Having a sneaky link is a hallowed Howard tradition, but in the age of sex positivity and transparency surrounding hookup culture, is it still necessary to be sneaky?

“Sneaky linking” refers to engaging with another person, oftentimes in a sexual context, while making a concerted effort to ensure that no one finds out. In other words: “As long as the sun is up, your sneaky link does not exist.” 

How Does the Sneaky Link Start?

Jaice Brittan, a sophomore political science major, says that finding a sneaky link is literally as easy as walking on The Yard.

“You can just walk around, and if you see somebody that you potentially like, just talk to them, follow them on Instagram, and then boom, sneaky link,” Brittan said.

Once the link is acquired, Dillan Deborq, a sophomore music major, turns to his friends to verify that a person's reputation fits with his preferred “type.” Debourg shared that “usually if a girl is too known, or I know too many people who want her, it's a no-go.”  

Social media works wonders in helping eager students establish a connection, from Instagram, to X (formally known as Twitter), to even Fizz (we see you anonymous poster 234521). 

Once the meet-up is scheduled, there remains one more rule: never ever go through the front door. 

“Linking” Lessons

Inside the comfort of the dorms, relationships can bloom, but more importantly, students have the power to decide exactly what they want out of the experience. When many of us hear the term “sneaky link” the promise of sexual activity is implied. However, Deborq shared an idea that is not outwardly prevalent in conversations about linking. 

“Just because you're having a sneaky link doesn’t mean that you have to have sex,” he said.

Knowing that and living it are two different things. 

When David, a sophomore fashion design major, first arrived on campus, his world opened up tremendously. 

“In my hometown, I was one of the only gay people. Once I was interested in someone, that was kinda it. At Howard though, there's so many of us, no one’s gonna tell me no,” David expressed.

Freshman year offers the kind of newness and opportunity that keeps hook-up culture alive. With such freedom, many students learned lessons, the most common of which would be, as David said, “slow down and expect less.” 

Taylor Courtney, a senior philosophy major put it simply, “You deserve more than being someone's secret.” 

Reframing the Stigma

Secret or not, the fact is sneaky linking will remain a staple in the sex lives of most college students. The American Psychological Association states that between 60% and 80% of North American college students have a hook-up experience. 

Some students are cautious though. For many, it's not casual sex that's the problem, but it's what comes with it. Reputation is everything on Howard’s campus. So much so, many students forgo sneaky linking all together.

“I don’t want to be a sister wife,” said Gabrielle, a freshman chemistry major, who shares that she is  completely uninterested in “linking.” 

The latter proves that no matter how progressive and sex-positive we present ourselves to be, there remains a stigma, which is perpetuated by students themselves. Names like “Cook Cockroach”, “Drew Rat”, “side door warrior” or “sister wife” reiterate the harmful stereotypes about casual sexual encounters.

As students continue to define their Howard experience, we must reframe how we discuss the sex lives of Howard students to normalize and destigmatize all forms of sexual activity, sneaky or not.