I looked at my father in a mix of anticipation and fear. He pulled me aside from my high school graduation party to talk to me about something. Something important and college-related.

“What could it be?” I think. “Don’t do drugs? Don’t binge drink? Don’t skip class? I don’t do drugs, I hate the taste of alcohol and I’d rather not waste thousands of dollars just so I could not go to class.”I hear him clear his throat. Oh God, he couldn’t be… He wouldn’t.

“We should probably talk about sex,” he said with a sigh. “I mean, it’s something special that connects people in an extremely intimate way. There’s nothing wrong with it. I have sex, and I enjoy it. Ya’know? I love having sex! It feels good, and I love having it. And you’re a responsible adult, so we should be able to talk about it.” “Aaaa! No! No, I do not need to hear this!” I scream. My dad? Having sex? Ew! That’s just gross.

That was four years ago. Now I’m giving approval to columns about masturbation and placing a picture of a woman experiencing orgasm as centerpiece art. I’m having a weird sense of deja vu. Why? Well, it’s largely thanks to you.

Now, I’m not talking about you, you. I’m talking about you. You know, society.

See, on Friday, we published a Viewpoints column (which aren’t written by the Daily staff, by the way) entitled, “It’s perfectly normal.” This column was supplemented with a large photo of a woman mid-orgasm. And you I don’t mean you, you — got grossed out.

We received feedback from plenty of sources, as did the columnist. Comments on our Web site ranged from the simple “ew” and “could’ve done without that” to the truly classy “no wonder she doesn’t have a date” and — my favorite — insinuating the Daily was “not more than a half-step up” from smut magazines. Really? The column is education-focused on how unashamed one need be about masturbating and how it’s not biologically harmful. Meanwhile, smut magazines are designed explicitly for the purpose of eliciting a sexual reaction in the reader through the use of hardcore or softcore pornography. These two things compare?

The reactions the masturbation column illustrated something to me: There’s a misunderstanding of sex in our culture. As things are, we seem to have a dynamic of prudes vs. sluts. Let me give you examples from both sides of the fence.

In late March, Alex Knepper of American University wrote a column in the student newspaper, The Eagle. It was titled, “Dealing with AU’s anti-sex brigade.” The column could have been a great defense of being, as Knepper describes himself, “pro-sex.” Instead, it rapidly devolved into a rant against feminism and rape apologetics. Here’s a couple of quotes: “‘Date rape’ is an incoherent concept,” and “Let’s get this straight: Any woman who heads to an EI party as an anonymous onlooker, drinks five cups of the jungle juice and walks back to a boy’s room with him is indicating that she wants sex, OK?”

Sound like someone you want to align yourself with?

On the other hand, you have arguments that sex leaves one with nothing but guilt at succumbing to an animalistic nature. They suggest that “only when the human being transforms his wild nature into human nature, learning how to respect his body and that of other human beings, eliminating forever the instinctive immorality that easily leads him to craziness and terror.”

Neither of these views are accurate. Reality is, as with most things, infinitely more complex. And, as with most arguments I make, I don’t want to make you feel or think the way I do. I just want us to be able to talk about it.

Unfortunately, when it comes to sex, talking about it seems to be the biggest hurdle. Those who don’t wish to talk are prudes, those who do are sluts. Why can’t we just be people? Why can’t we at least discuss one of our many natures as human beings?

Maybe you think sex is gross. Maybe you worship sex. Maybe you think sex is only to be made with your married spouse. All of these and any others you could fathom are perfectly fine. Better than fine! But the rest of the world won’t know unless you’re willing to talk about it. And I mean really talk about it, by the way. Spouting rehearsed one-liners — like “ew” or “didn’t need to see that” — or dismissing the subject outright, wishing it would just go away isn’t going to cut it here. If we really want to see change — going either direction, towards a more “traditional” sexuality or in the opposite direction to a more “liberated” one — we need to stop ignoring the subject of sex.

Contribute to the conversation, don’t bury it under jokes and insults. Make your voice meaningful. Here, I’ll even give you a head start with my opinion. It should sound pretty familiar.

It’s something special that connects people in an extremely intimate way. There’s nothing wrong with it.

I have sex, and I enjoy it. Ya’know?

I love having sex! It feels good, and I—

Wait. You hear that? Someone reading this column just went “Ew, gross.”

Damn it.

Sophie Prell is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Alta.