Porn 101

TINA CHEN
Staff Writer

College is a place to freely express ideas and expand one’s intellect, a place where students are able to voice their views without judgment while learning from peers, professors and even porn star lecturers. Yes, pornstars. Rub your eyes and read that again. P-o-r-n-s-t-a-r-s. Are you judging?
Bryan Sevilla, better known in the porn industry as James Deen, was invited to speak about pornography, the sex industry and his personal opinion on sex at his alma mater, Pasadena City College (PCC). However, his publicized appearance on the campus garnered many protests against his visit, even limiting his access to a lounge opened to only the students taking the course “Navigating Pornography.”
Nevertheless, the overreaction of administrators and protesters seemed to be unnecessary.
PCC, like every other higher education institution, should be where students gain insight beyond their comfort level. In that sense, they are not close-minded like the public, which disagrees with the presence of a speaker solely for his profession, which may shortchange a student’s educational experience. If only people placed as much interest on subjects like gun violence, then our country might actually make progress.