told them how I had been in a group of five girls in high school who had sex with several boys. It had started with one of the girls showing us some pornographic videos she had found in her father's desk. "Our classmates referred to us as the '5F's' where three of the 5 F's were 'Five', 'Female', and 'Fucking'. The other two 'F's' varied but weren't usually complementary."
I finished to silence.
Darlene broke the silence, "Ms. Richards, I suspected some of this based on what I've been told. Still, I think she'll do a great job. From what I've heard she can approach the subject with care. I think she can handle advice of a non-sexual nature -- I'm told she is good resolving problems and that she's a natural at helping with problems of all kinds."
Ms. Richards responded, "Well, we usually avoid much discussion of sex in the school paper. We are a locally controlled, publically funded school and there are a lot of students and parents who would be disturbed by anything sexual. You can bet that no matter what you say, someone will object. For example, if you say 'use condoms' there will be objections from those who point out that condoms are not effective. If you say 'don't use condoms' you will get an even bigger outcry from those who consider condom use essential. Sex is not a good topic for our paper."
"Well, if I write the column I'll want to address the subject," I told her. "I'm sure you get letters on the topic. If not then students are just not asking what's on their mind."
"We get quite a few letters about sex," Darlene said. "We seldom use them." She looked at Ms. Richards.
"I think we should use some of them," I told them. "How about this: Give me some of the letters you have, sexual and non-sexual, and I will show you some sample answers. I won't object to having you two edit and comment on my answers. We can even consult 'experts'. I bet I can get my doctor to help. He's really encouraging my desire to be an Ob/Gyn."
"I think a few sample columns would be good," Ms. Richards responded. "If you produce a good advice sample we can use it right away."
"I'll give you all the letters we have," Darlene told me. "You can pick the ones you want to respond to."
"Won't the current columnist be upset if you do that," I said. "I'd also like to meet your last columnist," I said, "to get her thoughts about what is required. Just between us, her answers are pretty dry. they look like they are written by adults for adults. I even think the questions have been modified, they don't sound like students' questions."
"You're sort of looking at her," Darlene replied.
"You write the column now?" I asked.
"Well, not exactly," she answered. "You're right about the questions and answers. I read the questions and pick a few. Then I give them to adults, teachers and counselors, to write the answers. That's why they're the way they are. We usually edit the question to fit the answer."
"Last year was better," I said. "Things must have been handled differently."
"Last year we had a student who handled the answers but she graduated and we couldn't find anyone else," Ms. Richards said.
"No wonder I didn't realize we had an advice column," I said. "No offense, but it's pretty lame."
"I agree," Darlene said. "I think we really could use you. And, Ms. Richards, I think we could use a student's view of sex. That would really spice up the paper."
"Let's see what you can do with some of the letters, Ms. O'Connell." Ms. Richards replied. "Ms. White, I don't think 'spice' is an important ingredient for the school newspaper."
Letters
Darlene took me to the newspaper office and handed me a stack of letters. "We didn't expect to use these," she told me. "I've already chosen and assigned letters to writers for the next few issues."
I looked through them. A few letters in was one that began, "My boyfriend is pressuring me to have sex ..." "These will be fine" I said.
On my way out Darlene stopped me and said, "You should also think about whether you want to use your real name or just continue with the 'Anne's Answers' title we have now."
"Oh, I assumed that we would use my name. Why not?" I asked.
"If people know who you are then you will find they approach you in the hall with questions and complaints. With your known sexual background some will spread it around and you will find they may make jokes about you. Knowing who you are could cause the column to be taken less seriously."