Recently, there have been an alarming number of people who have begun dating within the Washington Seminar. This, to me, prompts several different feelings. There's an adorable couple that can speak German and so no one understands them being sappy, and they're just really cute together. There's a couple, who are in my group of friends, incidentally, who have recently begun canoodling on a regular basis, who people don't really expect to last past the summer (if that long). There's a couple that started dating in the first few weeks of the Seminar, and then broke up, and now it's really awkward for both of them. It's these last two couples that prompt my small rant tonight.
Now, the program has, at most, 30 students in it. We all live in the same little house. We're all part of a really huge ward, but because the ward is so stinkin' huge, we all end up mostly hanging around each other every day of the week, for quite a bit of time. Normally, I would simply enjoy this interaction. In fact, I really like having a group of friends that I can go on adventures with, and that I can just hang out with. It makes life more convenient, to say the least.
Once people within the group start to pair off, however, you cause some issues. First, before you're actually dating, there's that terrible time where everyone knows that you want to date each other because you're like...Touching each other and rubbing noses and talking in baby voices and flirting by faking arguments and all that stuff that can be really unfortunate to watch. Why not just stop watching it then, right? Well, that's another problem. There are only a few places in which this canoodling can be done. There is the rec room downstairs in the basement, and the lobbies on both floors. Either way, it's not pleasant for anyone who stumbles upon you. Thirdly, once you start dating, you remove yourself from a social group that you had likely been a part of. If you started dating at the beginning of the semester and now find yourself single, you have to figure out how to fit into groups of people who don't involve your ex.
That's the worst part. How on earth do you make it work when you break up? The group is only so big, and there's no where that you can hide. Once you start dating, everyone in the program knows it, and once you break up, they also ALL know it. Now, if you don't end up breaking up, and things just work out (as I think they will for the cute couple that can speak German together), then you're great. Congratulations, you're on the road to eternal happiness--collect $200 as you pass GO.
If it weren't for this German Couple, I would suggest that Washington Seminar start to add some rules about not dating while doing the program. Sure, it's not going to happen, but I plan on doing my part to avoid the drama.
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4 comments:
We had a few of those flings during our semester there. Surprisingly, three of them ended up getting married. Two people got married to other people who were living in the area at the time, and one couple within the Barlow Center ended up getting married.
I couldn't agree more. That was a spectacular rant. 5/5 and then some.
You, know there's a quote that applies here. "Dating within your ward (or seminar) is like peeing in the pool. At first you don't mind, but then you have to swim in it."
Apropos, don't you think?
Happened when I was in Seminar as well. I think it happens on every study abroad type program at BYU. It gets mighty uncomfortable when you spend 24/7 together in the shoe box that is the Barlow.
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