Hook-up culture or hype

As a high school junior just two years ago, I had barely scraped the surface of understanding the college admissions process. My naiveté was my own doing, of course, and soon enough I would be flipping through the newest edition of the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” hoping to get an idea of what was out there. Among the four colleges I hand-picked from the book happened to be good ole Duke, and all received thorough examinations through College Prowler, among various other online sources. From what I gathered, I was able to conclude that Duke was a pretty good school in many respects. But whenever I thought about Duke, there would be this phrase that struck me time and again: hook-up culture.

It seemed that, regardless of the resource, “the hook-up culture” was a phrase that seemed pervasive in defining the Duke social scene. It appeared to me that, instead of giving thoughtful insight into the many social aspects of Duke, this was, and always has been, the catchall phrase to describe the situation, which is a lazy cop-out at best. The Fact or Fiction section of the “Duke Life” website attempts to clarify a few unfounded preconceptions. But is this really necessary? Why does this stigma even exist in the first place?

To put it simply, Duke students are hardly deserving of the wrap they get. Barring the characteristic booty-shaking and lip-smacking seen at Shooters, there is very little that makes Duke stand out from the rest of the crowd. Though my first LDOC was indeed a night to remember (or forget), it is quite difficult to compare Duke’s social culture to that of a state school when everything is put into perspective. Whether it is based on anecdotal evidence from folks at home, stories from fellow Duke students or even the most basic Google searches, large state schools are far more infamous for their social scenes.

I do admit: I am a rising sophomore and can’t really speak on behalf of the entire student body; however, I have seen friends and acquaintances maintain relationships both at home and at Duke, and I know many more that are still looking or aren’t interested in random hook-ups at all. The Duke Social Relationships Project Report, released in 2012, indicates that 45.5 percent of students had not experienced any hook-ups in the past six months, with hook-ups being defined as any “acts of physical intimacy with a partner with whom you are not currently involved in a serious relationship.” Additionally, according to the 2012 National College Health Assessment, 32.8 percent of all college students had no sexual partner in the last year. This means that there are 12.7 percent more Duke students than average college students who choose not to have physical intimacy. Since the DSPR accounts for all physical interactions between two partners, and anything short of sex is included in the 32.8 percent of the NCHA’s findings, it is noteworthy that such a significant difference exists.

Duke is undoubtedly a prestigious university where academics are the primary focus of any student. Thus, it would make sense for a hard-working student to avoid long-term relationships and choose only to hook-up, in an effort to concentrate on his or her work. Unlike other top institutions, Duke’s campus is viewed as more social and lively, but the belief that with a more outgoing group of people comes a greater number of hook-ups is a brash generalization. It is easy for the uninformed individual to make this assumption because of our reputation, and efforts have definitely been made by The Chronicle and other news sources to portray this development as a cultural phenomenon rather than a Duke-specific quality.

At this point, I may be pointing out the obvious, but the foundation for this perception is weak. Since Duke’s academic reputation is not as prominent among the general population as some of its peer institutions, having any negative notion associated with the school can be detrimental to its image. Although this did not affect my decision two years ago, it could potentially influence the choice of future applicants. Perhaps just by writing this column with the word “hook-up” in the title I could further hurt our image, but with increasing awareness of this issue, it should only be a matter of time before more students seek to change this perception.

Bryan Somaiah is a Trinity sophomore. His second summer column will run on June 30. You can follow Bryan on Twitter @Bee_Smoove.