Behind Closed Doors

Most people went through sex education in fifth grade. It was a funny, informative, and somewhat traumatic experience for everyone. The thing I remember most was the laughter from my entire class when the school nurse said anything that referred to sex or a specific body part. The words “breasts,” “penis,” “vagina,” or even “sex” itself made everybody laugh. The reason was that we were too young to actually have sex, and certainly too immature to understand the entire concept. Sex was how people made babies, and older people did it. At the time, for most of us, it wasn’t for us quite yet. So we laughed at it.

As people get older, sex becomes more of a topic of curiosity, and it turns into something that they actually have to worry about. Before we know it, it isn’t fifth grade anymore, and we discover that other people our age are actually having sex. By the time most people are in college, they are thoroughly informed about sex and many have had multiple encounters.

One would also think that maturity levels would increase within a matter of 8 years. Physically, we’ve all matured. Our bodies are physically ready for sex. However, sex is a deep concept that requires a lot of understanding. It is rarely just a matter of reproducing. In fact, in a lot of cases, reproducing is the last thing that two people want to accomplish by having sexual intercourse. Sex is a natural instinct. Especially in college, it happens anywhere and everywhere. It is a normal thing for most people.

For others, it’s like they’re still in fifth grade. Sure, your friends might yell, “Get it in!” outside your door, but there’s a certain time and place for that. If your friends know about your sex life, and you’re perfectly okay with them doing that, then okay. However, do they laugh every time you say the word, “sex?” Do they consistently giggle outside your door and yell obscene phrases, or is it a one time deal? When is immaturity about sexual relations crossing the line?

Sex happens in residence halls, here at Kent State University. I would assume that most of us realize that. Your roommate might “sexile” you, and you might sexile them. It is something that most people accept about dorm life. However, others might get a little too involved. When you open your door to an unwrapped condom sitting right outside, which would explain the obnoxious giggling you heard twenty minutes earlier, you start to wonder if some college students still have the same mindset they did in fifth grade.

Sex is hardly something to be joked about, if you think about it. Think about the door that you think you hear something behind. What’s actually happening in there? What if somebody is being raped? I’m sure they won't enjoy the giggling and the condom gesture. What if those two people are passionately in love and expressing their emotions for each other? The immaturity that interfered with that situation may have ruined the entire concept. Sure, mindless sex may be happening in there, and the immaturity may have not affected those people, but you can never be certain about what’s actually going on behind that door.

Immaturity about sex, especially in college, is invasive and annoying. The ignorance that goes along with that immaturity is even more so. Whose sex life is actually your business? Unless your friends give you all the hairy details, the answer to that question is your own.