When it comes to talking about sex, people often feel comfortable staying quiet. We accept sex as a taboo subject and keep our own sexual realities and experiences to ourselves. We have questions that we never ask. Though this might have been the norm in American society for some time, our culture is heading in a direction that requires us to reassess our perceptions on how we discuss sex.

As many of you I hope know, March is Women's History Month. It is the month when we remember women from all walks of life who have contributed to most every aspect of human existence. It is a month designed to spark solidarity between women in recognizing that, though there has been much progress in terms of women's rights, we still have some way to go. In honor of Women's History Month, I am dedicating this week's sex article to the fascinating anatomy associated with the "fairer sex." This is because, in reading about all those kick-ass women who excelled in their fields and challenged society and the status quo, I am inspired by the fact that I too have a vagina. Even if I never accomplish anything noteworthy with my life, I'll be able to hang onto the fact that I have one thing in common with Marie Curie and Michelle Obama.

As I hope most of you know, Bowdoin is putting on the "Vagina Monologues" this week. This is my first year being in the "Vagina Monologues" and it's been a great experience. I've been hanging out with some amazing women, perfecting my old woman accent and, probably most importantly, thinking a lot about vaginas.

This week, along with most Americans, I have politics on the brain. It's a big week for America, and the ushering in of a new president got me thinking about our previous ones. Barack Obama is joining an interesting collection of men by taking office. I didn't actually realize how interesting our presidents were, however, until I started doing a little research into presidential sex scandals. We all remember Bill Clinton's infamous fiasco, but he's just one in a long series of presidents who dealt with public concern and speculation regarding their sex lives. Sex scandals endure the test of time, reach across party lines and affect popular and unpopular presidents alike. I am simultaneously a bit disappointed and quite proud to say that sex scandals seem to be one of the most dependable and unchanging aspects of American politics.

When we think about sexual activity, there are a few body parts that are generally understood to be key players. These are typically the body parts that will bump a movie's rating from PG-13 up to R. These are also body parts that are typically (somewhat) covered by clothing. The fact that these areas are considered inappropriate for children under 17 gives them a special status not enjoyed by the other 97 percent of our bodies. I mean, can you imagine television stations censoring out hands? Elbows? Ears? But just because Hollywood has decided that these body parts aren't "special" doesn't mean we have to forsake them, too.

It's three weeks into school and things are finally getting underway. We all have our favorite seats in our classes, we know where we're eating dinner and when, and we're getting into the swing of the social aspect of Bowdoin. Before we get too far into our routines, however, I'd like to take a minute to address an idea that seems to permeate college culture. This is the idea that sex and sexual encounters don't mean anything more than the comical stories into which they are distilled the next day during brunch. Along with this, the idea that the mature people in our age group are all relating to sex in the same way. Sure, drunk and/or casual sex is something that happens at Bowdoin, but not everyone's doing it, and regardless of how casual it is, that certainly doesn't have to make it meaningless.

Going to school at a small, liberal arts college like Bowdoin means that friends are always close by. It's almost impossible not to run into them on your way to class, at the gym, or in the dining hall.