Many of the houses and dorms were constructed in a single-sex era, one with stricter sexual codes and fewer students. The prevalence of rules governing sexual activity--and of singles--ensured a different set of sexual circumstances.
The juxtaposition of yesterday's buildings and today's more relaxed social codes complicates both casual and more long-term sexual relations.
But students say even the chance of interruption doesn't deter them from bringing someone back to their rooms.
"I was at a party last year at Dunster and this guy was trying to have sex with his girlfriend but people kept walking in. Even after the party was over, drunk people went into the room to see what was going on," says a Cabot sophomore.
Sometimes, however, circumstance resolves the situation.
"I had a walk-through first semester but my roommates got in early, so it was not a problem," says Phil C. Liu '99, a Matthews resident.
Others rely on roommate tolerance to solve the problem of privacy.
Tiven says she lived in a partitioned Quincy common room as a sophomore. Her roommates left when she had a guest, "so they wouldn't hear what was going on," she explains.
The University-issued beds are also a concern for couples. Some worry about rusty springs, others say it's impossible fit two people comfortably. And bunk beds are the worst of all.
Many students--especially those in long-term relationships--turn to solutions like futons, pushing two beds together or even sleeping on the floor.
One option for those who want large beds and private rooms is non-Harvard housing. "Living off campus definitely helps," explained a junior living in a Cambridge apartment.
Just Talking
"There is a lot of sex at Harvard, but the talk-to-sex ratio is at about four to one," says Michael B. Smith '97.
Many students arrived at Harvard with the assumption that they were going to leave behind the world of gossip and scrutiny and were soon disappointed. Most agree that gossip can hinder or catalyze a relationship especially in spaces where the pick-up scene is highly visible.
"If you pick someone up at the Grille, 60 people are going to see you," a senior Currier House resident complains.
But talking and hypothesizing is what Harvard students seem to do best. Almost everyone theorizes about the "absence" of dating and sex at Harvard. At least one first-year has a suggestion.
"The student body has a general tendency to blame not having a relationship on just about everything but themselves. Dating here is not that different than anywhere else," says Greg A. Feldman '99.
"I complain about it too," he says, "but if we took the time complaining and invested it in relationships, we wouldn't have anything to complain about."