When it comes to dating, the men at Hopkins have a bad reputation.
They're either sketchy frat guys/athletes, or they were long ago lost to the depths of D-Level and have never returned.
One junior, who is certainly not a Milton hermit, speaks anonymously when he declares that he is not as big of a "man whore" as people perceive him to be.
He says he doesn't really date at Hopkins. He has however gone out for coffee with women who mistakenly thought they were actually on a date.
"There is a lot of confusion in regards to dating," he says, "because you are dealing with men and women - beings who don't necessarily always understand each others' signals." According to him, both people have to feel some nervousness or tension for it to be a real date.
But even if the feeling is mutual, the men at Hopkins perceive other obstacles to romance. Sophomore Aaron Tabak says he's been on a whopping three dates "with serious intentions" (i.e., he paid) while at Hopkins. Some women may be expecting a picture-perfect traditional courtship. Boy meets girl. Girl likes boy. Boy calls and asks girl out.
But Tabak speaks to the attitude of a portion of the male population at Hopkins when he says, "They usually find me."
What happens? "Meet someone through a friend," Tabak said. "Take 'em to dinner. Poke them on Facebook. And the rest is history."
Besides differences in the male and female expectations of dating, the general university setting can present a difficult obstacle of its own.
Junior Ilya Bourtman says, "In terms of relationships and hooking-up, college is an unnatural environment. It combines people of all different backgrounds and experiences, and, with a little booze, lets them run rampant. For many this is the first time that they can really experience things."
Recent graduate Jesse Fulton agrees that dating in college is much different than dating someone in "the real world."
"When you're dating someone in college, what do you do? You eat at the dining halls together and get drunk. When you're in the real world you have to deal with life and whatever."
He hasn't gone on dates in a while because he has had a girlfriend. Has their relationship changed since he's been in the real world? "Yeah," he says. "It ended."
Furthermore, it seems to be the general consensus that the close proximity of campus housing makes it hard to maintain an independent sense of identity while committed in a serious relationship. "And if you break up," Tabak says, "you always see them."
Despite the obstacles preventing relationships from forming, once involved, these men seem to put forth a genuine effort.
One claims he's done "the whole rose petals on the bed thing."
Another, junior Brian Benson, gives Mother Nature some credit for his romantic side.
He flew his girlfriend in from out of town for Valentine's Day, and, thanks to two feet of unexpected snow, "what was supposed to be a romantic weekend turned into a six-day lovefest."
Fulton, on the other hand, when asked about the most interesting thing he has ever done on Valentine's Day, responded, "Hmmm- I think I got my driver's license on Valentine's Day. Does that count?"
