<p>As a college administrator and a student of higher ed history, let me assure you that 18-22 year olds have been fascinated by sexuality and intoxicants since the dawn of higher education. In fact, my perception of the appeal of intoxicants is that their primarily role is that of a social lubricant to medicate anxieties about the sexual fascination. And of course, none of this should be surprising - the long-term viability of our species is utterly dependent upon that sexual obsession at this time in their lives. </p>
<p>But for centuries, while college students have openly discussed alcohol and other intoxicants, social norms have dictated that they pretend to be oblivious to sexual fascination. Frankly, I’d guess that that repression only tends to heighten the obsession.</p>
<p>Is a theme week devoted to human sexuality appropriate at a college campus? Absolutely. Is this particular Sex Week extreme and in poor taste? Certainly. But given the number of years that the topic was totally taboo, there’s likely to be an overswing of the pendulum to the opposite side before it eventually settles somewhere in the reasonable middle. And we all know that on the list of college student drives, after sexuality and intoxicants, shocking one’s parents runs a close third.</p>
<p>The very worst thing that Yale could do as a university is take the position that “that isn’t a topic that we discuss here.” It really doesn’t matter what “that” refers to. If the Yale administration ever responds that way, then we can assume that the essence of Yale has been lost.</p>
<p>P.S. I must admit to a bit of a voyeruristic tendency myself - I’m a Harvard parent who snuck over to the Yale board to check things out. And for what it’s worth . . . yeah, Harvard students do these types of programs too.</p>