CT says: College is dirty!

Well, for those of you locked away in Huntington's sex-deprived culture, Christianity Today is here to provide what "regular college life" is like in explicit detail. Here's the scoop: it's just like late night cable movie channels only dirtier. I'm not sure what it's like "out there" but from I've seen at a place like Northwestern, apparently people are having sex with each other, but the way these articles make it sound, dorm life at these schools is one giant amazing orgy.

Vigen Guroian starts the report, representing what happens to a professor of theology with conservative leanings who enters a Liberal Arts (actually liberal, not in name only) academic institution. He contrasts his experiences in the pure days of the 1960s to the moral depravity he sees daily at Loyola in Baltimore. Titled "Dorm Brothel" and subtitled "the new debauchery and the colleges that let it happen," you would think that Gurojan's experiences at the University of Virginia happened in the 1860s, not the 1960s. Although he alludes to some sexual activity that his frat mates participated in, he points out all of the self policing and parenting that went on amongst his friends. Weren't the 60s what started it all?

The article is long and not all together interesting, but he goes on to describe the dorm set up at many urban institutions and how they no longer afford the valuable walk of shame that make it public knowledge which girls were "easy" and which ones were not, apparently a form of "self-parenting". As the article wraps up, the thesis is apprently this: "It is not that what this student describes was unheard of in the 1960s. Frankly, I can tell similar stories about my college experience. Nevertheless, this was the exception rather than a commonplace occurrence. For colleges made it clear to young men and women that such behavior was unacceptable, and had in place living arrangements with rules and sanctions that discouraged it." Sex at college goes way back, but now everyone is doing it? or maybe just the college gave up fighting it.

Here's an especially interesting quote: "In the new culture that our colleges incubate and maintain, everyone is a "guy." Everyone is "familiar." Young men and women who have never seen anyone of the opposite sex naked or in underwear, other than family members, now must get used to being seen by and seeing others—perfect strangers—in just such a state. Everyone is available to everyone else. It would be antisocial not to be." This is a perfect quote for the other article of note, the more interesting to read but the less substantial, "What to Say at a Naked Party" by Frederica Mathewes-Green.

Frederica confirms the previous aritcles whore storries by alluding to an alluring social gathering where the only requirement for admission is nudity. Implying that these are happening at every college and have thousands in attendance, Frederica paints a picture not all too different from Wright Hall. What is interesting about this piece, written by someone on the "frontline" of college purity is the strategies they see employed, practical, romantic, and objective morality. The only answer, she believes, is evangelism. "I believe that the only conversation that will currently make sense begins with faith in God. The best we can do is speak passionately about our own experience—our own transformative contact with God, and how it has reordered actions and relationships, and empowered ever-greater deeds and greater love." I hate to say it, but she may be right, and as such, we should plan on seeing a lot more sex at college because college students, famously short sighted, will no doubt take the accessible body over the difficult work of faith.

The point of posting this on here was to remind everyone that conservative evangelicals love a good sex story as much as the next person. Further, I would suggest that such stories serve as the mental stage setting for those who fear what happens to a place like Huntington if it continues to "turn liberal." No doubt, they would see the men and women floors in Baker and M/M as the next step from all dorm naked parties and non-stop sexual experimentation.

posted by Jake Sikora @ 11:11 AM