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Although environmentalism and sexual health are not generally considered related topics, SPECS Panther is here to explore how the two are deeply intertwined. Sexual health, justice and pleasure cannot be talked about without including the health of the Earth.
Early scientific models that describe how the body functions and responds to different sensations during sex, such as Masters and Johnson’s sexual response cycle and Helen Singer Kaplan’s triphasic model, viewed sex as a linear, sequential experience that began with excitement and desire and culminated in orgasm. These models deserve some credit, as they established language and theory about how the body reacts during different elements of a sexual experience. They, however, also set narrow expectations for what sex looks like and, by extension, who is considered “sexually functional.” In reality, these models excluded the experiences of many people with physical, emotional, and cognitive functional differences. At SPECS, we believe it is necessary to reanalyze these models through an inclusive lens.
Reading for pleasure can feel like an elusive luxury amid the perpetual, cyclical motion of college. Over the summer, however, time regains its elasticity, yielding a sweet languor I’ve already begun to miss.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of marriage equality in Vermont, Special Collections hosted a panel of speakers and an open house related to its archive of the Vermont Freedom to Marry task force. Over 75 community members and Middlebury students gathered in the lower level of Davis Family Library on April 28 to celebrate the victory for civil rights and to reflect on what it took to succeed.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has undergone a dramatic transformation in public discourse over the past decade. What began in the 2010s as a neutral descriptor for diversity and affirmative action programs which emerged in the decades following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has recently evolved into a politically charged buzzword. Today, it has morphed into perhaps the most divisive three-letter acronym in America.
Sex Positive Education for College Students (SPECS) addresses topics such as consent and communication, pleasure, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and safer sex practices. SPECS knows that Middlebury’s diverse student body includes individuals from varying domestic and international backgrounds with conflicting sexual education experiences. Importantly, such conversations about sexual health are incomplete without acknowledging the role that substances — particularly alcohol — play in shaping sexual experiences and risks, and how harm reduction strategies can provide a solution.
The Campus just launched its annual student survey on Monday, March 31, marking the seventh time we have asked Middlebury students to answer dozens of questions about academics, sex and love, social life, politics and other topics. Last year we received completed responses from over 1,200 students; this data has become a touchstone for our reporting on Middlebury’s community, and it has shaped how faculty, staff and administrators understand the student body.
Since his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Trump has issued at least 128 executive actions, aiming to dismantle federal organizations, slash the budget and disrupt staffing. From threatening the National Institutes of Health (NIH), jeopardizing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, denying the identities of transgender and other genderqueer folks and curtailing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the executive branch is enforcing sweeping systematic changes under the guise of “efficiency.”
Tate McRae’s third studio album “So Close to What” (SC2W) is a masterclass in navigating young adulthood under the glare of pop stardom. At first glance, its themes may seem deceptively simple — heartbreak, reinvention and the push-and-pull of self-identity — but McRae depicts them through a dynamic blend of reverberating synths, atmospheric electronics and raw, unfiltered vocal talent. This isn’t just her most polished work: it’s her best yet.
Middlebury hosted a talk attended by about 120 students on Feb. 20 titled “What is the Right Approach on Public Policy and Transgender Medicine?” in Wilson Hall in McCullough Student Center. The talk featured two speakers invited by the Alexander Hamilton Forum: Leor Sapir of the Manhattan Institute and Brianna Wu, a transgender activist and executive director of the Rebellion PAC. Both speakers maintain an active presence on social media, where Sapir and Wu have previously criticized current transgender healthcare in the U.S.
In 2017, controversial speaker Charles Murray came to Middlebury a few weeks after the inauguration of President Trump. Our liberal campus was feeling quite raw. Minorities were under scrutiny by a new presidential administration. In that environment, a group brought a speaker to Middlebury to talk about a challenging topic and announced the event with very little notice.
Loitering for the purpose of prostitution (LPP) is a violation or misdemeanor in many state governments and municipalities across the U.S.. These laws define this charge as wandering or remaining in public spaces for long periods of time with the intent of selling sex or promoting prostitution. While states take varying approaches, many mandate penalties including hundreds of dollars in fines and imprisonment for six months to a year. Furthermore, in some states, if a suspect is caught loitering within the proximity of a school or a church, the defense can become a class A misdemeanor: on the same level as domestic violence, assault or driving under the influence.
At some point in time you may have heard that sexual activity can be a de-stressor. For example, NBC News published a 2008 article titled “More sex, less stress,” declaring to their audience that by having sex, they can reduce the undesirable buzzword of “stress.” Sex is a natural stress-buster, but it is a misconception that by simply having more sex, your problems are magically solved. While it is partly true that physical intimacy and sexual intercourse can have positive effects on mental health and well-being, it is important to keep in mind that using sex as a de-stressor can work for some while not working for others. At SPECS, we advocate to Middlebury students that sexual activity, however one engages with it, is not a simple fix for stress, nor are the two mutually exclusive.
SPECS Panther is a mascot for SPECS (sex positive education for college students) and serves the Middlebury community. As a part of Health & Wellness Education, SPECS Panther seeks to educate and spark independent dialogue, not be the end-all be-all resource on campus. We encourage Midd Kids to break down the walls of silence by engaging in sex-positive conversation — wherever, with whomever and about whatever is most comfortable, easy and safe for you. Our editions will be educational!
Did you know that Vermont, via Proposition 5, was the first state to enshrine the right to an abortion in its state constitution just two years ago? Vermont policymakers have been spearheading the movement toward a more inclusive version of sexual health care and reproductive justice. At SPECS, we affirm that everybody deserves access to accurate information regarding their bodies and reproductive health care, especially pertaining to their legal rights.
In 2017, American tennis star Serena Williams experienced life-threatening complications from childbirth. Her cover story profile for Vogue discussed her experience of having to convince medical professionals of the severity of her complications — what she described as undoubtedly a pulmonary embolism — and the delay in proper treatment. Her story sparked public outcry against existing inequalities in the American healthcare system that significantly favor white patients over Black patients. What people found especially shocking was that a person as famous as Serena Williams could also be the victim of racialized medical negligence. It uncovered a disturbing truth: Race intersects with, and can even trump, socioeconomic class as a health determinant.
It was finally Oct. 12, and I was walking towards the town green for the third annual MiddPride, hearing cheers of children and live music getting louder, and seeing flashes of rainbow shine under the autumn sunshine. Having recently attended a Pride parade in Hollywood, overrun with corporations such as Disney and Citibank and law enforcement groups like the Los Angeles Police Department, the authenticity of this tight knit community boasting queerness was palpable.
Nowadays, it seems like presidential campaigns cannot exist without celebrity influence.
SPECS Panther is a mascot for SPECS (sex-positive education for college students) and serves the Middlebury community. As a part of Health & Wellness Education, SPECS Panther seeks to educate and spark independent dialogue, not be the end-all be-all resource on campus. We encourage Midd Kids to break down the walls of silence by engaging in sex-positive conversation — wherever, with whomever and about whatever is most comfortable, easy and safe for you.