The Happy Trail

Curing “celibacy syndrome”: Japanese youth aren’t having sex and experts know why

Japan has had its fair share of crises over the last couple of years. In 2001, they saw an earthquake, a tsunami and a radioactive meltdown. But experts are warning of a new, slower crisis that we need to be on the lookout for in Japan. Young people aren’t having sex. Journalists, economists and psychologists have been looking for an explanation of the country’s population decline for some time. According to The Guardian, 2012 saw fewer babies born in Japan than any other year on record! (It was also the...
The Happy Trail

Sex educator gives unoriginal lecture

As I walked into Kilworth Chapel last Wednesday for Jay Friedman’s “J-Spot” lecture, Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” was playing over the chapel sound system. “Ahh,” I thought. “This will be a great opportunity to hear about the ‘Blurred Lines’ problem from the perspective of a sex educator! This should be good!” Unfortunately, Friedman never touched on the “Blurred Lines” issue. In fact, the lecture seemed to lack any profound insight on any issue regarding sex and relationships. Friedman opened with the poetic story of what seemed to be two lovers...
The Happy Trail

Building a consent culture: Why bodily autonomy is not confined to the bedroom

This summer I made dozens of new friends, travelled across the Pacific Northwest and was introduced to lifestyles that I had never even considered. But one of the biggest ideas that I was introduced to this summer was that of a consent culture. A consent culture is one in which the axis of all sexual interaction— or rather all human interaction— is based around consent. Now obviously this includes radical changes to our ideas of consent in sex, but it also means a shift towards complete and total respect towards...
The Happy Trail

Weighing the positives and negatives of porn

Well, it’s nearly 2 a.m. You finally finished your essay. You’re a little stressed and ready to get some sleep. But as you’re browsing the web one last time before heading to bed, something catches your eye. So you type in the url of your favorite porn site, unzip your pants, and relieve a little bit of that “stress” before finally hitting the hay. Porn is easy, right? Porn is simple? Porn is cool. But let’s be honest here, porn is pretty controversial, too. Researchers are in a constant battle...
The Happy Trail

Pornin’ About

Well it’s nearly 2 a.m. You finally finished your essay. You’re a little stressed and ready to get some sleep. But as you’re browsing the web one last time before heading to bed, something catches your eye. So you type in the url of your favorite porn site, unzip your pants, and relieve a little bit of that “stress” before finally hitting the hay. Porn is easy, right? Porn is simple? Porn is cool. But let’s be honest here, porn is pretty controversial, too. Researchers are in a constant battle...
The Happy Trail

Pillow talk: talkin’ dirty can be flirty

OH YEAH F**K ME LIKE A DIRTY LITTLE SLUT YOU BITCH. Ahem. Excuse me. Let’s take a step back and ease our way into this one. Dirty talk. Dirty talk is a simple act that can really spice up a bedroom. Now, don’t be intimidated by my introduction. Dirty talk can mean anything from non-verbal vocalizations to intense dom/sub role play. And nobody is expecting you to scream and shout like Jenna Jameson your first go. So for those who are new to dirty talk, the first thing you should...
The Happy Trail

Hello freshmen!

Hello freshmen! Yes, you. I’m talking to you. I know that these first few weeks have been so exciting for you! You’re in a new place. You’re learning new things. You’re meeting new people. You’re a part of a college community for the first time in your lives! And people are having sex. Now that’s not to say that people weren’t getting it on in high school. Trust me, they were. But this is new, ya know? You’re away from your parents. You have your own private living space (prying...
The Happy Trail

Orgasm-free sex?

You know that moment when you’re with a partner, when you’re just about to hit the big “O” but something interrupts? Maybe your cell phone rings. Maybe your roommate walks in. Maybe the fire alarm goes off. Hell, maybe your partner can’t quite get you to the edge. The point is, when you’re trying to reach orgasm, and you don’t, it leaves you sexually frustrated and irritated. I mean, orgasms are the holy grail of sex, right? Orgasms can strengthen a sexual relationship and bring two people closer together, right?...
Arts & Events

Men and women should be happy with what they have

Each and every day, we are bombarded with the message that bigger is better. Because of this, men and women both experience sexual insecurities brought on by society. For women, it’s the celebrities with ideally shaped, gargantuan breasts. The top-heavy Barbie dolls with unrealistically sized melons, sickly skinny waists and perfectly rounded hips. Western culture has turned a nice set of cans into the Holy Grail. For men, this insecurity started in the locker room in middle school. Nearly every feature of pop culture is peppered with tasteless dick size...
Arts & Events

A psychological look at the stigmas surrounding oral sex, past and present

Let’s talk about oral sex. There is a big stigma attatched to oral that needs to be addressed. I’ve heard guy friends say that they don’t give oral because they don’t like submitting or being “feminized.” I’ve heard female partners say that they don’t like giving oral because it’s degrading. However, I’ve always felt that it’s like giving a back rub. Sure, I don’t get any direct physical pleasure out of it and I don’t particularly enjoy doing it, besides the fact that it makes my partner feel good. Yeah,...
Arts & Events

Male birth control

Hey guys, picture this: you wake up in the morning for your daily routine. You jump in the shower, lather up, and rinse off. You hop out of the shower, throw on a towel and head over to the sink. Shave, brush your teeth and finally, grab that small blue packet and take your daily birth control pill. Wait, hold the phone. Male birth control pill? Yep. Believe it or not, birth control options for men are on a steep rise. According to an article from The Telegraph: World News,...