As students spend less time outside and more time indoors huddled under the covers, the important subject on students' minds (other than classes) becomes sex. However, sex in the dorms can be a tricky, and sometimes sticky, matter. There are many variables to take into account: roommates, the desk attendants, thin walls and nosy neighbors.

College students know what sex is-they might even know someone that is the result of sex-getting students to talk about it is a difficult task. Usually (but not always) the act is meant as a personal experience between two people, not to be shared by others. Living in the dorms makes this intimate experience difficult to achieve.

Although the walls are concrete, there are plenty of ways sound can escape. Most people do not hear any sexual noises coming from another room unless they are neighbors, but sometimes couples can be loud.

"From my room I heard three different people having sex," said James Smith, a sophomore studying justice. "Only one was a neighbor."

Although some may find it discourteous and even rude, the general consensus is amusement.

"It's just funny," Smith said.

However, some are more unaware."I've never heard anyone having sex," said Kelly Gitter, a resident advisor and a senior journalism major.

Allison Whitten, a sophomore studying history and linguistics, had a story about walking in on her roommate having sex."The door was locked, so I knocked. I didn't hear anything so I carded in, Whitten said. "There's my roommate with her boyfriend, I did the next logical thing. I turned on the lights and took pictures. The moral of the story is use the deadbolt."

The basic code for roommate privacy seems to have changed since the sock on the door handle in the"Dirty Dancing" days.

"We don't have a code, we just lock the door, said Kathryn Brownlee, a junior studying education. "If we're already in the room and giving the other (roommate) signs to get out, you know it's busy time."

"I use the chain lock," said Mike Morgan, a junior studying civil and geological Engineering . "If my roommate comes home and the chain catches, he knows to go sleep on the floor somewhere."

Most roommates try to be courteous and avoid having sex if the roommate is home, not going too far if they are worried about the roommate coming back. This is a common theme for roommates, but there are exceptions, said Morgan."If the roomy's here, I go to her room. If drunk enough, I won't even know my roommate's here."

Alcohol and sex commonly stroll hand in hand. In the dorm, this is more obviously noted."Alcohol lowers inhibitions, especially obvious in the finely tuned athletic machines," said junior Lexis Fernandez. Kaitlin Kloster, a sophomore, has had a problem with"drunk people coming into the room and getting into bed with me," she said."It was funny at first, then when they were serious it just got creepy."

Because of the possibility of a roommate walking in or being overheard many students choose to go outside the dorms to enjoy one another's company."We have to sign in 24 hours in advance (to some on-campus housing). We usually just ignore it," said Matt Mercer. Some prefer going off campus, said Brownlee."There's just more privacy. I heard a neighbor having sex. It wasn't a big deal, I just turned up the music, but still..." Meredith Cameron, a sophomore, agreed."Most of the time I go off campus for the privacy."

It seems as though some students actually enjoy taking chances with being caught.

"I walked in on some people being passionate, not in the confines of their assigned room, but in the laundry room, as well as the kitchen," said Pat Lake. "It's not something to get angry about, I think it's hilarious." Meredith Cameron had a similar experience:"I just closed the door and laughed about it."