Sex, drugs and rock & roll. What does that mean? Are these topics important? Why are we bringing them up now? These are all excellent questions, and questions that we are trying to answer at Reporter.

Maybe you’re like me. I’m from Florida, a majority conservative state with more conservative laws. Cannabis is not legal there. I went to Catholic school, where I had no sexual education classes. Rock & roll isn’t a genre of music I’m personally fond of. I know next to nothing about these things. So, why choose to cover these topics?

I’ve previously mentioned that I want to foster a community of understanding. We can’t move forward if we don’t try to look at the other side of the coin. These topics are generally taboo, and it’s understandable why. But the truth is, people at RIT are having sex, they’re doing drugs and they’re rocking out. Instead of sweeping these truths under the rug, why not embrace them? Why don’t we lean into the awkward and be uncomfortable together?

I hope the main takeaway from this edition isn’t that we put sex, drugs and rock & roll on stands across campus. Instead, I hope the main takeaway is one of open-mindedness and helpfulness.

This is for the punk rockers and the stoners. The ones who cut people off because of drug use. The ones who prefer classical music. The ones who know nothing about sex. The ones who know everything about sex. This edition is for all of you. Let’s try to learn a little about each other, together.