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Contact: Elliot Chan, Opinions Editor
™ opinions@theotherpress.ca

Stay the night

» What to expect when you invite a couple over to your place

Elliot Chan
Opinions Editor
te S opinions@theotherpress.ca

ehind closed doors, it doesn’t

matter what two people do.
Regardless of who’s home or
where you are—as long as it’s
private—people deserve their
privacy. You cannot govern
someone’s sexual behaviour even
if it is on your property. Naturally,
when you invite people over
to your place for a sleepover, a
weekend, or a vacation getaway,
you don’t often jump to the
conclusion that your home
would turn into a sleazy hotel
room. But people do have sex,
and you'll have to accept it.

Asa host, it’s impossible
for you to keep track of your
guests 24 hours a day. Should
you hear some bump in the
night, remember that they are

: just enjoying themselves and

: it’s temporary. Brush it off or

: laugh it off. If it’s too obvious to
: ignore, it’s your right as the host
: to pull your guest aside later on

: the next day and let them know
: that sex is okay, but they should
: perhaps be more discreet.

As a guest, it’s your job to

: be respectful. Depending on

: the person’s home, you can

: gauge whether raucous noise

: in the middle of the night will

: be frowned upon or if others in

: the house are probably getting

: some as well. There’s a difference
: from staying at your in-laws’ and
: your friend’s summer home.

I’m quite liberal with sexual

: freedom. People should be

: allowed to have sex, especially

: when it is private. Even when it
: isn’t, I live by the rule: if nobody
: knows, nobody cares. Yes,

: afterward someone will have to

: clean up the sheets, but hell, if

: the hosts weren't prepared to do
: a bit of cleaning, they shouldn't
have invited people over.

You cannot welcome people

into your home and say things
: like “make yourself comfortable”

(Y Those were the dates

(¥ Imagine there are no prostitutes

(¥ Love (and Groupons) will keep us together

And more!

 

: and then get angry because they
: did something you didn’t want
: them to do. When you open the
: door to people, you have to accept :
: that they will do what they do.
: Your house is not a prison and
: you'll just have to trust that your

: friends and family members will
; just behave and be respectful.

One of the worst fears for

: many people is walking in on

: others having intercourse. If

: that isa genuine concern while

: you are hosting, then maybe you
: shouldn't have them sleeping

: in the living room or in an area

: without a closed door. If you

: don’t have any other options,

: then that is just a risk you are

: going to have to take. Maybe

: when they are “asleep,” you

: shouldn't go wandering into

: where they are staying. If they are
: in their room, don’t go barging

: in. Follow the old rule: before

: you turn the corner, knock.

Let’s be adults. Sex isn’t

that big ofa deal. There are

far more traumatic things

: in the world. Get over it and
: stop acting so stuck-up.

 

Valentine's Day attaches strings and
materialism to an important emotion

» Why this holiday manipulates us all

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

Wren perpetually single
or happily married, each
of us has our own thoughts

on Valentine’s Day. It’s one of
the most divisive, anticipated,
and busy days on the calendar.
Restaurant reservations fill

up early and retailers push
chocolates and gifts for weeks
in advance. Valentine’s Day is,
apparently, a time to celebrate

and cherish the love we have with

fancy dinners and jewellery.

This is where the problem
lies. Valentine’s Day—or rather
the businesses who profit off of
it—manipulates and guilts us
every year. If you're in a romantic
situation, you are pressured to
get expensive gifts and plana
romantic day for your beloved. If
youre single, it’s an unpleasant,

and ads for the holiday go on
for weeks before the big day.
Showing people that you
care about and love them is
important. But this expression
should not be in the form of a

: heart-shaped box of candy or an
: expensive dinner at a revolving

: restaurant. It’s something that

: should be shown all the time

: in less extravagant and more

: meaningful gestures. It’s about

: saying the words “I love you”

: instead of giving thema sparkly
: locket. It’s about telling those

: you love what they mean to

: you with truthful expression

: instead of dressing them up

: and taking them out to say it.

It’s also the one time of year
when singles are shamed—or at

: least reminded—of their non-

: involvement. Jokes, questions,

: and perhaps long-winded

: emotional Facebook posts

: are rampant this time of year.

: In literally any other month,

; romance isn’t seen as a serious

: issue. Romance is something

: personal and unique to everyone,
: and one’s status is generally kept
in-your-face reminder. This isn'ta :
one-day thing, either; decorations }

to themselves. But in February,
conversations about Valentine’s

: Day plans, frank discussions

: of love and romance, and

: one’s loneliness get brought

: up unnecessarily. For some, it
: can bea very sensitive issue.

Ultimately, Valentine’s Day

: isa nice holiday invented by

: companies to sell more chocolate
: and $8 cards with sentimental

: messages. Socially, it’s a lot of

: pressure. It takes a very complex
: and personal issue—love—

 

: and reduces it to money and

: possessions. Couples get put

: under pressure simply to assert

: their love for each other. Singles
: are told that romance is the key
: to happiness and that we all

Image via thinkstock

> needa special someone. There
: is no other holiday based solely
: on one’s personal emotions.

: Why is this one so important?