Dating at Yale: easy as one, two, three

Think fast: which of the following items is highest on your list of priorities? A) Finding time to eat B) Finding time to bathe C) Finding time to work D) Planning the perfect evening to win over your crush from art history section.

From what I've observed thus far, chances are you probably chose A, B, or C. Dating just doesn't seem to be a top priority for the majority of Yale students. Too many of us want our names in Fortune 500, on Broadway billboards, or on the cover of Time magazine.

Instead of asking people out on a specific night, at a specific time and place, we have revolutionized the term "hooking up." For those of you who aren't hip to the lingo, "hooking up" means meeting a random guy or gal and then partaking in certain physical activities that same evening. Those physical activities do vary; for some it may consist of oral sex, for others it may mean a heavy makeout session and heavy petting, and for a few it may mean a home run.

Why has hooking up become such a common practice? Two words: convenience and lust. If you are at a party and you see that cute brunette with the misty eyes checking you out, it's going to be a lot easier to make the next move. Chances are, the two of you are horny anyway (how many times have you heard people at Yale saying that they wanted some "ass" or some "play"?).

Dating involves so much more. Most of us fear rejection. You don't want to call someone up and risk bruising your ego. Dating is so rare that should it occur, the rumor mill would run for days. And if that date didn't work out, luck would have it that you would pass that person at least five times a day for the next four years.

But being the optimistic freshman that I am, I believe that dating is possible if you want it badly enough. If you have your eye on someone and you are interested in more than a random fling, I have included an easy three-step guide on how to snag that crush.

Step One: Get the 411 on your crush. What is your crush's full name? College? Dorm room number? Telephone number? Hometown? Okay, the first step is easy. You can find out most of this information either online, in the student telephone directory, or in the Old Campus.

Step Two: Get your crush to know you are alive. For example, if he just happens to be the cute CA for your college, call him up crying computer problems--he will show up soon enough. Or if you know that your crush is playing coed football, join the team. If you aren't the athletic type, then volunteer to be a team manager. If your crush is editor of the yearbook, show up to a few organizational meetings. There are tons of ways that you can "accidentally" cross paths with your crush. You just have to do the research.

Chances are that you already know someone who knows him. Look for those associations and it will be easier than you know. (Make sure that you have briefed yourself on what it means to stalk someone.)

Step Three: If things don't flow naturally from there, move on. Don't try to force a relationship. Recognize your crush for what he or she truly is, not just what you have built your crush up to be. The two of you might not be compatible. It's easy enough to find a new crush in this sea of 5,000 (not to mention those luscious grad-students!). Then go back to step one.

Algeria Aljure is a freshman in Silliman.

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