Ashland University holds its Judeo-Christian values in very high regard and makes many decisions about student life based on those values.

It has been the reason given for decisions about the alcohol policy or LGBT groups on campus. Both topics have been controversial and hotly debated across campus.

But in one area especially these values make the university seem naïve and idealistic.

The visitation policy.

“Visitation for guests of the opposite sex on floors and in rooms where students reside is from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week” says the Ashland University student handbook. Presumably this policy is in place to keep students from spending the night with each other in order to uphold the school’s Judeo-Christian views on sex.

But why the hours of 2 a.m. to 8 a.m.? Is that the only time that people can have sex?

Do people honestly think that a six-hour window in the middle of the night is prime time for sexual activity?

Authority figures have been trying to prevent sexual activity since the dawn of time in various ways but human ingenuity always finds a way.

The fact of the matter is that if students want to have sex, they will find a time or place to do it and there is very little anyone can do to stop it.

It’s amazing that students are trusted to manage their own finances, diet, education plan and career paths but aren’t trusted to be sexually responsible.

Since I’ve been a student here, various student senate members have petitioned to have the Eagle’s nest sell condoms but are continually shot down because the Judeo-Christian values do not promote premarital sex. But not selling condoms in the Eagle’s Nest isn’t just naïve, it’s a little irresponsible. It is a 10 minute round trip to the nearest store that sells condoms which isn’t a huge deal to normal people but since we are assuming that any two students (or three adventurous students) in a room together are just filled with so much sexual tension that they leap on top of each other like animals in a cartoon, we must also assume they are too overwhelmed with lust to make the necessary ten minute trip to get condoms.

There is also a policy concerning rooms that students use – like classes, labs or student offices – which requires these rooms to have a window. This policy is essentially pointless because of the layout of all the rooms. If the point of the door-window policy is to allow people to check on students while they are alone in these rooms they better hope that the students are sitting in the fourth of the room that the windows actually allow you to see from outside.

The point is this. Sex is going to happen. Regardless of the rules, the policies or the windowed doors. The best thing the university can do is encourage students to be responsible and safe if they choose to have sex. Part of growing up is responsibly handling all of the independence you get from being on your own.