A breakfast date. This is what Windy Booher proposed in her column, "Breakfast at Tiffany's in true Amherst style" (Dec. 5, 2001). Sounds like a good idea, at least at first, but it's hard for me to imagine a guy saying, "Pick you up at 10 (a.m., that is)." I really don't think the dating problem at Amherst can be attributed to or solved by the time of day that people go out. Perhaps it would be easier for a shy guy to ask a girl out for breakfast because there would seem to be less pressure. At the same time, if no one is asking you out, period, this will not help. If someone really likes you, he will ask you out, hopefully, be it for morning, noon or night.
Logistically speaking, the breakfast date is not easy. Who is going to get up at 10 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday morning unless he or she has to? Those of you that have been to Valentine at this time on the weekend know that it's Deadsville. There's also the chance that you or your date will wake up at 10:30 a.m. and say, "Oh no, I overslept for my date!" While it's probably true that "no one plays any complicated mating games at breakfast," I don't think anybody wants to. Actually, I think that breakfast is the meal that people least mind eating alone (any day of the week) because they are either half-asleep or too busy going over notes to talk to you. After dating the same guy for a while, I wouldn't mind a breakfast date, but as a first date, it is out of the question.
In my experience at Amherst, I think the lack of dating is due to the fact that many people do not want a boyfriend or girlfriend. I have heard the trite, "I'm not ready for a relationship/commitment right now," and the "I don't have time for a girlfriend" bit too many times. There are certainly a lot of weekend hook-ups and a few steady couples at the College, but there is not much in between. This leaves many people with nothing. The only consolation for the lovelorn is that most of their friends are not dating anyone either, so at least they are not alone.
I know that Amherst is the right place for me concerning my academic interests, but as far as the excitement of dating goes, it looks like I came to the wrong place.
Christine Ondreicka '04