Phoebe Christos ’18: After graduating in the Class of 2014, Alex Archambault now attends Syracuse University. After acting as Features editor for The Scholium, she now writes a “Sex and Health Column” for The Daily Orange, the University’s independent student news organization. She has put forth numerous pieces on a variety of subjects, but one common denominator throughout all articles is her fearlessness about share her opinion. She radiates confidence and claims that she doesn’t let other people’s perceptions of her affect how she feels about herself, embodying the Episcopal stripe of Courage. Scholium asked Alex a few questions about her life after Episcopal and her courageous articles.
Photo Courtesy of The Daily Orange
Q: What gives you the confidence to write about such bold topics that others may consider to be controversial?
Alex: When I first started writing these pieces, I feared that a lot of people would think that I was writing it for shameless self promotion because clearly it is a topic that will get me views. Typically, people are reading about basketball and things that happen on campus. Everyone was really taken aback, but it was never about views for me.
In high school, I was never seen as a promiscuous person. People from Episcopal are shocked about my writing because of this. I think that writing about sex is one of those things that people shouldn’t be afraid to talk about. Girls are sexualized so often. I get sexualized a lot now because I write about these things. When boys talk about it it’s jovial, but when a girl does so she is deemed as something different.
Q: How have you handled responses from readers?
Alex: I got seventeen friend requests on Facebook from frat boys, accompanied by demeaning messages. At this point, it is comical. I know that these people are doing this to make a joke, to make fun of me. So, I just turn it around and laugh back. I read the comments and laugh about it with my friends.
I have never been a person who cares about what people think of me so it hasn’t been too big of a deal – I’ve never gone back to my dorm and cried about it. Nobody has made a personal attack or references to my face. It is always behind the computer screen.
It was most awkward talking to my family about it then anyone else. I have also gotten some very thoughtful emails before. It was just people who wanted to share what they had to say. I have also gotten meaningful comments on some of my other articles.
Q: Did you choose to write for the Sex & Health column?
Alex: I really wanted to write a health column. I am really interested in healthy eating, running, and yoga. I got assigned to the Sex & Health column, and thought it was fine. My editor, who I am actually really good friends with, told me right away that people really just want to read about sex so I should feel comfortable writing about that. It was nothing that I had ever done before. I decided to give it a stab. It’s been fun. It pushed me out of my comfort zone.
It was not the direction that I thought I was going in this semester, but it’s good. It’s a completely different mindset. I never saw myself as writing an opinionated column.
Q: What impact do you think your writing has made?
Alex: I don’t think it’s changing lives, but I hope that it is showing people that they should be able to write and talk about sex without being stigmatized.
Q: Did your assignments become more challenging as you have been writing more?
Alex: I get to go to my editor and I pitch an idea that I want to write about, to which she will either say no and then I pitch more ideas or she says I can go for it. She has never said you have to write about this or that, so she does not tell me what to do. That’s a nice part about column, you have lots of freedom. In the beginning, I wrote lots of mild articles and then the editors suggested, in a somewhat joking manner, that I write the boldest article possible. And I did, I wrote the blowjob article. After that, I wrote some health pieces to let everything simmer down.
Q: What do you see for yourself in the future?
Alex: I am more interested in Features, more long and in-depth articles about people, which is what I will be doing next semester. I don’t want to be writing opinion pieces for my whole life. I am majoring in Information Managing and Technology so if journalism doesn’t work out then I know I could go into consulting. But, hopefully journalism works out. I have been considering going into magazine because I really like profiling people and hearing their stories. People always tell me that the blowjob article will get me judged at face value by future employers. But, I want to work somewhere where people are understanding and progressive.
Visit http://dailyorange.com/writers/alex-archambault/ to read Alex’s articles from the Sex and Health colum in the Daily Orange online