Monday marks the start of The Hatchet’s unofficial, unplanned controversy week. On Monday, our sex issue hits the stands. Later this week is April 1, and veteran Hatchet readers know what that means.

College and sex are comparable to America’s relationship with apple pie – though the latter connection may be overblown. Almost every college paper puts out a sex issue. That means a lot of skin and articles about whether to spit or swallow (is there anyone who does the former?). Our sex edition is a little different. In the introduction to the sex edition of the Life section, features editor (and editor in chief-elect) Caitlin Carroll and I wrote:

When college students think of sex, we think of, well, the adjacent photo. Sex not only intrigues us because of its physical aspects, but also because of who’s doing it, where it’s done and why it sometimes doesn’t happen like it’s supposed to. We also shouldn’t lose sight of sex’s dangerous and deadly facets, among them sexual assault and sexually transmitted diseases.

In planning this issue, we sought to highlight some of the unglamorous parts of sex. If you’re not interested in the articles, you can look at the hot (but tasteful) photos. And if you don’t like the photos or the articles, well, this issue also contains the sexy Student Association election guide.

Enjoy.

Yeah, I’m probably the last person on this campus that should be pontificating about sex a la Carrie Bradshaw.

We’ve got some knockout photos that’ll make people want to have sex, but also articles that’ll get people thinking. I hope they make remarks like, “I thought the only gays at GW were male” and “Maybe I’ll go to the bathroom in the library instead of the Marvin Center.”

I strongly recommend four articles: Adam Tannenbaum’s on a one-credit self-defense class that teaches people (it’s open to males and females) how to hit an attacker in the balls several different ways; Nicole Wetherell’s frightening article on Washington’s AIDS rate; the return of Chick and Dick, The Hatchet’s foul-mouthed sex columnists from a few years ago; and, finally, my Pulizter-worthy article on sex in GW’s restrooms.

With Monday’s issue and April 1 a few days away, I’m sure I’ll look back on this week as one in which The Hatchet received an inordinate amount of letters to the editor (sorry, Kyle). I look forward to receiving feedback about both of this week’s issue on this blog. Oh, and if you have April Fools’ ideas, e-mail me at [email protected].

Thanks.