For once, there might be more to see offline than online
Walking around Concordia, it’s hard to deny that mid-terms are almost upon us. The signs couldn’t be clearer, especially when watching the undergrad students.
In all my years as a student and T.A., I have never seen a more dedicated group. They barely answer when called on in class, do not raise their heads when walking the halls, and keep a pathological focus in the library. Students always seem to be studying on whatever electronic device they find themselves in front of—be it a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
Curious one day, I peered over someone’s shoulder to see what subject they were studying with such intensity. They were looking at a news report about a former student of Oregon State University (OSU), Kendra Sunderland, who made a popular video in the school’s library.
Sunderland’s work was not published on the school’s website, or even YouTube—rather, PornHub. As its name implies, the 17-minute video was uploaded to a free pornographic website, and features exactly what one would expect.
What makes this different is that it was filmed, in its entirety, in the OSU library. To make matters worse, it is clear within the film that students were using the library at the time, all unaware of what was happening. They pass in the background, not looking up, as she masturbates on a desk.
After the story broke, students were in disbelief. In an interview with Kezi 9 News on Jan. 30, current OSU student Shelby Wilson said that she was “surprised someone was in our library doing that. I feel like it’s always packed. I don’t know how anyone could get away with it.”
This is sentiment shared by OSU, who stated the same day in a press release that the library services approximately 30,000 people every week. To their knowledge this is the first instance in which something like this has happened.
Somehow, Sunderland was able to record this and not have anyone in a busy library look up from their things long enough to realize what was happening.
The video has since been removed by PornHub. Sunderland has since left the school, saying to The New York Daily News on Feb. 6 that it would be too awkward to return. This is probably for the best, as OSU has banned her from campus, stating her behavior “does not represent the values of the university.”
Sunderland will now appear before a judge on charges of public indecency. If charged she may face a $6000 fine and up to a year in prison.
Makes you wonder what would have happened if one student wasn’t so studious. How much are we missing by not looking up?