Step by S.T.E.P.S.

???Students are constantly looking for new clubs that fit their needs and personalities. Everyone wants to change the world in his or her own way by doing his or her small part.

???S.T.E.P.S., Students Teaching Equals Positive Sexuality, provides a place for students to help other students in a typically uncomfortable field.

???"The main goal of the group is to provide an interactive and educational experience through entertaining, innovative or dramatic techniques," said Jane Fischer, director of SBI Health Education.

???The group allows students to provide information to other students in a more interesting way than the typical lecture or pamphlet format, in order to provoke a reaction other than a bored and zoned-out stare, according to Fischer.

???"The group was started by students at Fredonia because they didn't want adults telling them about these issues," said Kristine Hubert, assistant director of SBI Health Education and former S.T.E.P.S. member.

???Hubert noted that the information discussed in the program is much more beneficial because it comes from other students, making it easier to relate to.

???After hearing a student speak about the program at an open house at Fredonia, Hubert knew instantly that she wanted to be involved with health services. Even having limited past sexual education experience did not hold her back from joining a cause that had a clear motivation and message.

???"The student doing the presentation was one of the coolest people I have ever met in my entire life, and I remember sitting in this big audience and saying to my mom that I wanted to be in this group, that I believed in what they were doing," Hubert said. "[The student] said that they were not there to judge and wanted to give students information to help them make educated decisions in their lives."

???UB plans on beginning the same group with the same direction, according to Fischer.

The presence of sexually informative students on campus will impact the UB community in a large way, from freshman to seniors, because many students do not have the proper outlet to answer their personal questions.

???"We are looking for students that are interested in being proactive and being involved on campus, people that are comfortable speaking or performing in front of small or large groups," Fischer said.

???The need for past sexual education and former performance experience is not necessary. All students need is a warm personality and an open mind. The education will be provided by SBI Health Education so each student involved is fully aware and prepared for every issue he or she will encounter along the way, according to Fischer.

???"It really is presentations, information, and reaction, from students to students," Fischer said.

???Some presentations focus on scenarios, while others make statistics come to life. While they can be very simple, they carry a strong message and result in an "aha" moment, according to Hubert. A past presentation consisted of students standing up in a crowd to show how one out of four people in the U.S. has herpes, making it clear how prevalent the STI is.

???The information provided isn't just about what is going to hurt students or how to do things safely, Huber said, but also focuses on self-awareness and thoroughly promotes the importance of the buddy system.

???"We talk about drinking a lot and not leaving your friends alone at the bars," Hubert said. "I can't tell you how many times we had students come to us and tell us horrible situations because their friends left them at the bar."

???Every student has a horror story that either happened to them or a friend. By sharing stories and educational lessons, Hubert believes these scary situations can begin to be prevented by keeping students aware of their health.

???"If you touch one person, then you made a difference to somebody, and that's really how we serve the students," Hubert said.