2008 Woodie Awards
RSSCommunication 101: A course on dating
Between the sheets
By Martha Miller
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: Lifestyle
Students of Lehigh, I'm here today to educate the masses on proper hook-up decorum. While I may lack a degree of sorts, I feel personal experience makes up for paper documentation.
Although all my personal experiences may not have turned out splendidly, I find myself, a single, 20-year-old female, well-equipped to judge the rights and wrongs of communication styles when trying to acquire a mate. Today, we'll go over the main course objectives. Read closely, maybe make notations, because you too may face the quarries of the dating world someday.
Person-to-person contact: This is live action, there is no time to think. When first meeting, two victims of mild attraction will begin in a subtle act we all know too well: flirtation. Flirtation is our best attempt to let the opposite sex know we are interested. Not to be confused with friendliness, which it often is, flirtation requires a bit more drunken weaving into your partner, bad attempts at jokes and often making fun of each other. Another method, known as the "kindergarten cooties" approach, usually works best. You subtly hint to your partner that you are interested while pretending you are anything but. Be forewarned though, some choose to be more direct. Ranging from compliments to just plain attacking him like a tiger at a Siegfried and Roy show, direct methods sometimes hit the mark, but usually only when your partner is too intoxicated to care.
The day after is where it gets sticky. Whether you end up dating and getting married, or never plan to see each other again, the first morning after is always rough. Some choose to run out while others prefer polite morning chatter while fumbling through your things in search of their clothes. No matter your choice, there is one rule you must follow: Don't ignore the other person. If you see them at a party, on the way to class or in Rathbone, do not ignore them. We made out, so by my records, that places us at least at the level of public acknowledgment. I'm not asking for a hug, a conversation or a text, just a polite "hello."
Although all my personal experiences may not have turned out splendidly, I find myself, a single, 20-year-old female, well-equipped to judge the rights and wrongs of communication styles when trying to acquire a mate. Today, we'll go over the main course objectives. Read closely, maybe make notations, because you too may face the quarries of the dating world someday.
Person-to-person contact: This is live action, there is no time to think. When first meeting, two victims of mild attraction will begin in a subtle act we all know too well: flirtation. Flirtation is our best attempt to let the opposite sex know we are interested. Not to be confused with friendliness, which it often is, flirtation requires a bit more drunken weaving into your partner, bad attempts at jokes and often making fun of each other. Another method, known as the "kindergarten cooties" approach, usually works best. You subtly hint to your partner that you are interested while pretending you are anything but. Be forewarned though, some choose to be more direct. Ranging from compliments to just plain attacking him like a tiger at a Siegfried and Roy show, direct methods sometimes hit the mark, but usually only when your partner is too intoxicated to care.
The day after is where it gets sticky. Whether you end up dating and getting married, or never plan to see each other again, the first morning after is always rough. Some choose to run out while others prefer polite morning chatter while fumbling through your things in search of their clothes. No matter your choice, there is one rule you must follow: Don't ignore the other person. If you see them at a party, on the way to class or in Rathbone, do not ignore them. We made out, so by my records, that places us at least at the level of public acknowledgment. I'm not asking for a hug, a conversation or a text, just a polite "hello."
