Meg Musilli, Managing Editor
Oh, summer. We're all looking forward to that time of few responsibilities, flip-flops and flings, right? Except that some of us are faced with a tough decision before that time comes…
No, I'm not talking about the choice between making minimum wage at Target or Walmart. Rather, the choice of whether or not to continue that lovely relationship you've got going on here at Geneseo.
Honestly, this is a difficult topic because it truly depends on the person at hand. I could rant for pages about how the summer is perfect for spending time by yourself and gaining control back over the life you lost to the college workload. I could also go on about how these next three months of relaxation also serve as a great opportunity for pursuing that person you've been pining over all year, but just haven't had the time to establish anything with. Or I could say that it's an awesome time to revitalize a relationship, now that there are fewer responsibilities and more time to spend with each other doing things you both enjoy. And then again, I could promote summer flings, which are always exciting, to say the least.
So, where do we go from here? The way I see it, summer is a time to do whatever is going to make you happy. It is a time for personal reflection and a way to regroup before you're hit with another semester full of work, drama and opportunities.
If that means you need to take the summer away from your significant other, do it. Don't hesitate; there's always next semester (sorry, seniors, you're on your own with this one). If there's the slightest internal debate going on in your head, recognize it and realize that you probably need time apart to reflect upon yourself without the stress of maintaining a relationship with someone else.
On the other hand, if being with that special someone makes you happy, despite the distance and difference in social atmospheres, keep it going. Why lose something you're confident about just because of a couple months apart? Road trips are great, and visiting your partner's hometown can allow you to learn a lot more about that person than you do when you're stuck in Geneseo.
This may seem like a cop-out article, and I apologize for that, but there's no way I can give a definite answer on this one. My only advice - take from it what you will - is to use these wonderful summer months to focus on you.
Aaron Davis, Opinion Editor
The semester's drawing to a brilliant close, everyone is stressed as hell and "sleep" is rumored to be some kind of elusive creature that lives in the Andes Mountains.
You know what you need? Some summer lovin'. And not just any lovin'! You need the kind that only Geneseo can give.
OK, that sounds pretty stupid, even to me (and I'm noted for saying pretty stupid things). What I mean is this: Over the summer, why not pursue that crush that you haven't been able to all year?
I mean, let's face it, between schoolwork, actual work, good friends and a substantial amount of alcohol-oriented gaming, there really isn't much time to go out and meet people. The whole hook-up scene is largely confined to two options: Your immediate circle of friends (rarely a good idea) or the Inn Between. Sure, sometimes good things come from the IB. More often than not, though, only ruin leaves that evil place (though they make some damn fine drinks).
Maybe there's some smoking hot girl you had some sort of chemistry with while you were working on a group project. There was flirting. She complimented that butt ugly sweater your grandma gave you. Hell, she even laughed at what you said even when you weren't joking. Actually, she might have been laughing at you. Anyway, the point is, there was chemistry, right?
But you move in different circles. Other than that one class, you don't see each other And this is where summer comes in.
Now, bear with me. Considering the way populations work in this school, I think you have a one in three shot that anyone you're into will wind up in your vicinity during the summer (I'm an English major, don't ask for the fuzzy pseudo-mathematics I employed). Those are pretty good odds that I just made up! And other than a summer job, maybe a class or two, what do you really have to do over the summer? It's the ideal situation to have a Grease-esque story, what with making out under docks and having cars and stuff. That's a timely reference, right?
Then when you get back to school, you either continue the whole romance thing or just cut it loose. Summer love is supposed to be a fling, anyway. People go into the situation expecting it.
So in sum: Take the summer as an excuse to hook up without strings attached and see what happens. Can't hurt, right?