The beginning of the semester means meeting new people and reconnecting with old. Though we are a small school, meaningful relationships aren’t inevitable. You could just wait and see into whose arms college life throws you, or you could just go on a date.
Before we continue, let us define our terms. A date should be unambiguous. You should know—both parties should know—when it is happening. Meeting a friend for lunch in Knorr, or for coffee in AJ’s, is not a date, and if you decided to explicitly label it a date that would make it a feeble date.
Also, a date is not a betrothal. You have not actually asked anyone to marry you. Goats have not exchanged hands. You have only expressed interest in spending time with someone.
In English, talking about intentionally having a conversation face-to-face evokes images of business deals and theology à la Moses and the Lord, which may explain (but does not excuse) some of the caution and reverence that creates the dubious passivity that has been labeled Hillsdating.
The French, who are traditionally good at these sort of things, have the term ‘tête-à-tête.’ That’s an intimate one-on-one conversation; it’s also a couch that loops in such a way that forces you to look at the person to whom you are talking. So, if you want to get to know someone better, you risk nothing but your pride (kill it with fire) asking them to spend time with you over lunch downtown. Or you could take advantage of the weather, and SAB’s new toys, and go paddle board.
Make it a date.