"Going steady" to "hooking up"
Staying in a comitted relationship while others are in casual hook ups
Katy Lange
Issue date: 11/10/08 Section: Tempo
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Students seem to have gone from traditional dating to "hooking up."
According to Kathleen Bogle, author of "Hooking Up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus," "The college environment is very conducive to hooking up. On campus, there is a relatively homogenous population of young men and women living in close proximity to each other with no strictly enforced rules monitoring their behavior. Students generally socialize amongst themselves, which fosters a sense of safety or comfort, and they share the mantra that college is a time to 'let loose' and party."
With a multitude of parties and variety of people, depending on the size of the school, it is easy to see why a student would rather "hook up" with multiple people rather than settle down with just one person. But for those who still believe in finding one person to stay committed to, there is no need to worry that dating is disappearing.
Relationships are still found on college campuses, including here at Lewis. Freshman Nancy Guerrero, an accounting major, who has been dating her boyfriend for the past eight months, is proof of such fact.
Unfortunately, their dates only go as far as Charlie's Place, due to a lack of cars. Guerrero, however, loves having her boyfriend, a fellow freshman at Lewis, living on campus. In fact, they even live in the same dorm, which makes it even easier to see one another.
"I get to see him more often than I did when we were at home. At home I'd only see him once a day, when we had school and on the weekends," said Guerrero.
Here on campus, Guerrero gets to see her boyfriend at least a few times a day, including spending dinner with him and being able to stop at his dorm at night just to say "goodnight."
However, having her boyfriend on campus also has its downfalls as well. "He can be a bit overprotective," stated Guerrero, especially when it comes to attention from other guys.
Michelle Delgado, a freshman business administration major, is also in a committed relationship; however, unlike Guerrero, her boyfriend is an hour away, as opposed to the floor below.
Delgado's boyfriend, whom she's been dating the last 7 months, attends Northern Illinois University; however, being an hour apart hasn't put a hold on their relationship.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Susan Walsh
posted 11/10/08 @ 12:07 PM CST
For young women frustrated by the hookup scene, and wanting a relationship, check out www.hookingupsmart.com for support and information on how to make it happen. (Continued…)
Brad Punko
posted 11/10/08 @ 7:19 PM CST
In today's scary world I think students feeling of "invincibility" needs to be confronted. Make sure someone always knows where you are going and when you are due back. (Continued…)
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