This conversation, led by SA Andrew, was a lot different than I had initially expected. The context was a little peculiar, which made me trepidatious of signing up for the event initially—we’ve all been through middle school health class, and I personally didn’t feel a need to go through that again. However, my expectations ended up being entirely wrong. The event was interesting and there was an solid dialogue between the many students who attended, and I’m glad that I took the opportunity.

Initially, as expected, there was an awkwardness, a tension, in the air. Not many people wanted to speak up, which is understandable—it can be difficult to bring yourself to contribute in the context of something like this. To that point, I feel that there were too many people present. Perhaps it would’ve been more effective if it were broken up into two groups rather than one large one. I know that I personally would have spoken up more than I did if there were less people present; it makes the atmosphere more conversational.

Even given the circumstances though, it was still a very interesting event. Given how diverse everyone’s backgrounds are, it’s important to discuss topics like love and relationships in a meaningful way. With the stress of performing well, especially during prelims when I type this, social lives can sometimes fall by the wayside. It’s important not to ignore just how important it is.