Love, Dartmouth Style
July 1, 1997
Justin A. Carrino ’98
There is a dichotomy in the way we perceive relationships at Dartmouth. According to the author, there’s the “common-law marriage” (serious relationship) and the “one-night mistake” (hookup). Students’ desire for the perfect relationship leads to an all or nothing approach to love. Their relationships are either very serious or very shallow. Maybe if students took a more laid back approach to life, as the author suggests, they would be happier. This isn’t to suggest a lowering of standards, but rather more openness towards emotional connections. After all, even a relationship that isn’t destined to last forever can be worthwhile.
Best Line: “Maybe if we at Dartmouth stopped putting so much pressure for perfection, we would find that there actually can be romance at Dartmouth.”
Behind the Green Door — love and sex at Dartmouth
May 29, 2001
Hank Leukart ’01
Even in 2001, students’ attitudes toward love and sex varied greatly. Fourteen years later the individual student narratives -— dealing with topics ranging from oral sex to the homosexual dating scene — are still compelling to read. Whether we relate more with Brad, the 22-year-old virgin saving himself for “the one,” Tyler, the student with 20 sexual partners or Sarah, the serial monogamist who doesn’t believe in engaging in casual sex, it’s reassuring to know that past classes had the same struggles and decisions to make about relationships and sex on campus. As much as the hookup culture is perceived to be the dominant attitude on campus, it’s interesting to see that it’s not the only one.
Best Line: “All of those interviewed endorsed cuddling after a sexual encounter.”
Alums Learn to Navigate Relationships
Oct. 17, 2001
Reena Dutta ’04
In this article, alumni are interviewed about what they think about forming relationships after graduation. Overall, the “real world” is both better and worse for forming relationships than Dartmouth. On one hand, people are less judgmental and stereotypical than they seem at the College, where people are placed into a specific social niche. On the other hand, the real world doesn’t have classes and extracurriculars for one to meet people of similar age with similar interests. As a result, meeting people is much more labor-intensive after college. Across the board, it seems like hookup culture is something that alumni grew out of, as they all said they preferred to be in committed relationships.
Best Line: “Sex is much better when you’re in love.”
Dartmouth Loves Dating?
Feb. 24, 2011
Zoe Williams ’11
Perhaps the reason behind the question mark at the end of the title, the author starts off the piece by giving readers the advice, “I can sum up my attitude towards dating at Dartmouth in three words: Don’t do it.” Williams is about as jaded as one can get with regard to the Dartmouth dating scene. She laments how relationships put strain on ties with other friends before failing and leading to more collateral damage on the couple’s individual social lives. At the same time, though, she criticizes hookups, as they can also potentially lead to serious relationships. Maybe the dating scene at Dartmouth is truly as bad as the author claims — and maybe cynicism isn’t productive, either.
Best Line: “And for what? ... So that you can be forced into some horrible long-distance scenario when your D-plans don’t match up, which results in one of you blacking out and hooking up with your trippee and the other one starting a sketchy fling with a random Spaniard you meet in a bar in Barcelona?”
We Found Love in a Hopeless, Awkward Place
April 20, 2012
Gina Greenwalt ’14
Here’s a true counterexample to the notion that dating at Dartmouth is impossible. In fact, some people say that it’s actually easier to start a relationship at Dartmouth since everyone sees each other a lot because it’s such a small school. Students here don’t have to drive, pay rent or live off campus like those at other larger universities, so it leaves a lot more time for socializing and establishing connections that could be potential relationships. The story presents a number of successful student couples on campus.
Best Line: “One thing about a relationship in college is that you can see people a lot more than you could in high school.”
