Page 12 The Behrend Beacon To cuddle or not to cuddle 'lf you don't live in one of the traditional halls then you might not notice the slight change in relationship roles among the sexes. When I lived in Lawrence hall last year I had a lot of male friends in my building. Now, living in Niagara as an RA, I find myself befriending the new crop of freshmen. There is one huge difference between the new freshmen boys and the upperclassmen boys are their attitude toward girls. Never in my life have I met so many boys who all-around enjoy cuddling. Yes, you heard me right, cuddling. I am a fan of cuddling, I just haven't seen so many guys into it! My girl friends and I in high school couldn't get our guy friends or even boyfriends to cuddle with us no matter bow hard we tried. As an RA, I often overhear residents talking about their plans for the day, night and weekend. Somehow, all conversations end up back to cuddling. What is cuddling you might ask? Cuddling is the simple act of two people falling asleep together, may it be two people entwined or just next to one another. Cuddling has gone by other names such as snuggling or its latest name, and my favorite, spooning. "There's just so much to say about spooning! It's a good pasttime whether with a friend or a loved one. Even my girl friends and I cuddle," said Alex Raab, a third semester DUS student. Lately, I have also seen cuddling happen throughout the daytime. It's not just a late-night activity anymore. Often girls and guys can be found around the "I think that what people do in their spare time is their business."-Annie "If you're getting laid, you're getting laid." -Ryan "I've had them, but I don't recommend them." -Amy "As long as you don't get any STDs its all good." -John "I like them but for some people that's all they need. Others, like me, prefer the long-term relationships." -Ryan "You have to be careful now a days with all the diseases that you can catch!"- Rachel "As long as they're good and fun."- Jeff "I'm a definite fan of one-night stands." -Laura **Last names have been taken out because, hey, these are personal questions! ** by Erika Jarvis features editor dorms laying together just watching television or even a movie. "It's purely a platonic thing I just like being close to a girl," freshman Jason Miller said. If there's nothing sexual behind the act of cuddling then why are so many people talking about it? Well, it seems as if the weather at Behrend is getting cold pretty quickly and we all know that there's nothing like a little body heat to keep you warm at night. "I like to sleep with a girl at night. It's comfortable, relaxing and warm," said Dan Frankel, a first semester Education major. The talk around the porches at night no longer revolves around the night's activities but where everyone is sleeping for the night. Beds in the resident halls are either empty or crammed with two people sleeping. More and more friends are bunking up for the night and a "cuddle buddy" isn't rare to have. "Living in Niagara is great! I love how the freshmen boys are all about cuddling, I don't know a girl who wouldn't want to spoon with a cute boy," said Jenny Walsh, third semester biology major. So the norm now is to have a good friend of the opposite sex who you know you can sleep with. The benefits of this are bypassing that awkward "what did we just do" question in the morning. Comfort is what it's all about when sleeping in the uncomfortable and often cold resident hall beds. As freshman Andy Mook said, "At the end of the night, there's nothing more I want than a good cuddle buddy." Sex Q&A: How do you feel about one-night stands? ' Vi . ~ ' lit , ': A,',' 4 • 4 A ' . IP' .‘ g 'v 4 5 , •A. 4,:t t 3 . N mfli ."I I k. II -, , ober 3, 2003 Friday Oc .■ I ■ ■ ■ ■ I ■ ■ ■ ■ I ■ I ■ ■ ■ ■ I I ■ ■ I I ■ ■ I. I I__L I_.l. 11 Sexually Transmitted Disease Testing - Gonorrhea - Chlamydia - Syphillis - HIV Also Available: Free Hepatitis Vaccinations Free Critical Cancer Screening Risk Reduction Counseling Program Sponsored by the PA Department of Health Testing and Treatments are 100% FREE, Toll Free: American Womens Services Contact us at 1-814-874-3500 at our convenient Erie location! Or Anonymous Call 1-814-874-3500 or For Your Appointment TODAY! Sex and the dorms For many students, living with a roommate is an experience never to be forgotten. Some roommates are very shy and reserved while others enjoy the party scene. Naturally, many roommate conflicts arise throughout the year. No conflict is more embarrassing than when one roommate sexiles the other. What is sexiling? Sexiling is when one roommate uses the room for his/her own sexual purposes. Whether the roommate is alone or with a partner, the other roommate is forced to locate elsewhere. Sexiling mainly takes place when there is a lack of communication between roommates. During the first few weeks of living together, roommates should try to get to know each other. If they did this, they would know each other's schedules and could use the room while the other was at class. Some roommates do not feel the need to get to know one another. This creates a problem. Imagine coming back from class only to hear loud, moaning noises coming from your room. Would you want to enter? While it would be funny to interrupt, most would opt to go somewhere else. But what if you really need to get in the room? Then what happens? The awkwardness, the knocking on the door to your own room. When your roommate answers, what do you say? Should you ask them to quit what they are doing or do you just run in the room, grab your stuff and tell them to enjoy? Not Just For Women Free Confidential 1-877-874-3500 ..IN•••••II I I I I I I I I .4 Courtney Straub, News Editor Erika Jarvis, Features Editor by Courtney Straub news editor If the situation only happens once in awhile, then it is not really a big deal. However, some roommates encounter this situation quite often. Where does one begin when telling their roommate that they feel sexiled? Even though it can be an embarrassing issue, it may need to be discussed. Sit down with your roommate and figure out where the problem lies. Is your roommate addicted to sex and you can never feel comfortable in your own room? Or is it just on the weekends when the out-of-town boyfriend/girlfriend visits? Odds are your roommate does not even realize that they are sexiling you. Start by working out a time schedule. There are probably certain times during the day that you are not even near your room. This is the perfect opportunity for your roommate to have the room alone. Even if a time schedule is worked out, there may still be times that in the heat of the moment, your roommate forgets that you will be returning. Work out a "sign" that shows your room is being used. You could draw a stop light on your wipe board with the red light colored in or hang a scrunchi on the door handle. Either way you will know not to enter. So if you are feeling sexiled, do not be afraid to talk to your roommate about it. By putting the topic out in the open, hopefully you and roommate will be able to work out a schedule so behrcolls@aol.com
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