by Noah Pond and Eli Farrington
Moonlight shone through the bedroom window. A plethora of naked bodies wriggled and writhed. This was the experience of Cal Poly Humboldt sophomore Calvin Kulpa, a psychology major who recently embarked on his first ever sexual encounter with more than one other person.
“I might have been feeling a little frisky or adventurous being in college as a young adult, and I got myself into a couple of sexual situations,” Kulpa said.
Senior anthropology major Alfonso Aviles also began to experiment with group sex once he got to college. Aviles has had mostly positive experiences with group sex in the past, and the only time he experienced anything negative was when there was a lack of communication.
“A lot of people think of sex as a one-on-one thing, and that’s fine, but if you decide to bring in a third party, or if you are the third party, there’s often a lot of boundaries that have to be discussed,” Aviles said. “It’s a good way to explore a whole different route and open yourself up to new opportunities.”
Aviles also stressed the importance of open communication during group sex as a way to make sure that everyone in participation is on the same page. He believes that keeping an open mind and being honest with each other is the key to having a positive group sex experience.
“If you’re curious about it, and you know that you want to try it eventually, don’t be afraid to discuss it with a partner, or whoever,” Aviles said. “Just put it out there, talk about it, establish boundaries, and try to stay open-minded. Acknowledge your emotions before, during and after, and talk about it after. See how you feel, and if you don’t like it, don’t let that ruin what you had.”
Sophomores Chloe Nye and Sophia Fox have also dabbled in group sex. Nye is a studio art major and Fox is studying business marketing. The two of them are good friends, and have engaged in group sex together in the past.
“I think it brought me and Chloe a lot closer,” Fox said. “We became a lot more comfortable around each other.”
Although they both enjoyed the experience, they agreed that they each prefer one-on-one sex over group sex.
“I think it’s fun, but I don’t think it’s as personal to be honest,” said Nye. “I would say that it’s fun for the story, but it’s not necessarily as intimate and meaningful as one-on-one sex.”
Kulpa was on the same page with Fox and Nye, and explained that while group sex can be a blast, he prefers the intimacy of sex with just one partner.
“It’s like a whole different thing,” Kulpa said. “It’s not as intimate because there’s more people involved. It does seem more fun, but one-on-one sex is more intimate because it’s just you two.”
Lots of college students are open minded when it comes to group sex – but it’s not for everyone, and that’s okay.
“I don’t think I would go seek out another something-some,” Kulpa said. “But the door is open.”