Spring Dating

I wrote this last year.  I think it still makes sense today.  If you didn't read it last year read it now.  If you read it last year read it again.  And don't date anyone at camp.  Please.  That mug will not work out.  I promise.  Enjoy.

There are many college students who read this blog. And by many I mean Kati and Sam Adams. Ok maybe there are a few more then that. Since there are a few I don’t think it would be crazy if I gave some advice to the college kids right now. The topic that I would like to discuss right now is dating. Yes if any of you have sat in my office on the 5th floor then you know I have an opinion or two on this subject. Since we are in the middle of spring fever right now I thought I would share one or two things before you get to the summer and it’s too late. I don’t think I would be able to sleep at night knowing that I have all of this wisdom and didn’t pass it on to the younger generation.

Like I mentioned earlier it is spring time. If you have ever been on a college campus during the spring you know that two things happen. People get together and they break up. It happens every year. Sometimes it’s a senior couple that has been together for four years and is about to graduate that breaks up. There is a shock followed by a panic when someone realizes that they might end up marrying the person that they have been dating forever. It’s hard for the rest of us to handle that break up. I know that I have questioned if love really exists after I have seen a couple that I thought was amazing break up. There are also the couples that are getting together that you never think would be right for each other. When that happens people are inspired with hope. “Well if he got with her then maybe I have a chance!” Many times the spring time is not the ideal time to get together. Why is that? Well because of the summer, duh. But this does not stop the students.

Over the years I have developed a theory on why students get together and break up during the spring time. The theory is two fold.

Reason #1 Skirts/Rees hall blanket studying.

Like I always tell students that I’m recruiting to come to Union College “You will never appreciate the spring time more then you will during your time at Union”. If the temperature rises above 60 degrees once, then things start to get a little crazy. Notice that I said once. It doesn’t even have to stay above 60. Some years it gets to 60 in February for maybe a day. After that the students pull out the shorts and flip flops even though the temperature plummets back to the thirties. But Union students don’t care. It’s almost like they are willing the spring to come with their shorts and flip flops. “If I act like its spring maybe it is spring”. If the temperature stays above 60 for three or four days please believe they will bring their blankets out and study in front of Rees Hall. Why don’t you see students in the fall studying in front of Rees Hall? Cause nobody studies at the beginning of the fall semester! And if you are studying in front of Rees Hall at the end of the fall semester you are probably an IRR student cause you would be inside an igloo. Guys are walking around campus seeing things that they haven’t seen since early October. Legs. They see the girls and their blankets and they think one of two things. Either “Wow look at her. I can see her legs. She is very attractive. Perhaps she will date me.” Or “Wow look at her studying in front of campus. She is attractive. I bet she would date me if I was single.” So you see how that mindset leads people to getting together and breaking up. This is very dangerous ground. How do you know if you are actually attracted to this girl? You haven’t been attracted to her all winter.

Reason #2 “I feel great”

The end of the spring semester at Union is a feel good time. I usually judge what time of year it is by the intramural sport that is being played at Union. When you first arrive at school it’s an exciting time. Everyone is happy to be back in school. There is crispness in the air. Flag Football is perfect for this time of year. Everyone gets down to the fields and enjoys the excitement together. For the end of the fall semester we have volleyball going on. Not really exciting. Everyone has settled into their role at Union more or less. When volleyball is over everyone is happy and everyone is also happy to go home for Christmas break. The beginning of the spring semester is the angriest time of the school year. The holidays are over. The winter seems like it will never end. This is the time we have chosen to have the sport where the refs are most involved. It’s no wonder everybody hates the refs at this time. I am surprised that a ref hasn’t been murdered and stuffed back under the stage yet. The cold weather would preserve the body for at least a couple months. Ok this is sick. What was I even talking about? Oh yeah spring time. The end of the spring semester brings floor hockey. When you think about it floor hockey is the perfect time to get with a girl. First of all we have a lot of American students here at Union. They don’t know a lot about hockey. Neither do the girls at Union. They can come watch your game and see you running around with a stick playing hard and can be impressed even if you don’t score any goals. After the game win or lose you walk outside to the beautiful spring weather and you feel great. Plus there is something about a girl watching you play from the balcony. Maybe it’s cause they are so far away that they don’t see you losing your temper. That’s why at Union Intramurals they put the penalty box all the way at the opposite side of the balcony, so girls watching their boyfriends play can’t hear them yelling at a ref from the penalty box. Touché Greg Steiner. Ok back to my point of feeling great. The weather is beautiful you don’t care if you win or lose the hockey game and the summer is merely weeks away. This is the time you look at the girl and say one of two things. Either “Man I feel great! I am going to talk to her!” Or “Man I feel great! And this girl is bringing me down!” It’s funny how everything being perfect except the relationship you are in makes it extremely obvious that the relationship you are in is bootsy.

So here is my point. Everything looks awesome right now. The girls are studying, the guys are playing hockey, the weather is amazing, and the summer is just around the corner. These things don’t mean that the girl/guy who just walked by is the man/woman of your dreams. On the contrary you should take a careful look at the situation. I say this because I have both started dating and broken up with someone during these last couple days of the school year. I know the traps and pitfalls that are so easily hidden to the everyday college student. So please look carefully and don’t do anything that you might regret later. Enjoy yourself and the springtime but maybe hold off on the big decisions until everything isn’t so awesome.

P.S. Don’t date anyone you just met at working at summer camp. You know that mug isn’t going work out!