It was another Wednesday Wine Night at my apartment. After several bottles of Yellow Tail Chardonnay were downed, the conversation turned to life's most important mysteries: how all the wine disappeared, the best lite beer, and love.
Some of my friends spoke endearingly of their partners, while others lamented about their cold, empty beds during November. I was getting ready to share a take I was sure would be a crowd favorite. It seems to be a tale as old as time. For many students, the dating culture at Columbia feels all or nothingβa person is either in a relationship, single, or searching for hookups.
We have lost the art of casual datingβgoing on different dates with different people without exclusivity. At an institution like Columbia, the rigid academic and professional values by which we define ourselves can inhibit our social lives.
If students are focused primarily on their academics and future careers, romance often takes a backseat, limiting relationships to serious commitmentsβa long-term partner for dependable companionship or even marriage later in life. You miss the beautiful orange and yellow foliage happening, the fountains on for one of the last times, people on Low Beach. You can also translate that into the dating scene. We are a student body focused on waiting instead of being βbeing in the moment, being in love, being comfortable with growth.
Besides your technical skills? Thanks for reading Columbia Sundial! Subscribe for free to support independent campus journalism and commentary. Many students complain that they cross paths with the same people regularly because the main campus spans only six square city blocks. He believes that many are dissuaded from making the most of casual dating because they are afraid of their reputation preceding them on such a small campus.
