Get Herald RSSBrown's campus is a place ironically characterized, in some ways, by stasis. Yes, we do have a student body that is remarkably liberal (and not just politically) and aware - of the University, the city, the state, the nation and the world - but there's so much that, despite our best intentions, remains unexamined and unchanged. With so much attention on issues of a larger, even global scope, we may tend not to sweat the small stuff. And it's often the smallest-seeming aspects of life at Brown that slip by, with no thought given to how they could be improved.
So it is in this light that the decision by the University's health educators, reported in The Herald yesterday, to make condoms, dental dams, lube and even latex gloves available at reduced prices to students in a new vending machine on campus is particularly welcome. Every freshman knows that condoms and other related accessories are available from their Residential Peer Leaders - and most can hardly enter or exit their hall without constant reminders of this - but the University's method of distributing condoms has long overlooked upperclassmen, particularly those living off campus.
Condoms and other accessories are already available at reduced prices at Health Services, and at full prices at a handful of convenience stores. And the expectation that sexually active students be responsible enough to purchase their own condoms is certainly not unreasonable.
But the new vending machine makes a few key improvements in students' lives - by providing at atmosphere of privacy for students who may prefer it, by being available to more students at more hours of the day, and by putting the visible reminders of the importance of safe sex back into the lives of students who don't live in first-year dorms.
Maybe the vending machine in Faunce House won't draw students from all over campus or by itself help a large number of them, but it represents the beginning of what we hope is a trend toward more practical, accessible services for student health.
The Community Service Opportunities Fair in Sayles Hall last night exemplifies Brown students' dedication to helping better the lives of others - and we commend all students who strive to make a difference in the city and beyond. But it's important to pay attention to lives right here on College Hill too. And where sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy are at stake, let's not forget to think of our own health.
