In his Feb. 22 column, “Oncourse and sex machines,” I understand that Colin Dugdale was perhaps referring to the thrill of romantic pursuit. Depending on the spirit in which this is done, it is not necessarily a bad thing. However, in light of the wording of the actual column, it still warrants pointing out that healthy sexual relationships do not involve physical domination. Other sources of gratification might include intimacy, physical pleasure and even the fulfillment of winning over a partner, without subjugating that person. Moreover, I think most would agree that “deriv(ing) the majority of sexual pleasure from ... the victory of obtaining physical domination” sounds a lot like rape. It is unfortunate that those who share the columnist’s views are inflicted upon their partners.
Christy Keele\nGraduate student
