I was initially struck by what One lays out when discussing sexy communities because – on a surface level – it seems to fit Bowdoin so well. He talks of a “spirit of the night” that would infiltrate spaces, and that even though sex may not outright be taking place, it’s a community driven (in part) by sex and sexuality. I thought this sounded familiar, even putting to one side some of the more exotic things one may encounter while e-hosting a college house party. The mere fact that, over the years in one form or another, there have been a number of different student group campaigns designed to push back against certain stereotypes/expectations shows that there is an underlying understanding there that I think can be illuminated by what sees in sexy communities.
I think part of the reason why there was initially such struggle in our discussion in class to see Bowdoin this way was because of the way in which I asked the question. When Justin pointed out that most of what happens on the Bowdoin campus isn’t sex or sex-related, it made me realize that I was thinking of a certain, narrow conception of Bowdoin – that of the Thursday, Friday, and weekend night. It was because I was so easily ready to segment the different aspects that the Bowdoin experience constitutes, that I was conflating the community as a whole with one of its pastimes.
Nobody looks back at their time at Bowdoin and thinks about all the sex that they had… at least primarily. Yet, at certain times while they are here, it is all that is on the mind. So, in reforming my question, I feel that I am answering it. Justin initially took issue with seeing the campus as a sexy space, and Hannah pointed out on weekends that it is. Thea raised the point that it is not just about sex, but about sexual energy, aka feeling good, and professor Greene asked what if it isn’t necessarily producing community, but driving divisions between one already existent.
In short – its complicated. And no Bowdoin experience is the same for two. However, I think the various comments brought up echo the basic sentiment that we all know to be true – if one is looking for sexy community on Bowdoin’s campus, they can find it if they look for it.
I actually reflected on my comments throughout that class and afterwards. I think I may have commented a bit prematurely, as I was looking for a sexy community which resembled something like those in the reading. Greene noted Bowdoin Students like a particular narrative or arch to our nights (the sexiest time on campus) , and that raises an important question about tastes. What we, a group of elite college students in 2017 consider to be “sexy” will likely be different from a gay club, or any club for that matter, and even most colleges.
Some spaces might focus on physical interactions and flirting styles to signify sexy, but depending on the spaces at Bowdoin, verbal queues are probably used more, but physical touch might come at a later stage in a sexual interaction. I think the nature of parties back home where physicality is definitely more central to an party experience than at Bowdoin has perhaps made me see Bowdoin nightlife as sexually sterile or highly tentative at times – which is not necessarily true. Like you said, it is complicated and no two experiences are the same.
I totally agree that Bowdoin as a whole is not a sexy community- especially when thinking about characterizing a students overall experience at Bowdoin as sexy or not sexy. Of course, JP pointed out that there are spaces that are sexualized, particularly at parties, and while this does not constitute Bowdoin as a whole, it does mean that a large percentage of students engage in aspects of sexy communities while at Bowdoin. I see this in particular at the college house that I live in, Reed, because our space is often characterized as a free-judgement, open-minded, and sexual space during parties. Students engage in the dance of setting up hook-ups for later, dance in sexualized ways to music that feeds the sexy vibe, and often actually engage in sexual acts in the public space. In that way, I definitely agree that Bowdoin has sexy communities, even if ephemeral.
That being said, I would still like to challenge this idea in saying that I am not sure if the dominant culture at Bowdoin is comfortable with many non-conventional, non-vanilla forms of sexual activity and expression, which was a major aspect of what Orne discussed when thinking about sexy communities. Orne described places where anything was fair game, and people felt full freedom to express their sexuality. Is this the case at Bowdoin? Justin alluded to this in his response too, and I think he is right in a lot of ways. I think people are afraid to engage in “bad” or unconventional sex at Bowdoin, and I think this fear prevents it from becoming a true sexy community.