@@http://is-cc-calweb2.uoregon.edu/EventList.aspx?fromdate=2/15/2012&todate=2/15/2012&display=Day&type=public&eventidn=1051&view=EventDetails&information_id=6408@@Student group SuperNova is hosting a special lecture open to all students on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m. in 100 Willamette Hall, featuring human physiology professor Sierra Dawson@@http://uosupernova.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/the-anatomy-physiology-of-orgasm/@@ on the different anatomical and physiological changes experienced during sexual encounters.
This event, one of many the group has held since its conception in 2006, is aimed at educating students on the science behind an orgasm. The critically acclaimed book, “Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex” by Mary Roach, will serve as a basis for discussion.@@http://www.amazon.com/Bonk-Curious-Coupling-Science-Sex/dp/0393064646@@
“My goal is to have a frank and fun discussion about sex and orgasms but also insure that everyone leaves learning something about the actual anatomy and physiology involved,” Dawson said. “For example, anatomically the clitoris is a lot more than a button, and orgasm prior to intercourse is important for women’s health and happiness.”
The lecture is the second of three this term sponsored by SuperNova. The group tries to get lecturers from all areas of academia in order to spread faculty research beyond just students from within a certain major. The first lecture this term was a discussion and experiment on behavioral economics with University professor Bill Harbaugh.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Harbaugh@@
“It’s really nice to learn what’s happening on campus even if you’re not studying it in the classroom, and you can find the topics that interest you and do your own research too,” three-year SuperNova member and University student Cindy Lin said.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Cindy+Lin@@ @@Linning!@@

“We bring in lecturers that we have taken from before or that we have heard other students would find interesting,” Lin said. “We have a wide range of majors in our group, so we grab from a lot of different subject areas.”
Started by Freshman Interest Group assistants and sponsored by First-Year Programs at the University, SuperNova’s goal is to connect students with faculty research in and out of the classroom. The program aims at incorporating education and entertainment and draws inspiration from shows such as Nova.
“I think the best way to learn about new things is by having faculty as that agent,” University student and two-year member Sara Marcotte said@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Sara+Marcotte@@. “The other thing SuperNova does is make these topics accessible to students so that they can follow up with the professor on something that sparks their interest.”@@Hey, professor. I’d just like to let you know that orgasms interest me. Do they interest you as well?@@
Other SuperNova events include documentary showings with faculty directors and producers on hand to answer discussion questions. Later this month, SuperNova will also host an education symposium featuring eight different speakers on the topic of inequality and inequity in education.
“(SuperNova) is an opportunity to take advantage of fact that we got to a liberal arts college with all these awesome different fields,” University student and psychology major Jessica Montgomery said.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Jessica+Montgomery@@ “Tomorrow is going to be a lot of fun.”