Vocal Arrangement

The principal of Kennebunk High School in Maine believes devoutly in letting students have a say in how they're educated. He also knows the risks.

By Patrick J. McCloskey

The game is Sexual Jeopardy, and it’s being played at Kennebunk High School in southern Maine on this Friday morning in mid-May. The air ripples with tension as the boys’ team—made up of eight 9th through 12th graders—waits to see if its answer to the last question, about guarding against infection, is correct.

“It’s OK to use Saran Wrap during oral sex,” the adult moderator affirms.

“All right!” the boys yell, trading high-fives all around. They’ve earned 300 points, which puts them to within 200 points of the girls’ team sitting on the other side of the classroom. They’ve also earned the admiration of Lauren Grouse, who’s not only the moderator but also an educator-trainer for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. She’s impressed that the boys also knew that the microwavable version of Saran Wrap—too porous to prevent infection—should never ...