Harvard Sex Life Endures

Sex and Harvard. The combination raises a lot of eyebrows, unless, of course, you're talking about Science B-29, "Human Behavioral Biology."

Harvard is notorious for its stressed-out, driven students and the consequently quiet social scene. But is Harvard's reputation as a haven for the celibate justified?

According to a U.S. News and World Report survey conducted in 1984, 56 percent of Harvard students have had sex. While this statistic is on the lower end of the collegiate spectrum, it does seem to undermine Harvard's chaste image.

And not much seems to have changed during the past 12 years. Many students say they are seeking--and finding--sexual activity on campus.

Oh, The Places We Go!

It seems that most sexual activity runs two courses at Harvard--the random hook-up and the sustained romance. Many students say the absence of a casual dating scene at Harvard leads to a sense of the all-or-nothing sexual commitment, and division between the physical and the emotional.

"Sex is completely separate from the dating scene," one Adams House senior says. "You hook up randomly with people at parties and then you go out on a date with someone you hooked up with at a party to get to know them personally."

Members of the gay and lesbian community say their dating scene is quite different from that of heterosexuals.

"The pool [of gay students] is very small and it is harder to tell if someone is gay or not so you can't just pick them up at a party," says one sophomore. "The random hook-up thing is not as prevalent in a community where [everyone] knows each other."

But almost all students say they find sexual partners at extracurricular activities or the after-hours social events sponsored by those activities.

"There is a lot of fooling around amongst friends and I think that is a good thing," says Rachel B. Tiven '96-97 of Lowell House. "This is especially true for theater people."

"We spend hours and hours every day for weeks together and it tends to be an emotionally intimate workplace," she says. "It is not odd or unusual that this leads to fooling around."

One first-year, who has worked as a set designer, highly recommends theater groups as places to meet people.

"If you need some action, being a techie is the way to go," the first-year says.

Some students say that government simulations, particularly Model United Nations and Model Congress, provide atmospheres conducive to sexual relationships.

"My friends who joined Model U.N., HACIA Democracy and Model Congress had a great time on the groups' trips," one Leverett sophomore says. "They said it was an excellent opportunity to hook up with other staffers."

But group leaders deny such allegations about their groups' activities.

"We're a very professional group," Jeremy D. Fiebert '97, an officer of HACIA Democracy. "That statement is incorrect. We're educators and act responsibly."

Students also say that the availability of alcohol can transform any location into a pick-up scene.

"Cast parties, finals clubs, places with a lot of alcohol are places where there is going to be a lot of sex," one Dunster House junior says.

"One scene is to go to the Grille and meet the finals man of your choice and go back to his club," one Quincy junior says.

Although more than three-quarters of people interviewed cited final clubs as a place to bring someone home, final club affiliates are quick to say that their clubs are given a bad rap.

"Finals are not a place to pick up women; they are a place to hang out with your buddies." One member says. "Because they are major social centers it works out that way conveniently, but that is not the function of a club."

The availability of sex at places with a lot of alcohol is a concern for some students.

"The drunker you are, the less likely you are to use a condom," says Tobias B. Kasper '97, who chairs Peer Contraceptive Counselors.

But alcohol loosens the tongues and the inhibitions of Harvard students. As a result, the Grille, the Bow and other bars and clubs are all considered prime places to meet a potential partner.

And Harvard does have its fair share of lively, if small, parties. While most center around a keg or cocktails, some tend to the bizarre and erotic.

Adams House residents are eager to share their rituals. The traditions of group sex and pagan rites may have reached its peak last year when a group of juniors hosted a Saturnalian debauchery, inspired by research in the Widener classics stacks.

After licking marshmallow cream off of each other and duct-taping one boxer-clad man to the window, 10 guests jumped in the shower to rinse off.

"There was lots of drinking, mostly underwear and lingerie--it was Harvard sex at its best," says a proud Mitchell H. McClure '96.

Eateries or Meat Markets?

But scoping doesn't just occur at unofficial Harvard hang-outs--indeed, Harvard's architecture, old and new, often dictates preludes to sexual encounters. The recent switch from the Union to Annenberg Hall is cited as a good example of this.

While Annenberg was hailed by administrators and some students as an improvement in the dining aesthetic, many first-years agree that the change from the Great Hall to a more spacious facility struck a major blow to socializing.

What with multiple entrances and exits to the serving area and the "scatter system," which eliminates a single path of mealtime traffic, first-years say meals are no longer a chance to keep tabs on prospective flings.

"My friends and I hung out in the Union for hours checking out all the girls. Annenberg sucks," complains one first-year male.

But others cheerfully say that scamming has not been eliminated--merely relocated.

Loker's half-hidden booths, glass walls and long runway furnishes students with an opportunity to see and be seen.

Though students say that the depletion of Crimson Cash has begun to transform Loker from a social hangout to a study hall, some remain optimistic.

"In a few years, Loker is going to be Union-level scamming material," predicts Sean H. Cohan '96.

Other University buildings are used for similar activities. Libraries, in particular, hold a unique place in Harvard's current hook-up scene and in its more traditional mythology.

Lamont is oft-cited as meeting place for first-years and Hilles had special meaning for many Radcliffe alums, particularly in the days of parietals.

But the most famous spot for sex, of course, is the bowels of the Widener stacks. Despite its hard floors and cramped aisles, the tradition lingers.

In an informal poll of 100 seniors conducted over the past week, six percent said they have had sex in Widener's stacks. One woman even boasted that she has had sex in all of the University's libraries, "including the Houses."

Small Beds, Thin Walls, Fat Consequences

While students say that Harvard's grandiose libraries and dining halls can provide a terrific chance to scope out potential partners, most agree that the architecture of dorm rooms can be downright prohibitive.

Walk-throughs, doubles and thin walls often eliminate privacy and romance, and can increase the tension of a situation. Though cynical students suggest that the dorm rooms are part of a larger conspiracy to keep Harvard sex-free, the layout of most River House rooms is merely the product of an architectural generation gap.

Many of the houses and dorms were constructed in a single-sex era, one with stricter sexual codes and fewer students. The prevalence of rules governing sexual activity--and of singles--ensured a different set of sexual circumstances.

The juxtaposition of yesterday's buildings and today's more relaxed social codes complicates both casual and more long-term sexual relations.

But students say even the chance of interruption doesn't deter them from bringing someone back to their rooms.

"I was at a party last year at Dunster and this guy was trying to have sex with his girlfriend but people kept walking in. Even after the party was over, drunk people went into the room to see what was going on," says a Cabot sophomore.

Sometimes, however, circumstance resolves the situation.

"I had a walk-through first semester but my roommates got in early, so it was not a problem," says Phil C. Liu '99, a Matthews resident.

Others rely on roommate tolerance to solve the problem of privacy.

Tiven says she lived in a partitioned Quincy common room as a sophomore. Her roommates left when she had a guest, "so they wouldn't hear what was going on," she explains.

The University-issued beds are also a concern for couples. Some worry about rusty springs, others say it's impossible fit two people comfortably. And bunk beds are the worst of all.

Many students--especially those in long-term relationships--turn to solutions like futons, pushing two beds together or even sleeping on the floor.

One option for those who want large beds and private rooms is non-Harvard housing. "Living off campus definitely helps," explained a junior living in a Cambridge apartment.

Just Talking

"There is a lot of sex at Harvard, but the talk-to-sex ratio is at about four to one," says Michael B. Smith '97.

Many students arrived at Harvard with the assumption that they were going to leave behind the world of gossip and scrutiny and were soon disappointed. Most agree that gossip can hinder or catalyze a relationship especially in spaces where the pick-up scene is highly visible.

"If you pick someone up at the Grille, 60 people are going to see you," a senior Currier House resident complains.

But talking and hypothesizing is what Harvard students seem to do best. Almost everyone theorizes about the "absence" of dating and sex at Harvard. At least one first-year has a suggestion.

"The student body has a general tendency to blame not having a relationship on just about everything but themselves. Dating here is not that different than anywhere else," says Greg A. Feldman '99.

"I complain about it too," he says, "but if we took the time complaining and invested it in relationships, we wouldn't have anything to complain about."CrimsonMichael O'Mary

"We spend hours and hours every day for weeks together and it tends to be an emotionally intimate workplace," she says. "It is not odd or unusual that this leads to fooling around."

One first-year, who has worked as a set designer, highly recommends theater groups as places to meet people.

"If you need some action, being a techie is the way to go," the first-year says.

Some students say that government simulations, particularly Model United Nations and Model Congress, provide atmospheres conducive to sexual relationships.

"My friends who joined Model U.N., HACIA Democracy and Model Congress had a great time on the groups' trips," one Leverett sophomore says. "They said it was an excellent opportunity to hook up with other staffers."

But group leaders deny such allegations about their groups' activities.

"We're a very professional group," Jeremy D. Fiebert '97, an officer of HACIA Democracy. "That statement is incorrect. We're educators and act responsibly."

Students also say that the availability of alcohol can transform any location into a pick-up scene.

"Cast parties, finals clubs, places with a lot of alcohol are places where there is going to be a lot of sex," one Dunster House junior says.

"One scene is to go to the Grille and meet the finals man of your choice and go back to his club," one Quincy junior says.

Although more than three-quarters of people interviewed cited final clubs as a place to bring someone home, final club affiliates are quick to say that their clubs are given a bad rap.

"Finals are not a place to pick up women; they are a place to hang out with your buddies." One member says. "Because they are major social centers it works out that way conveniently, but that is not the function of a club."

The availability of sex at places with a lot of alcohol is a concern for some students.

"The drunker you are, the less likely you are to use a condom," says Tobias B. Kasper '97, who chairs Peer Contraceptive Counselors.

But alcohol loosens the tongues and the inhibitions of Harvard students. As a result, the Grille, the Bow and other bars and clubs are all considered prime places to meet a potential partner.

And Harvard does have its fair share of lively, if small, parties. While most center around a keg or cocktails, some tend to the bizarre and erotic.

Adams House residents are eager to share their rituals. The traditions of group sex and pagan rites may have reached its peak last year when a group of juniors hosted a Saturnalian debauchery, inspired by research in the Widener classics stacks.

After licking marshmallow cream off of each other and duct-taping one boxer-clad man to the window, 10 guests jumped in the shower to rinse off.

"There was lots of drinking, mostly underwear and lingerie--it was Harvard sex at its best," says a proud Mitchell H. McClure '96.

Eateries or Meat Markets?

But scoping doesn't just occur at unofficial Harvard hang-outs--indeed, Harvard's architecture, old and new, often dictates preludes to sexual encounters. The recent switch from the Union to Annenberg Hall is cited as a good example of this.

While Annenberg was hailed by administrators and some students as an improvement in the dining aesthetic, many first-years agree that the change from the Great Hall to a more spacious facility struck a major blow to socializing.

What with multiple entrances and exits to the serving area and the "scatter system," which eliminates a single path of mealtime traffic, first-years say meals are no longer a chance to keep tabs on prospective flings.

"My friends and I hung out in the Union for hours checking out all the girls. Annenberg sucks," complains one first-year male.

But others cheerfully say that scamming has not been eliminated--merely relocated.

Loker's half-hidden booths, glass walls and long runway furnishes students with an opportunity to see and be seen.

Though students say that the depletion of Crimson Cash has begun to transform Loker from a social hangout to a study hall, some remain optimistic.

"In a few years, Loker is going to be Union-level scamming material," predicts Sean H. Cohan '96.

Other University buildings are used for similar activities. Libraries, in particular, hold a unique place in Harvard's current hook-up scene and in its more traditional mythology.

Lamont is oft-cited as meeting place for first-years and Hilles had special meaning for many Radcliffe alums, particularly in the days of parietals.

But the most famous spot for sex, of course, is the bowels of the Widener stacks. Despite its hard floors and cramped aisles, the tradition lingers.

In an informal poll of 100 seniors conducted over the past week, six percent said they have had sex in Widener's stacks. One woman even boasted that she has had sex in all of the University's libraries, "including the Houses."

Small Beds, Thin Walls, Fat Consequences

While students say that Harvard's grandiose libraries and dining halls can provide a terrific chance to scope out potential partners, most agree that the architecture of dorm rooms can be downright prohibitive.

Walk-throughs, doubles and thin walls often eliminate privacy and romance, and can increase the tension of a situation. Though cynical students suggest that the dorm rooms are part of a larger conspiracy to keep Harvard sex-free, the layout of most River House rooms is merely the product of an architectural generation gap.

Many of the houses and dorms were constructed in a single-sex era, one with stricter sexual codes and fewer students. The prevalence of rules governing sexual activity--and of singles--ensured a different set of sexual circumstances.

The juxtaposition of yesterday's buildings and today's more relaxed social codes complicates both casual and more long-term sexual relations.

But students say even the chance of interruption doesn't deter them from bringing someone back to their rooms.

"I was at a party last year at Dunster and this guy was trying to have sex with his girlfriend but people kept walking in. Even after the party was over, drunk people went into the room to see what was going on," says a Cabot sophomore.

Sometimes, however, circumstance resolves the situation.

"I had a walk-through first semester but my roommates got in early, so it was not a problem," says Phil C. Liu '99, a Matthews resident.

Others rely on roommate tolerance to solve the problem of privacy.

Tiven says she lived in a partitioned Quincy common room as a sophomore. Her roommates left when she had a guest, "so they wouldn't hear what was going on," she explains.

The University-issued beds are also a concern for couples. Some worry about rusty springs, others say it's impossible fit two people comfortably. And bunk beds are the worst of all.

Many students--especially those in long-term relationships--turn to solutions like futons, pushing two beds together or even sleeping on the floor.

One option for those who want large beds and private rooms is non-Harvard housing. "Living off campus definitely helps," explained a junior living in a Cambridge apartment.

Just Talking

"There is a lot of sex at Harvard, but the talk-to-sex ratio is at about four to one," says Michael B. Smith '97.

Many students arrived at Harvard with the assumption that they were going to leave behind the world of gossip and scrutiny and were soon disappointed. Most agree that gossip can hinder or catalyze a relationship especially in spaces where the pick-up scene is highly visible.

"If you pick someone up at the Grille, 60 people are going to see you," a senior Currier House resident complains.

But talking and hypothesizing is what Harvard students seem to do best. Almost everyone theorizes about the "absence" of dating and sex at Harvard. At least one first-year has a suggestion.

"The student body has a general tendency to blame not having a relationship on just about everything but themselves. Dating here is not that different than anywhere else," says Greg A. Feldman '99.

"I complain about it too," he says, "but if we took the time complaining and invested it in relationships, we wouldn't have anything to complain about."CrimsonMichael O'Mary