The Interview

Hmm... my first, full-length news interview.

I had no idea what to expect... sitting down and actually asking someone questions about their life. It was a little easier though since I interviewed a professor that I know and have had a class with.

The interview was more like a conversation. Even though I had prepared questions, the interview flowed as questions sprang from things that he said and things from even my own experiences.

It was very insightful. I was a little nervous going in, but I felt more comfortable as the interview went on.

Like the press conference, I didn't know what to write down. Even though I had a tape recorder, I still had to take notes.

Sitting down with someone for a one-on-one interview is definitely different from going out and asking people a few questions about a certain topic.

All in all, it was good experience, and I know I'll be ready for the next time.

Who cares about virginity pledges?

Example of a different "pledge." From http://www.pledge.com

Apparently, not many people even know what it is.

Of the six or seven people I asked, they didn’t really know what a VP was until I explained it to them. “Oh, that… is that what it’s called?” is what I first received as their response before asking them other questions.

Through the short interviews though, it seems as though they do care one way or the other. A few, who had been raised in Catholic families, supported the idea of a VP. They may not have taken one themselves, but they do agree with it. Many of them said they don’t need a ring or a certificate to not have sex until they are married.

On the other end of the spectrum, some people thought the idea of a VP was stupid and useless. They wanted to be free and open, without any kind of restriction. Many of them associated the pledge with a religious belief.

Most of those interviewed felt that it would be “okay” to be asked if they were a virgin, as long the ones asking them were their friends. They would be comfortable in that situation. If it were a stranger or even a professor, they wouldn’t be as comfortable.

Is it rude to ask? It really depends on who you’re asking. There may be people who are proud to be virgins, or not ashamed to say they have had sex. There are then people who may be embarrassed that they are virgins, or others who may not want people to think they were “sluts.” So one should be careful if asking the question “Are you a virgin?”

When asking USF students about the virgin population of the school, it gets you a sense of what people think about their fellow Dons, while also possibly getting an accurate estimate of how much of the USF student body are sexually active. In a Catholic, Jesuit private school that doesn’t allow members of the opposite sex to sleep over, sexual activities might be a concern.