The idea of “sex” is so abstract, yet it permeates every part of society. Sex sells, they say — and even as it does, only the most base and shallow parts of the beauty that can be sex tend to be advertised. And a negative stigma associated with the word is understandable. Usually associated with satisfying urges and extremely painful experiences, for some, sex is tough.
But instead of confining this one word to one meaning that doesn’t even begin to explain the complexities of the action, I urge everyone to discover what sex means to them. How do you express yourself? Make yourself feel good? How do you use your identity to make sex a positive and gratifying experience for you?
Sex is yours, it is all yours — and whether you think about it in terms of your sexuality, gender identity or something you engage in for pleasure, it is important to know that sex is more than an action. Even as sex sells, the way you think, engage or feel about sex, sexual identity or anything remotely sexual is completely free.
Broken hearts, Berkeley Haas: SK Alagbada talks life after ‘Love is Blind’
Season three featured the then-couple-to-watch Raven Ross and Sikiru “SK” Alagbada, whose love story rose and descended off-screen, after the show was done filming its primary episodes — which, contrary to those who question the show’s integrity, were not scripted.
— Kavya Gupta
VoxBody Studio founder untangles nuances of rope bondage
Since Oakland-based VoxBody Studio opened in 2017, founder and teacher Blue has been switching things up by providing a safer space for rope enthusiasts and rope-curious individuals to explore their own turn-ons and turn-offs through rope bondage.
— Amanda Hayami
Satire guide to setting the mood
If you’re planning on getting busy this season, be safe! Ask consent for everything, wear protection, make sure your partner is having a good time and maybe don’t apply some of the advice I gave you.
— Christopher Ying
Amid national outrage, Berkeley continues mission for abortion access
A poll by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, found that 71% of participants believed that an amendment guaranteeing reproductive rights should be passed. The City of Berkeley has repeatedly explicitly stated their support, and dedication, to protect reproductive rights.
— Selina Yang
Pink lens of naivety
Having spent high school and my first year of college devoid of proper romantic interactions, I patched my lack of experience with television shows and movies that all portrayed love in its most sugarcoated, fanciful form.
— Caroline Lobel
Ignite your love and sex life with these 4 crystals
Investing in some crystals and channeling their energy may give you the emotional boost you need, so here are some crystals that are sure to brighten your February.
— Emewodesh Eshete
Staying single
— Rae Wymer
The Naked Run: Finding liberation at Main Stacks
— Ani Petrossian
The personal is not always political
Confessional essays are how I broke into journalism. But you aren’t going to get any more of those essays from me.
— Amber X. Chen
How to date like a pro
Everyone knows I’ve never struggled in my dating life in any capacity whatsoever. So, I am more than qualified to offer these eight sound pieces of dating advice.
— Natasha Kaye
Whips, leather, safewords: Exploring BDSM
Kink or BDSM in the Berkeley Kink club’s common vocabulary is described by Maxwell, co-president of the club, as an alternative activity that falls outside the standard norm, known as “vanilla sex.”
— Sandhya Ganesan
People are just people: Being a bisexual Floridian in Berkeley
I’ve always known I wasn’t completely straight, even from middle school. To me, people are just people. To be honest, I’m terrified to know how my family would react if they saw this article.
— Dina Katgara
Bridging the miles
I won’t sugarcoat it. Long-distance is hard. It is time consuming, sacrifice making and even pain-inducing at times, especially if your love language, like mine, involves physical touch and quality time.
— Carolyn Yu
6 songs to listen to while being in love
— Harol Guerra
Thoughts on First Love
Here’s my take on first love. Maybe first love is actually about falling in love for the first time with yourself and the new aspects of yourself that you see, even more so than that person.
— Emily Kim
Hinge game
Faces on screens with vague interests listed below aren’t actually real despite their one-mile-away icon. That is until you sit behind them in Jewish Studies 100 and subsequently realize you did, in fact, match on Hinge.
— Julianna Goldfarb
Pitfalls of American sex education
My high school addressed all the physical risks and dangers associated with being sexually active in great depth but they failed to do ant more than that. Safe sex goes far beyond avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and how to use a condom.
— Madison Creekbaum
‘The pervasive Manosphere’: How porn leads to violence, fetishization
Pornhub, one of the most popular of these free tube sites, published its 2022 insights featuring the year’s top searched terms. These terms included but were not limited to: Hentai, Japanese, Lesbian, Asian, Step mom, Black and Indian.
— Anna Armstrong
Meet Cal’s sexperts: Sexual Health Education Program promotes safer sex, harm reduction
— Lauren Harvey
Performing for myself rather than others
The issue with constantly feeling like you are performing is that it makes it hard to know who you are without comparing yourself to something or someone else or without feeling like you are continuously being forced to keep up with and reach impossible standards.
— Amrita Bhasin
A guide to smelling sexy
Being admired or wanted for a scent you’re wearing might be the best overlooked compliment you can get. Therefore, I’ve endured the headaches for you after spending rounds at Nordstrom and Sephora to scout out the perfect sensual and sexy fragrances.
— Jocelyn Mi
