University of Virginia Library

Charles Weir

Sex And The Single Student

Last semester, State Senator
Herbert Bateman (D-Newport
News) created a mild uproar in the
state. He introduced a resolution in
the legislature concerning the "out
of hand" sex in the dormitories of
the state universities. However, no
change has occurred at the
University despite the unanimous
passage of the resolution.

Debating whether or not there is
sex in the dormitories is like
debating whether or not the Pope is
Catholic. Sex has been a way of life
in college since there has been a
way of life in college. Just ask Mom
and Dad! With two big weekends
coming up, a sober word is in order
about sex in the dormitories.

With the sentiment that was
aroused by Senator Bateman last
year, the position of the University
with its increase in the number of
coeds could be precarious. While
there is no factual information that
I know of to prove that
coeducation results in an increase
of sex in the dorms, I assume that
to be the case because of the
increased opportunity and the
gradually more liberal views about
sex that the entering students bring
with them.

Answer To State

The voters of Virginia are not
the most liberal-minded people in
the world when it comes to
premarital sex. But since we are a
state university, we must eventually
answer to the State of Virginia, its
people and its government, for our
actions.

What affect could the voters and
legislators of Virginia have on the
financial future of the University?
The University of Virginia is one of
the few state universities that
receives less than one-third of its
operating funds from the state.

Mr. Shannon asked the governor
and his Budget Advisory Committee
on Tuesday for an appropriation to
the University of over $66 million
for the 1972-74 biennium. This
represents a marked increase in the
percentage of the total school
budget that the state is being asked
to fund.

While the University probably
will not get all of the monies that it
desires, the percentage of the
request that we do get can be
linked to the public opinion of the
University at the time that the
legislature looks at the governor's
recommendation. If a state legislator
decides that sex is once again
running rampant in the dorms, he
may introduce more stringent
legislation than that presented by
Mr. Bateman.

Last semester's resolution
merely asked the governing bodies
of the schools to review their
parietal hours and see if they were
in harmony with the feelings of the
people of Virginia. A tougher line
could be taken, with the legislature
establishing guidelines for the hours
and conditions of parietals.

If those guidelines are
established, and in turn are
disregarded by the University or the
students, serious repercussions will
result. We will not get the funds
which we seek. They will go to
some other state school. At this
time in our growth, we cannot
afford to bite the hand that feeds
us.

Respect Rights

So, where does that leave us? We
are walking a tightrope. As long as
we stay on it, we may do what we
please with our private lives. If we
fall off, we fall into the wrath of
the voters of Virginia. Yet the
voters of the state, and especially
the legislators, should respect the
private rights of each individual
student and not try to forcefully
impose their moral standards on us.
For their efforts will not result in a
decrease in sex (there's always a
place to have it if the desire is
strong enough), but more likely a
decrease in the quality of education
they offer us.