Curtis, David: Sexual Health

In his blog about hookup culture, Marc Perry refutes the notion that there is a "new or pervasive ‘hookup culture’ among contemporary college students." He makes the point that although sexual behavior itself is not changing, the language surrounding it is much more prevalent in conversations and that sexual partners are more likely to be someone less well know than in the past. That being said, how does that compare to what I have experienced personally on the college campus?

    Well, to start out with, I do notice the prevalence of language regarding "hooking up." I hear it when I'm walking through the hallways, sitting in a classroom, or eating lunch. Moreover, the context is not subtle or private. There is definitely an excess of conversation regarding the subject of hooking up.

    Occasionally, I will also witness the start of an obviously anonymous hookup, usually late on a weekend night. Although the people involved might not normally view this behavior as appropriate, and it is obviously not well thought out (given the usual temporarily incapacitated mental state of the parties involved), it must happen with a relatively high frequency for me to notice it. However, this is not an accurate measure of its frequency - it is small sample, given the little time I spend around groups of people on the weekend. Either way, hooking up is much less frequent than the talk about it. But, it does show that people will occasionally hook up with people that they barely know.

    Even with my limited experiences, I have been able to pick up these trends on the two main types of observations that Marc Perry uses. These two types of observation have lead me to believe that Perry is right about the frequency of hooking up not changing as much as the frequency of conversation and blatancy regarding hooking up.

Mashburn, Cody: Sexual Health

Studies and statistics show that “hook ups” in college remain the same throughout the years with very little fluctuation. This seems plausible and a possible examination of the data supporting an intuitive, yet debatable conclusion that collegiate “hook ups” have remained the same for decades.

                  Studies of the “Hook Up Culture” include face to face interviews about how many hook ups have occurred between yourself and another person. It is simply scientific fact that the chemical reactions within our bodies to lust have been, and always will be, the same no matter the generation of college students. Most high school students coming from a public school have heard that college is one big party and that it is all about the booze and women. The continuation of a relatively high flat-lined trend among hook ups in college not only has to do with the biological side of the human brain, but the social norm per se. I have a girlfriend back home and would never do anything to hurt her. I am not alone in that scenario. But for others, their mindset about college is all about parties, alcohol, and sex. They are the ones who are most likely to “hook up” in today and in the past. So, I do believe that the percentage of hook ups has not changed drastically since 1988, the beginning of this research. Most of my reasoning is not what I have heard, but what I have seen. I have seen my closest friends go to college and return home after a couple of weeks because they have fell victim to yet another statistic in which the research has provided. They kept making bad grades but kept partying and skipping class thinking that that is what people are SUPPOSED to do in college.

                  I am not surprised when the research stated that hook ups have remained the same over the past couple of decades. The importance of college will always be undermined in the minds of students looking for a four-year social event.

Youngblood, Julia: Sexual Health

I believe that not much has changed in the area of “hook-ups” from the last generation to this one. Since I have started school this semester, I have only heard of two drunken make-outs between people that I know. However, as a college kid I would not refer to this as a “hook-up” as might the professors in the reading. From movies I have seen about college, I figured that there would be more “hook-ups” than there actually are, because those movies led me to believe that the culture actually had changes and is worse now than it was a decade ago.            

One of the comments on this article is that college kids experiment, which is a very true statement. I have always heard that college years are the “wild” years, and the only “hook-ups” that I have heard about are after something “wild” has happened.

I do believe that what has changed about this culture are the customs. A decade or two ago, it was crazy to talk about some topics in public. Sexual topics were most certainly talked about but only behind closed doors and typically among the same gender. Today, it is not uncommon for me to walk into the lobby and sit down with everyone to talk and then hear someone crack a dirty joke during the conversation. Once this has happened, the conversation usually spirals out of control into a talk about anything and everything relating to sex.

 No longer are topics or jokes about “hook-ups” are no longer discussed behind closed doors, these topics are open conversation in the lobby. Also, I have always heard that boys are the ones who tend to do this most often; on this campus however it is very even. Meaning girls crack just as many, if not more dirty jokes than boys.     

In what I have seen from my fellow classmates, the action is has not changed nearly as much as people think it has, but what has changed is how much teenagers talk about the action.

Leach, Cameron: Sexual Health

The media seems to be portraying our generation as one that is much more likely to have casual “hookups” rather than be in committed relationships. This is true to some extent, but the media is over exaggerating. The amount of sex that our generation is having is almost exactly the same as our parents’ generation. We are not much different in our amount of sexual partners or in our views on sex. Studies even show that the percentages of college students who have had more than one sexual partner have dropped since previous generations.

 What has changed is the fact that our generation is less likely to get into a committed relationship with someone as quickly as before. Many members of our generation seem to find someone they want to be with for the rest of their lives by having sex with them before they decide whether they want to commit to anything or not. The age that members of our generation get married has also changed. The average age that people marry at has risen higher and higher each generation. Our grandparents’ or great grandparents’ average age of marriage was 12 to 14, while we have risen that age to 27-30 years old. Our generation isn’t just “hooking up” just to do it; this is our generation’s way of testing out a person to see if they will be an appropriate partner. It is a way of “throwing themselves out there.” Every relationship has to begin with some type of test to see whether it will stand up to the test of time anyway. Our generation has just taken that test a step farther. Years ago the test would begin with asking a girl on a date, which then over the years evolved into asking someone if they wanted to kiss you or if you could kiss them, and now it has evolved into asking someone if they want to “hookup.” This is simply evolution of the generations.

Different things become the “norm” over time, and today finding a partner begins with a “hookup”. Romance however, is not dead on the college campus; not everyone in our generation mindlessly has sex with someone just because they feel like it. It is simply a new way of finding a partner than earlier years rather than a whole new era of no strings attached sex.

Mukweyi, Diana: Sexual Health

                  I have little interaction with the campus “Hookup Culture”. I don’t participate in such a lifestyle, and I’m don't see it in the lives of my friends. I also don't believe that such a culture is on the rise for this generation compared to those of the past.  Modern day youth have more freedom to do as they please due to a more liberal society.  If Mr. Monto feels that there isn’t a new version of the “Hookup Culture” on college campuses, then I’m willing to agree with him because I feel that it’s most likely has the same meaning today as it did a few decades ago. I’m not a primary witness to the “hookup culture” therefore, should there be a change to it, I’m not sure I’d try to notice it.

I find it to be unfortunate that Mr. Monto feels “the hookup discussion conveys a sense of moral panic;” I believe that the morals of young adults are shaped by the societies in which they are raised. Therefore, how they live their lives on campus is to some degree a reflection of what they see in the world around them. The “hookup culture” should be studied in the world outside the campus and then compared to the campus life. There might be some similarities in how different generations form relationships based on the conduct of the societies they live in.

I don’t agree with Mr. Monto’s statement that “fewer students today are dating.” Personally, I feel like too many students are dating. I also hear of more people who are college-aged getting married. I think I’d say that most young people don’t want to stay in long relationships.

Honors College Report

Activities and News:

• Eight Honors College students recently attended the National Collegiate Honors Council in New Orleans. Seven students were on the program and one was a nominee for national Honors College student of the year.
• Also at the NCHC meeting was a joint presentation by SAU, SAU Tech, and College of the Ouchitas about their new Honors 2 + 2 programs. SAU Tech has already enrolled 10 students and COTO 8. The Honors College hopes to sign South Arkansas Community College and Cossatot Community College soon. Word on the street is that Henderson is attempting to piggyback on our idea by launching a similar program.
• Dr. Kardas is now co-chair of the NCHC Research Committee
• Lilli Hollensworth interviewed for medical school at UAMS last Saturday.
• Two honors students, Cheyenne Meyer and Joel Pogue, will graduate in three years in May.
• Several honors students, Christopher Harris, Pui (Joy) Tan, Samson King, and Subir Shakya, are applying to graduate school or for funding. Schools include: The London School of Economics, the National Science Foundation, Colorado State University, and St. Louis University.
• The Honors Seminar class has recently hosted Trey Berry, David Rankin, Donna Allen, and Paul McLendon.
• Rachel Wetherington is working on a project titled: SAU as Text. It will provide all first year students with a campus walkabout designed to give them experiential learning about SAU history and traditions.
• The NEW iPads arrived (at least most of them did) last week. Because Apple released a new model in October the Honors College decided to delay its annual purchase in order to provide the latest models.

Riddle, Morgan: Sexual Heath

                  Labeling the young, college culture as the “hooking-up” culture is, in my opinion a little down grading. College students have been engaging in no strings attached dating for decades. People just were not as open about it as they are now. There seems to be little to no shame with the concept of hooking up with someone today, as opposed to 20 or 30 years ago. Although, that does not mean that it was nonexistent.

         College-age students seem to be more interested in hooking up than committing to a full time relationship. I believe that is because students do not want to miss out on the “College Experience.” Students are so involved in clubs, sports, sororities, fraternities, and studies that they may feel they will not be able to live up to the time obligations of a serious relationship. There are only so many hours in a day, why commit to long hours maintaining a relationship when a couple of hours a week will lead to sexual satisfaction?

I personally have no firsthand experience. The people close to me and myself all have steady, honest relationships. Although, I am not blind to the fact that the hook-up culture is all around me. I do not believe that the idea of hooking up for conveniences first popped up with the coming of my generation, along with the new ideals of homosexuality, drug use, and premarital sex. It’s not that such issues never existed until now; they were just never talked about. These types of issues were swept under the rug and were ignored, but we must give credit where credit is due, and not all of it can fall on our generation.

Kendrick, Samuel: Sexual Heath

In the article “Study Casts Skeptical Light on Campus ‘Hookup Culture,” a credible, 7-page article in the New York Times is met with large-font generalizations as rebuttals.  The Chronicle of Higher Education’s article employs studies by a sociology professor to paint a picture of normality and tradition for hook-up culture on university campuses and to avoid admitting that widespread acceptance of said hook-ups has blossomed, although the number of no-strings-attached intercourse has not really increased since 1988. Regardless of my disagreements of the focus of the study, the article underscores the validity of the New York Times article.

At SAU, both articles hold true. Both alumni and current students brag about the explosion in their sexual activity (on-campus hook-ups) during the higher education experience. Does that mean their parents did the same? According to the study, they did. Why would the “many generations” have “the sense that sexual behavior is changing or becoming more liberal” even if they had the same amount of hook-ups? Either they want to pretend they did not, or they are now more exposed to the reality of hook-ups through the open conversations about hook-ups their children are having. I believe the latter hits the mark.

There is no shame about sex, whether in committed relationship or otherwise, in my generation. To me, lack of shame about one’s own sexual matters shows a lack of self-respect, yet general sexual discussions are the main topics of college conversations are nearly everywhere even in places such as classes or sports events; apparently, sex interests my age group much more.

As someone who deals with hearing about hook-ups daily I’ve given my take on an article about college hook-ups. Remember, only the student populations (including who take the surveys) truly know the rate of hook-ups, regardless of the number of studies.

Sawyer, Andrew: Sexual Health

            An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education summarizes the findings of University of Portland Sociology professor Martin A. Monto. He researched the differences in the sexual activities of college students from 1988 to 1996 from that of college students from 2002 to 2010.

Mr. Monto found that the national survey data he compared do not support the idea that the sexual behavior of college students is significantly different than in years past. Thus, Mr. Monto contends that there is no evidence of a ‘hook up culture.’

The meaning of ‘hook up’ is uncertain. Some consider making out ‘hooking up’ but to others ‘hooking up’ involves sex.

According to Mr. Monto’s research, the youth of today are not having sex more frequently or with a larger variety of partners. In fact, his findings show that today’s youth are less likely to have sex weekly.

            Mr. Monto found some differences between the two generations of students. One difference is today’s students are more likely to have sex with a friend or a casual acquaintance. Another difference is today’s students are less likely to date, marry, or have a regular sexual partner.

            Kathleen A. Bogle was not surprised Mr. Monto’s conclusions. She contended that “The term hooking up has been widely used on college campuses since the mid-1980s.” Thus, she said the similarities between the two groups are not shocking.

            The article concludes by simply stating the data. Fifty nine percent of college students have sex at least once a week, and over the span of a year 32 percent have had sex with multiple partners.

            Based on what I have observed, I assume that college students have the choice whether or not to have sex. Since I have chosen abstinence, I am personally ignorant of hook up culture.

Thompson, Bryan: Sexual Heath

Whenever the word college is used, many things come to people’s minds. College is a place to get an education, get away from one’s parents, meet new friends, and join the big party scene. But that’s not all, it is where hookups happen.

                  A study by Kathleen A. Bogle who wrote Hooking Up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus, says that the term hooking up has been around since the 1980s. This shouldn’t be a surprise because many students are so busy with college and joining clubs, they simply don’t have the time to become involved in serious relationships. Students are too worried about insuring their future through their education.

                  Another idea analyzed by Dr. Monto was whether students were hooking up more now than ever before. Interestingly, his study showed that hooking up hasn’t really changed. Students still hook up as much then as they do now, but how they hook up has changed. Students today tend to hook up with a friend or someone they had a casual date with.  Not only are students hooking up with just one person. The study showed that 39 percent of students have sex with more than one partner in a year and 59 percent were having sex weekly or more often.

      I have not had my own personal experience hooking up , but I do know someone from college that has hooked up with more than one partner since attending SAU. That person is not into serious relationships and according to the article Sex on Campus: She Can Play That Game, Too, this is the type of person an academically dedicated female student tries to hook up with. Reason being that a female student can still have a sex life and focus on her studies; which are hard to achieve while having a boyfriend.

Sutherland, Brittany: Sexual Health

            Sexual culture is a highly touchy subject, especially among adolescents whose families would rather not believe their children are engaging in such behavior. More often than not, nowadays, people have had past sexual experiences prior to marriage. But, I don’t believe that today’s college students are having more sex than before, especially when it comes to “hook-up” type encounters.

            From my point of view, adolescents are not having sex more often than previous generations. To me, sex should be between couples that truly love each other. There are still many that believe that sex should only be between a married man and woman, but I wouldn’t go so far. My beliefs and everyone else’s, of course, aren’t the same.  Some are much more lenient and others far more strict.

            There are still students who sleep around often, and perhaps as time has gone on sexual culture has changed and such behavior is less frowned upon in our generation. In my life however, sexual relationships are still treated as taboo. Not all of my friends share these ideas though, one of my very best friends had the mentality of partying and sleeping around and she had a child from one of her “hook-ups”.

            The phrase “dating is dead” is very untrue around Magnolia. In our southern locale, everyone I know has dated at least once before entering college, though dating has changed. Past generations used dating to find a partner to spend life with, now it is just another way to get with someone sexually.

            With more education available today about pregnancy and STDs students, from my perspective, have been having less casual sex. While college students have always been wildly experimental, sleeping around constantly is becoming less a part of their experimentation.

Snyder, Emily: Sexual Heath

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“Study Casts Skeptical Light on Campus 'Hookup Culture'” from the Chronicle of Higher Education, is about a study of college students relationships completed by Martin A. Monto. He is interested in whether college students today are having more sexual relations than college students in the past. He found that students today have more partners and are less likely to get married, but the number of students involved in sexual activities has not really increased that much throughout the years. 

I grew up in Arkansas, one of the states with an extremely high teen pregnancy rate, so I have witnessed friends having to make life-altering decisions because they became sexually active at a young age. Abortions are most commonly performed on young girls between the ages of 15-19 according to Stephanie Pappas, a writer for Live Science. Most girls are in high school during that period, so Monto should have studied ‘hookup life’ in high school instead of college. Then, he might have found an increase in sexual involvement. 

In college, people are just more open about their sexual experiences than in high school. Consequently, there is more chatter about sex on a college campus than on a high school campus. Monto’s study also found that fewer college kids are getting married. More people have confessed to being gay because it is socially accepted more than it used to be; gay marriage is still illegal in most states. Divorce rates have also skyrocketed causing people to be scared of marriage because they think it will never work. From my experiences, the ‘hookup culture’ has changed but in high school not college, and the marriage rates of sexually involved people has decreased as Monto’s study stated.

Reed, Michael: Sexual Health

            College is widely regarded as a social experiment that tests a student's physical, mental, and moral resoluteness. The "hookup scene" is one such test on the morality of each student. From my observations heterosexual relationships are no longer between a man and woman, but instead between a boy and a girl who lack the maturity and skill to make good decisions.

            Sex is the name of the game. "Hookup" implies an act of sexuality between two people, and college has become "hookup" heaven. Coming into college presents new options. It presents freedom. It presents liberation to students, some of whom had long been watched over by authoritarian parents. Once in college, they may be quickly swayed by their new freedom. College includes a sense of moral detachment,  in some ways, for many students. No longer do these students feel the always wary eye of God as their grandmother might preach. These students are allowed to walk in and out doors with little to no questioning. The fact of the matter is no one cares what these students do. 

            Marc Parry's article "Study Casts Skeptical Light on Campus 'Hookup Culture'" attempts to disprove the presence of a "hookup scene." Parry compares two sets of data about young students. One set encompasses the late 1980s to the late 1990s, while the other includes today's students going back to 2002. Parry asserts that data show that today's students are having no more sex than those students from 30 years ago. However, I believe a "hookup culture" was rampant in the 1980s as well. If sexual liberation is attributed to the flower power age of the 1970s, Parry's theory that there isn't a "hookup culture" is null and void. Parry was simply comparing one "hookup culture" to another. These data should be compared to the 1950s, when society was much more sexually conservative.    

Corbitt, Joshua: Sexual Health

            College is the first true freedom that many young adults experience.  I believe that is why there is such a thing as “campus hookup culture.”  In that freedom we experience, there are many decisions to make and even more mistakes to be made. 

            In the article, “Study Casts Skeptical Light on Campus Hookup Culture”, it states that college students of today are not having any more “hookup” sex than the students of the late eighties and early nineties.  Yet, the percentage of students under the age of 21 who consistently consume alcohol has skyrocketed.  Alcohol is not the only reason that people “hookup,” but drinking leads to a looser decision making process.  It is very hard to believe that alcohol has not contributed to an increase in “hookups.”

            I believe that a survey’s outcome depends entirely upon the type of people interviewed.  Maybe, in the late eighties the researchers interviewed the “bad kids,” and then interviewed today’s “good kids.”  I feel this way since today’s standards are based on what feels right and what is convenient for a person.  This duty to self is expressed in America largely by divorce.  Little thought toward the family remains in this world that is filled with selfishness.  That is what this world has become, and it’s not socially acceptable to believe differently.

            Being abstinent, I have no experience in “campus hookup culture,” I only have stories from peers and articles such as “Study Casts Skeptical Light on Campus Hookup Culture,” to influence my thoughts on the subject.  I will say, though, that I do not agree with the idea that the amount of casual sex being had today has not gone up with more generations.  I believe the current students engage more frequently in casual sex because of today’s loose morals that guide young adults’ lives.

Brakebill, Riley: Sexual Heath

           For some college students, “hooking up” with other students is a major highlight of their college careers. However, there are still students like myself who choose to put their pent-up energy into their studies. I believe that although there may be more talk about hooking up than there once was, it doesn’t necessarily mean that more college students are having more casual sex with various partners.

As far as my personal college experience goes, hooking up doesn’t really affect me. Most of my friends aren’t concerned with sleeping around and neither am I. Our time is spent studying and being involved in various activities on campus. However, I have one friend who seems to have a different sexual partner every week and has no moral dilemmas about his decisions. Personally, I’m not interested in that kind of activity on campus, but to each his own.

I strongly disagree that most young people are having sex more often and with more partners. According to the article, “today’s young people are not having sex more often or with more partners.” I don’t think that younger generations are involved in sexual activities any more or less than they were decades ago when the first of these two hookup studies were conducted.

The term “hooking up” doesn’t necessarily mean more sex among contemporary students. According to the article, the students “…did not report having sex with more people over the past year than earlier students did. And they were substantially less likely to have sex once or more a week.”

My personal experiences of “hooking up” on campus aren’t much to base the whole college experience on because I’m too busy to think about jumping into bed with someone. Even if I had the time to dedicate to this activity, I would value myself and my partner too much to consider having casual sex.

Burton, Kenneth: Sexual Health

    When I was a child, I was home schooled and sheltered. The first time I saw a woman that wasn't my sister or mother was at college. A woman recently asked me if I wanted to hookup. I informed her I had some jumper cables in my car if she wanted me to jump-start hers. That is my only experience with 'hookup culture' as you call it, and thankfully it seems to be in decline.

    I believe this decline might be because hooking up has lost its shock value. The first wave of hookup culture in the 1960s was a furious backlash against the social norms of the time. However, current students' parents have had their own hookups too; or at least know friends who have had hookups. So since hookup culture isn't as traumatic to the hookupee's parents, it loses a lot of the appeal.

    The article also states that people are dating less. I can see that. Most of my friends and acquaintances aren't dating anybody. In addition, I know two people who have never been on a date. I have yet to meet anyone who says that dating is inferior to hooking up, and I've never gotten the impression otherwise. But it could be that I just don't know people who are actually in a relationship.

    The biggest point the article didn't mention is porn. With the advent of Internet porn, anyone can find sexual gratification online. In the 1980s, porn was limited to theaters, most of which were completely disgusting places. But now porn is available for massive consumption online. Frankly, a hormone-riddled student could go out and find someone to hook up with, but that would involve getting up from the computer from where they could receive similar satisfaction within seconds.

Ford, Jessica: Sexual Health

         The term ‘hooking-up’ is thought to be a modern term; however, this saying has been used since the 1980s. Many experts believe that the recent generation is more likely to have no-strings attached sex. Studies show that this is not necessarily true. If not, then why do so many believe it?

         Personally, I do not think that the recent generations are more likely to have casual sex. I believe that each generation has had their own group of young college kids that participated in the ‘hookup’ culture. In modern days, the world has become less modest and more liberal. Therefore, people believe that since the world is changing, so are the habits of teenagers. Marijuana use, gay marriage, and many other controversial topics are becoming more openly discussed and practiced. I believe this is true also for sex. Topics such as these are not necessarily more common in today but they are showing up in more conversations. This is why people believe that young adults now-a-days are hooking up more often. Sex is a more open subject; it is discussed way more. There are sexual references everywhere. Whether on television, radio, or in advertisements, someone always seems to bring up sex. 

Mr. Monto’s studies show that there are changes in the behavior of college students, but it is not this big change that some people believe to be happening. This is something that has always been around. Yes, college students are known to be more promiscuous, and in some cases that is true. The combination of freedom, new people, and often alcohol can hugely affect a young adult’s morals and actions. Just because the world is becoming more liberal does not mean that some young adults don’t still cherish their old-fashioned morals. 

         Rumors and gossip should not be used to base the judgment of a generation. Students may be more comfortable to talk about hooking up with someone, but everyone knows that talk is cheap.

Anderson, Kiley: Sexual Heath

            “Here are the data: Fifty-nine percent say they have sex weekly or more often, and 32 percent say they’ve had sex with more than one person over the past year” That leaves 9 percent left that either do not have sex, or have had the same sexual partner for more than a year. I am a part of that 9 percent. However shocking it may be, there are still young people out there who choose abstinence, me being one of them. That being said, I have no personal experiences with the ‘Hookup Culture’ simply because I am not a part of it. Therefore, I will write about another person’s personal experience.

            I had a friend in high school that was very smart and had a lot going for her. She was paid to be in the Razorback Marching Band in the fall of 2013 at the University of Arkansas. However, all of that changed the night of her senior prom.

            Prom, as most people know, is the night many students choose to hookup. She hooked up with a guy the weekend of prom. Later, the day after graduation, she was pregnant. Because she lived in a small town, the news spread like wildfire.

            A couple months later, she had a miscarriage and lost her baby. It was very sad and we all mourned for her. However, this pregnancy taught her a lesson. Yes, the hook up culture is virtually the same as it was decades ago. But, students can still be safe while living in this “hookup culture.” Otherwise, outcome could be responsibility for new life.

Connelley, Cole: Sexual Heath

            The discussion of college campus “hookup culture” is a topic that has been and will be talked about for many generations. A moral panic has struck many because they believe that young people are having more sex with partners with whom they have no relationship than their predecessors did. Are there major changes in sexual behavior to support this new “hookup culture” among college students? That is an excellent question that must be discussed.

            To begin, Martin Monto, a professor of sociology at the University of Portland, found zero evidence of substantial changes. He conducted a national survey of college students who attended at least one year of college over two different time frames. The first period was from 1988 to 1996, and second period was from 2002 to 2010. He found that students in the more recent group are not having sex with more partners or having it more often, and they are less likely to have sex once or more a week. In other words, little has changed. For example, my parents told me stories of how young people behaved during their own high school and college days; it did not differ much from today’s patterns. Young people have and are still having sex outside of marriage. Little has changed; the sexual behavior of young people from the past to recent times is very similar to each other.

            There are some minor changes in the “hookup culture,” however. Fewer students today are dating. They are more comfortable with no-strings-attached relationships. The language and narrative around the term “hooking up” has changed too. The term can now refer to making out instead of having sex. I can easily relate to this because nearly every person in modern society uses the term “hooking up” to refer to any sexual behavior with the opposite sex. “Hooking up” no longer refers to only sex; it can just as easily refer to kissing or simply hanging out. Another change is that more people who have had sex over the past year have admitted this being with a friend or during a casual date. Fewer people are marrying or staying in a committed relationship, and that can be very morally wrong in the eyes of many. I have many friends who will have sex with each other just to have a few minutes of enjoyment. They want something to entertain them, and it does not matter whether it be sex or not. This is very morally wrong in my eyes.

            The term “hooking up” has not changed over many years. The same term was used in the past by young college students and is still used among contemporary college students today. The changes consist in what the term refers to and the increasing number of no-strings-attached sex among young people. “Hooking up” will always be a major topic that many people will have issues dealing with.  

Mason, Maya: Sexual Heath

            The article “Study Casts Skeptical Light on Campus ‘Hookup Culture’” states students are not having less sex or “hooking up” less, instead it is merely the language this generation uses has changed. Students use the term “hook up” to mean many different things. Whether a student means sex, making-out, or even foreplay all depends on how that person understood the word, and how others perceive it.

            Though the language is changing, I believe the privacy of students’ lives is changing more. Today, students are much more open about their sex lives than in years past. The study shows that our generation is having less sex; however, students use so many different words and phrases to describe their sex lives that one study cannot keep up with what each term actually means to each individual.

            Since I wasn’t alive in the 1980s, I do not know firsthand what the student culture was like then, but I have heard many stories from different mentors in my life. I have been told from many perspectives that people in the 1980s did in fact, have sex before marriage but it was usually with the same person over a long period of time. When looking at today’s student culture, we assume they have many different partners throughout their lifetime. The reality is, language has changed so much, and we can’t tell what is fact or fiction.

 I conclude that students in my generation do “hookup” more often than the generations before us because they do not want to get attached to one person. The students I come in contact with want to have the pleasure from sex without the obligations of being in a relationship.

           

Grogan, Hailey: Sexual Heath

Past generations tend to look down on newer ones as they arise through high school and into college. These people tend to gossip about college students, their doings, and how utterly irresponsible they have become upon entering adulthood. In reality, the two generations have experienced about the same levels of sexual experimentation. The perception of differences may stem from the fact that previous generations, much like today, believed what they did then was not bad. Similarly, the current generation may share the same opinion.

    The article titled, “Study Casts Skeptical Light on Campus ‘Hookup Culture’” covers a controversial topic. The main question this article addresses is: “Have the generations became more sinful in their nature or are the past generations just looking to blame someone for the corrupt world?” Personally, the generations have not changed much as far as what goes on behind closed doors.  Unplanned pregnancies occur as often now just as they did years ago. In the past however, women who became pregnant were more likely to be sent to girls’ reformatories and were not allowed to return until after their babies were born or even after an abortion. Today, it is more obvious that teenagers are having premarital sex because women are no longer isolated.

    The “hook-up culture” has changed in the ways of dating. College students do not seem to actually “date”, people meet at parties and usually “hook up” rather than talking and getting to know one another. 

    In my past experience, I have a close friend who is sexually active with no intention of pursuing relationship or marriage. I also have friends who are abstinent. This leads me to believe there is no true trend of a “hook-up culture.” Instead, I believe the way one person expresses themselves through relationships varies upon how they are influenced by societies present culture and the values instilled by faith.

Atchison, Joseph: Sexual Health

            Young adults have always engaged in pre-marital sex, but it seems as though society is beginning to take it less seriously. Years ago it was a taboo subject that people did secretly. Today, sex is an act that comes along with a “no big deal” attitude. It is that new “so what, everyone does it” attitude that has led people to believe that young adults are having more no-strings-attached sex than their predecessors did. I have witnessed this new attitude across the campus of Southern Arkansas University.

Sex is a biological urge and the temptation to submit to it is strong. Students are engaging in sexual activities, likely in the same as always. Nowadays, however, the new attitude has made it much less of a taboo and more of a social norm. Because of this, it is less likely today that the people “hooking up” (which is an ambiguous term that can refer to sex, but also to simply making out) are partners. Instead, more students are hooking up with people they are not dating. After only two months at SAU I have heard of more cases of people “hooking up” with someone other than a dating partnet than I did my whole senior year of high school. Having been involved in this “hooking up” culture, although not having sex, it becomes clear to me as to why it is becoming less of a taboo. Our attitudes about the subject, in general are becoming more and more accepting of it.

Dupree, Tynasha: Sexual Heath

                  “Hooking up” a phrase known by many these days, is an act of having sexual relations with someone that is not your significant other such as a friend or someone you just met. The article, “Study Casts Skeptical Light on Campus ‘Hookup Culture’,” presents the topic of hookup culture in college and whether hookups are more popular than actually dating someone.

                  In college, there is hardly enough time to find a potential boyfriend/girlfriend, especially when there is tons of homework and studying to do. That might be an excuse for some to hookup instead of taking the time to find a decent person to be in a relationship with. Even though students are busy and making time to actually get to know someone is not on their agendas; is hooking up better?  It takes time away that could be going towards studying, so the excuse is not valid. In the article, it states that “fewer students are dating.” I agree with this because of the fact that college is a challenge. Students who want to stay in college or keep their scholarships must keep a high grade point average, and to achieve that they must study, be hardworking, and determined. The need for a relationship comes last in their priorities.

                  I do not have any personal experience with hooking up and didn’t even know what it meant. I don’t know anyone who has ever hooked up. Most of my friends are academic high achievers and prefer to study that find someone to date or “hookup” with in their free time. I am in a relationship—3 years to be exact—and he is the only person I’ve been with.

                  In my experience, hooking up isn’t very popular. I believe that college students refrain from dating strictly because of the time it takes to be successful in school.