Most people would agree that there are two types of relationships at Dartmouth, and neither of them can be labeled as "dating." Dating is a word that is fast becoming obsolete, along with other love-related terms like "necking," "petting" and "mixer." Now we live in a world of hookups (random ones, of course), and the mixer has been replaced by basement games like pong, ship and tree.
Now do you really think people like your parents could have formed their long-lasting relationships around a ping pong table? Most of them probably engaged in some sort of courtship. Dad brought Mom flowers on their first date. They went to a movie. Had an ice cream sundae afterward. And then maybe (and I mean maybe, and only if the night had gone just so), maybe there was a little action in Grandpa's wood paneled Brady Bunch style station wagon on the way home.
Once in a while you meet that sickening '96 couple that found romance at Moosilauke on their Freshman trips -- and have been going out ever since. Whatever! Who needs them? But most people have found that dating is an imperfect social skill in their otherwise blissful lives.
Last week, on Valentine's Day, April Whitescarver '96 decided to take up dating as an important cause needing much reform. April set up approximately fifty of her friends on real blind dates. Yes, the kind our parents used to go on. Here is some feedback from some of April's beneficiaries -- or victims, depending on how you look at it.
When asked why students at Dartmouth don't date, an April datee replied, "personal relationships are devalued in the prioritization of time here." This person has a valid point: Most Dartmouth students don't have time to date. There are only so many hours in the week to get your work done so that you can drink beer and complain about how much work you have.
This same person pointed out that Valentine's day fell on a Wednesday, so her date had to ditch her for his fraternity meetings. This date was doomed to fail, if you ask me, because no date that ends before 10 p.m. can really be called a success, unless it started the night before.
When asked whether their ideal relationship would involve seeing the person every day and spending every night together, seeing the person every few days, or seeing the person after midnight on weekends only, contrary to the stereotype, more women preferred the last option than men.
As for the dates themselves, many ended up going to one of the datees' off-campus digs and sitting in front of the tube with five or six other roommates. This supports a widely held belief that Dartmouth students are uncomfortable in one-on-one situations with people of the opposite sex. Having an army of roommates removes the pressure (as well as the possibility of romance).
When asked why he felt his date was not a "success," one honest guy said, "I was simply not attracted to the woman I was set up with." Bummer, huh?
Despite all this, almost all the people I talked with said that they would go on another blind date again -- Dartmouth students don't give up easily, even if they are more likely to get an "A" in orgo than to meet Mr. or Miss. Right on the Hanover plain.
