Megan MacNamara and Philip Nelson didn't need a clever pickup line to capture the attention of UF students gathered in the Ustler Hall Atrium Friday.
MacNamara and Nelson, psychology interns at the UF Counseling Center, got personal.
"So let's talk about sex a little bit," MacNamara said to the audience of about 70. Nelson stood by her side, ready to hand out condoms and candy to students who spoke up during the presentation.
The Hispanic Student Association hosted The Great Sex Debate Friday night in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, encouraging students to partake in an open-forum discussion about romance, relationships and intimacy.
UF sophomore Laura Alarcon, who manages the UF HSA Web site, led the debate.
"I wanted it to be an educational experience," she said. "It was about the ugly truth and the stereotypes prevalent in the Spanish community."
MacNamara and Nelson led the discussion, asking questions about dating habits and sexual intimacy.
MacNamara traced the debate back to the Hispanic community and interracial dating.
"A lot of times there's a culture clash," she said. "Sometimes it's a good educational experience to get familiar with other partners."
MacNamara asked if any attendees were ever pregnant or had Hispanic friends who were pregnant. About half raised their hands.
Alex Laguerra-Sierra, UF junior and the event's internal programming director, said it delivered an important message to the Hispanic community.
"Our community as a whole is often viewed as highly sexual," Laguerra-Sierra said. "Events like this allow us to show that we don't cater to that stereotype."
Hispanic Heritage Month continues until Oct. 15. For more information visit www.ufhhm.com.
