Dating apps? Mutual friends? Student org events? How does one get into a relationship at here? Reporter Michelle Hwang takes on the mystery of finding love on Northwestern’s campus.
This story originally aired as part of our WNUR News: Unsolved special broadcast.
ON FEBRUARY 14TH, CUTE LITTLE HEARTS AND “I LOVE YOU” MESSAGES FLOODED INSTAGRAM STORY AFTER INSTAGRAM STORY AND THE NORTHWESTERN RELATIONSHIP MYSTERY IGNITED ONCE MORE.
“HOW ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE FINDING RELATIONSHIPS? AND ON THIS CAMPUS?”
HOWEVER, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOLVED THE MYSTERY. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE CRACKED THE CASE AND FOUND A SIGNIFICANT OTHER.
WEINBERG SOPHOMORES AUDREY ZHOU AND MASON BRYANT ARE TWO OF THEM.
[MASON BRYANT] The first time I really knew was last year. We were in Frans, and I had just come back from a play, and I was being very obnoxious. I was being silly and lying and she stopped and said “You lie a lot”. That’s when I knew.
FROM THERE, MASON AND AUDREY’S FRIENDSHIP RELATIONSHIP REALLY STARTED TO PROGRESS THROUGH A “BOOK CLUB”.
[AUDREY ZHOU] I was talking about how, growing up, I never let myself indulge in romance novels. So I was texting him, and I was like “Oh, I never read any of those books” and he was like “oh yeah, me too.” But then I was like, “okay, what if we read a romance book together at the same time? Like it’s a little book club, like the two of us.”
WEINBERG FRESHMAN AJA FRAZIER MET HER BOYFRIEND, MCCORMICK FRESHMAN DONNY CARL, THROUGH A MUTUAL FRIEND. THEY SAW EACH OTHER CONSTANTLY AT EVENTS HOSTED BY THEIR FRIEND’S SCHOLARSHIP HOUSE.
[AJA FRAZIER] During those events, we just were joking with each other, like kind of teasing each other while we played some games together. And then while that was happening, we talked about things we just happened to have in common. Like we have the same tastes in video games, we have the same humor.
THINGS CAME TO A HEAD DURING ONE LATE-NIGHT STROLL.
[AF] I noticed that he was rambling about something, so I was just kind of like “You know what, whatever” and I told him how I felt about him and he felt the same way.
MEDILL FRESHMAN JULIET ALLEN AND HER PARTNER, ELENI TECOS, ARE A WILDCAT WELCOME COUPLE, BUT ONE OF THE RARE CASES THAT HAVE LASTED.
THEY MET IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME AT FIRST NIGHT NORTHWESTERN.
HOWEVER, THINGS DIDN’T START PROGRESSING UNTIL A PARTICULARLY BOLD MOMENT FROM ELENI.
[JA] We actually stood outside of the MFC talking about other people that we were interested in. And then something came up about types, and the funny thing about my type is that the only people who ever ask me what my type is are people who are my type. And so Eleny was like “Well what’s your type”, and I was like, “Um… curly haired brunettes”. And they were like “That’s me” and so they’re like “So, you trying to date me then?”
THESE COUPLES ALL HAVE DIFFERENT ORIGIN STORIES.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A SIMILAR THROUGH-LINE APPARENT IN THEIR STORIES. THESE RELATIONSHIPS CAME WHEN THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WEREN’T FOCUSED ON FINDING ONE
[AF] The events I would go to would be events that I was interested in. They had movie nights every now and then, and stuff like that, and he just so happened to be at the same events that I was. I wasn’t particularly going out of my way to do anything, but it just kind of happened.
BEFORE HER RELATIONSHIP WITH MASON, AUDREY WAS SEARCHING. SHE DABBLED IN DATING APPS A BIT AS WELL. HOWEVER, NOTHING CAME ABOUT UNTIL SHE LET GO OF THAT DESIRE.
[AZ] New years resolution about stop wanting a boyfriend so badly.
FOR JULIET, HER FOCUS WAS ON MEETING PEOPLE. NOT NECESSARILY IN THE RELATIONSHIP SENSE, BUT MORE IN THE COMMUNITY SENSE.
[JA] I was definitely keeping my eye out for people, but not necessarily in a relationship sense. I just was curious about who was here.
GATHERING FROM THE STORIES OF THESE COUPLES, THE SOLUTION TO THE RELATIONSHIP MYSTERY MIGHT JUST BE TO
[AF] Do the things that you love, and you will meet people who love the same things through that.
WHILE UNDERSTANDING THAT
[MB] I think the popular conception of relationship is, once you get into one, you’re objectively happy. Like all your problems are solves. That’s obviously not true. That’s not why you should look for a relationship. I think you look once you’re already happy with your life and you’ve found someone who does something else.
AND KNOW THAT
[JA] As soon as you stop looking at everyone like a potential partner or trying to force connections with people who you think might be a good partner, it’ll come.
IN CONCLUSION, LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE, LET THE UNIVERSE DO ITS THING AND LOVE WILL FIND YOU.
FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M MICHELLE HWANG.
