Winter is back, which means it gets darker earlier and it’s cold all the time. Inevitably, seasonal depression comes back around and most of us get a bit lonely if we’re not cuddling up with someone by the fire. So, cuffing season is back, and it seems everyone has different feelings about it.
After living through a pandemic and quarantine, we are all searching for connection with others more than ever. On a college campus like Colgate, this usually manifests in the form of hookup culture. The Jug perpetuates this culture even further. Enough said about that…
Especially being a first-year student, it seems all anyone wants these days is to hook up with someone and never talk to them again. It’s the ambiguity around all of hookup culture that’s the most confusing in my opinion.
You would think you would be able to be friends with the person or talk to them afterwards, but if you dare see them around campus, you avoid all contact with them. It’s even possible that obsession overtakes you because you feel like they owe you a connection.
As a result of hookup culture, many people might start to think real relationships can’t be possible at Colgate. We might also convince ourselves that we don’t want a relationship anyway.
It obviously depends on the person, but I don’t think hookup culture is beneficial in the long term. It makes many people feel isolated and like they’ll never be good enough for a real relationship. Emotions are messy, but that’s an extremely important part of life and forming connections with those around you.
For some people who have extremely busy schedules and commitments, such as athletes, this might be an easier alternative to a relationship. I’m not a student athlete, so I can’t speak for them on that, but I think it’s worth considering how your academic and athletic life affect your relationships with others.
Hookup culture promotes a lack of emotional attachment, and this can create instability in one’s life. I’m hopeful that as we get older, we can move past hookup culture and get back to forming real connections that aren’t commitment free.