Secret Sins

The notable black gates at the entrance, followed by the historic dorms and academic buildings give the atmosphere an almost serene feel, and even give the impression that the libraries, school buildings, and church are constantly filled with students. From the community service Wittenberg students are required to complete, to the continuous church services at the Weaver Chapel, the students seem to be wholesome kids dedicated to their work and religion. Don’t be fooled by the huge library stuffed with books, or the filled classrooms day to day though, the students that trace these halls and rooms don’t necessarily don the sinless image they may want to portray.

Everyone’s sinned. From the smallest sin to the biggest indulgence, any one you can name has taken part in something they may be ashamed to admit. How far have some of these sins gone though? According to a recent poll of 118 students taken at Wittenberg, 87 percent of males and 53 percent of females have gone to class under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both; and 80 percent of males and 49 percent of females have also driven under the influence.

From bonging 151 rum and having LSD induced conversations with a bunny, to “driving to Canada on a whim to gamble,” it seems the more Wittenberg students appear to be studying, the more false that accusation becomes.

So is it just the use of alcohol and illegal substances that lowers our inhibitions, or is it also the sex drive that most students seem to obtain in their years at college? Might be a little bit of both. According to the poll, 22 percent of males have had a threesome while 10 percent of women have, and 76 percent of males and 66 percent of females have fallen to the recent trend of “sexting.”

The sexual tendencies don’t stop there. One student admits he “had sex in a pool with a girl while 30 people were watching,” and another admits they “broke a friend’s mom’s bed while having sex.”

It isn’t just about the alcohol, drugs, and premarital sex, however; cheating in school takes 87 percent of males and 78 percent of females, and 38 percent of both genders have stolen money from their parents.

If you live this life, you know this life. You know that behind the books you study, and the knowledge you gain, there’s still a little, if not a lot, of sin in everyone. Is sin the right word to use though, since the act of “sin” is supposed to leave one damned for eternity? If so, almost all of Wittenberg’s student body is about to be warm for quite some time.