Enaged and enraged

Jessa:

 When a young woman arrives on campus as a freshman during her first week of Crusader-dom, she is stricken by the beauty of her surroundings—the majestic rolling pastures of the quad, the historic buildings and the gazebo where she will ultimately be proposed to.

Of course, all of this beauty and hope for a fairy tale ending dissipates when she realizes several hundred other girls are vying for the same thing—the elusive ring by spring.

So as the first week of classes begins, the new UMHB-ite scopes out the competition in the jungle that is Hardy Hall. She looks at every individual of the male species eating his pizza and bowl of cereal as her likely mate.

But what she doesn’t bargain for is that the guy whom she has already married in her mind’s eye is only concerned with the bowl of Cocoa Puffs in front of him and what level of Guitar Hero he will be exploring that day when he skips his British Literature class.

Girls definitely have it harder when it comes to the dating experience.

For one, it is next to impossible to let a guy know you like him unless the heavens open up and reveal it. And if we happen to get through the haze of manly oblivion, there’s the endless waiting for him to act on his feelings.

But when that day finally comes when he awkwardly asks the girl to go eat with him in Hardy, it seems to be worth it. However, she has to worry about how she consumes every bite.

Eating too fast and too much would make her seem like a pig, while eating too little or not enough makes the guy think she’s not normal. So, there the girl sits, in her new outfit, trying to eat at the right speed so the guy will ask her out on a real date.

Every moment for the next few days, the girl watches her cell phone like it has the secret of life displayed as wallpaper. Every time the screen glows with an incoming call, the girl’s heart skips a beat with the hope that the said prospective is trying to contact her.

At last, there is his phone number, newly added to the girl’s SIM card, flashing on the screen. She practices her “hello” a few times and then answers the call with her most sophisticated version of the greeting.

After the date is set, the waiting and worrying begins again.

And then, somehow the moment comes when she has to face the knock at the door that will either bring her prince charming or a guy she’ll laugh about with her future husband.

The door opens, and there’s no turning back.

For girls, there are no certainties. 

Jared:

On Feb. 1, 1845, a charter was given to start what is now known as the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. When this educational establishment was founded, I am quite sure that the founding fathers, Judge R.E.B. Baylor,  the Rev. William Tryon and the Rev. James Huckins, set out with one idea in mind—ring by spring.

Few things are as intrinsically intertwined into the fabric of the Crusader student body as dating. Whether it is Date Auction, speed dating or the fabled M.R.S. degree, you can’t throw a squirrel without hitting a couple. Obviously, I am guilty as charged. I am a beneficiary of the dating scene here on campus. It is, however, fun to observe from the engaged side of it all.

What I don’t get is how girls can claim that they have the hard job when it is obviously more work for the male half of the world. What do they really have to do? Guys get all the hard jobs.

Let’s start at the beginning. The guy notices that certain someone in his Old Testament survey class. While the professor is discussing the importance of Melchizedek, all the guy is thinking about is her. Tradition holds that the guy puts forth the effort and approaches the girl. This is either the ultimate victory or the ultimate defeat. The guy puts his heart on the line. The girl just has to say yes or no.

    If the guy is lucky enough to make it past the first stage of the relationship gauntlet, hard work follows. It’s not bad enough that he had to risk it all to ask her, now he has to impress her with a five-hour marathon of romance.

Girls on this campus need to realize that while chivalry might be dead elsewhere in the world, it is alive and kicking here. This is evident with the first date. A good guy has to go to the girl’s dorm/apartment/box in the Quad and pick her up. From there, it is on to a restaurant.

Let’s discuss restaurants for a minute. Chasing is not as easy as it seems. You have to pick one that at least seems expensive. No Burger King here. The food selection is also important. If the girl doesn’t like the food he picks, it could all be over. From there, it is on to one of the four or so options that are actually available in this area.

Assuming the guy has not yet messed up, after the date, the ball is again in his court. Should he call? How long should he wait? Should there be a second date? These questions haunt a man’s head and keep him from sleeping at night. From there it’s a simple cycle. Make call, plan date, pay for date.

Don’t get me wrong. The payoff is worth it, but girls need to realize how much work goes into a date. Creativity is not normally a guy’s forte. Plus, if we go to school here, there is a chance we’re poor, especially after tuition increases.