eople hook up at Dartmouth. People also don’t hook up at Dartmouth. The latter is something that too many people here ignore. If there’s one piece of advice I want to bestow upon you fresh-faced ‘13s, it’s that it is ultimately up to you to decide your Dartmouth experience, and that includes what you make of the “hook-up culture” that pervades the Greek system here.

It’s Complicated

Let’s step back for a moment. What does “hooking up” mean really? One ’11 sorority member speaks truth: “‘Hooking up’ is a ubiquitous and generally undefined word that leads to a LOT of confusion. It should generally be interpreted as any kind of remotely sexual action.” So “hooking up” can translate to anything from making out at a dance party to having sex on the green.

But the complexity and the problems of the Dartmouth hook-up culture involve more than just the ambiguity surrounding the term “hook-up.” The Greek system—and the social scene that it provides—creates an atmosphere that strongly encourages hooking up. More bluntly, it’s a recipe for sex: a lot of drunk, hormonal, and stressed boys and girls herded into a dimly lit basement mingling over some pong, booze, and grinding. This sort of environment and interaction generates some sex-positivist opportunities (pro’s!), but is not without its anti-feminist, anti-relationship social constructions (con’s!).

The Hooking-Upside

You can hook up if you want to and go however far you are willing to go. People are generally supportive of your boundaries, but be sure to make them clear up front. It’s also completely normal and accepted to not hook up, if it’s not your thing. “I think it’s easy to remain a virgin here, if you consciously and soberly choose so. I personally have never had a case where somebody has forced himself upon me, but granted, I’ve heard of other people’s stories of that happening…” states an unaffiliated ‘12 girl.

But if you do want to go all the way (or part of the way), the Sexperts are a great campus resource that you should definitely utilize. “The Sexperts is a student group that teaches strategies and gives ideas for how to increase your enjoyment of sexual experiences in healthy, safe ways. Even if you don’t go to their workshops, the presence of the group is felt throughout campus through its open, positive, progressive attitude about sex,” explains an ’11 affiliated female. Think of the Sexperts as an informative army wielding swords of rubber dildos for condom demonstrations and preaching sex education to the ignorant and horny, all under the unifying banner of “consensual sex is HOT.” Also, be sure to keep in mind: “There are other contraceptives available at Dick’s House Pharmacy, including Plan B and birth control,” says the same ’11 affiliated female who knows a lot about sex, or at least the resources that are available for you on campus.

Undeniably, there are hook-up opportunities that you can take advantage of if you want to have sex without the long-term relationship that usually accompanies it. Or as one unaffiliated ’12 female so eloquently puts it, “You can pretty much get some whenever you want.” Just don’t expect too much romance. After explaining his failed efforts to find a girlfriend and blaming Dartmouth, Dartmouth girls, and his lack of trying as the root of his problems, one ’11 fraternity brother apathetically states his “view of Dartmouth sex would currently have to involve Keystone and little romance.”

Though even with that unfortunate tale, there still does exist the potential for hook-ups to result in relationships. However, that is generally the exception and not the rule because relationships are basically nonexistent at Dartmouth, which leads me to the cons of the Dartmouth hook-up culture.

The Sexually Transmitted Downside

Maybe this is stating the obvious but a culture that permits promiscuous hooking up makes the cultivation of meaningful long-term relationships virtually impossible. “If you’re looking for a relationship, [Dartmouth] is not the right place. You can’t casually date. There is no such thing as casual dating at Dartmouth. In general, the norm is hooking up. People aren’t ever looking for relationships, they’re looking for hook ups, at least for the guys,” says one unaffiliated ’12 female. She highlights the dichotomy of extremes that constitutes the Dartmouth hook up culture—either you’re randomly hooking up (norm) or you’re committed in a solid, long-term relationship (exception), but there really isn’t any room for casual dating—like, say, an actual date to The Nugget Movie Theater rounded off with a dinner at Molly’s.

Students have also expressed dissatisfaction with the hook up culture itself. One experienced and affiliated ’11 sorority member delves into the topic: “I would say that while hooking up may seem to be the norm at Dartmouth, and while there definitely is pressure to do so in terms of how Greek houses interact with each other, I don’t think I’ve witnessed many people who are actually satisfied with the hook up lifestyle in the end. I know personally that when I used to be single and into hooking up, I quickly realized that I wasn’t very happy with myself and the choices I had been making, because what I really wanted was real connection with other people, which hooking up (for the most part) didn’t really lead to.”

She goes on further to comment on how random hooks up are actually more complicated than they might seem. “It seemed to make things a lot more complicated, because nothing is ever really “no strings attached”—[and] even if the two people directly involved think so, the ex-girlfriend or the ex-hook up is not going to be so nonchalant about it, necessarily, for example.” Having an intimate relationship with someone changes the way you see and feel about him or her. Not to mention the awkward encounters you will have to deal with outside the context of the hook-up, say in class the next day or at the library or in line at FoCo—not fun if your maturity level can’t handle it.

One serious offense of the Dartmouth hook-up culture is the perverted social conventions that are constructed, accepted, normalized, and engrained into the lifestyle mentality of Dartmouth students. One of these conventions is the objectification of women and the unnecessary pressure to hook up. “The frat scene definitely feels conducive to sex. The rate of sexual activity is probably much lower than what is generally perceived, but speaking from a girl’s standpoint, I sometimes feel like a sexual object in the frat basement. The good news is if you want to hook up you certainly can. The bad news is you might feel pressure to hook up, regardless of your gender,” says one ’11 female. Furthermore, the hook up culture is a male-dominated system that subjugates women to the power of men. As one ’12 girl expresses, “The hook up culture is male dominated because they dictate the standards, because they’re the ones who pick and choose—they decide. If a girl doesn’t meet their expectations, they move on. The girl is just left behind, whereas the guy can do whatever he wants and bang whoever he wants to. He can move on and hook up with as many girls as he wants as long as he gets his expectations met.”

She further recounts her personal experiences with this problem: “Guys have an expectation of sex on the first hook up and when they don’t get it, they’re done. They just leave. It’s based on the kind of mentality they have: if they want to have sex, they can, it’s really easy for them.”

The Wisdom of Your Sexy Elders

So you’ve gotten a little taste of the Hook-Up Culture, but it’s definitely not all-inclusive. Hear what some of you sexy elders have to say:

It’s more of that vibe you give off intentionally, so be careful how much you drink.”

“You have to take care of yourself because no one else will.”

“Don’t hook up with total strangers [you’ve] just met because you won’t know who you’re getting involved with or what you’re getting yourself into, and you might get an STI.

“Don’t stay with boy/girlfriends from home! Invest in life here, you don’t want to spend 4 years on the phone and if it’s meant to be, you’ll get together after college.”

“Don’t hook up with hallmates or teammates. Too complicated.”

“Always use a condom, and be careful at dance parties.”

“Make sure you go out with a group of friends, and have an idea of whether you’re going home with them.”

“Watch out for playas.”

“Don’t feel pressured to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

“Don’t do anything you’re not going to want to think about the next day.”

“Don’t ever hook up with someone for self-validation or to prove your self-worth. It’s not worth it.”

Your participation in Dartmouth’s unique social scene will require an assessment/evaluation of the positive and negative aspects. Ultimately, you have to determine for yourself, according to your own value system, how you fit into this socially constructed framework. Do what you want, just play it safe, do it for the right reasons, and have fun.