By Victoria DiMartino, Contributing Writer
Would you risk the coronavirus for love?
Here at Susquehanna we’ve been pretty lucky, four weeks in and only a few positive cases. Has that caused us to let our guard down? On a campus that is relatively respectful of the rules and of each other, we’ve seemed to have struck gold. We have our own little bubble of safety. Our own little community that seems to be removed from the COVID crisis in a way that would make you forget that it was going on if you didn’t see everyone constantly masked up.
So, who can you trust?
If you’re anything like me that might not be an easy question. Even the people you once greeted with hugs and kisses might now be called into the interrogation room of your mind for a sit down on how much you can trust them to keep you safe. So, how do you determine what you’re going to do with people you’re just meeting or trying to date? While people might be wearing masks to class and out on the Deg patio, you don’t know what they’re doing in the four walls of their dorm room. Can you trust a stranger with your health?
It’s up to you to decide. And while you mull over that question, more seem to rise to the surface. Is it selfish to de-mask around a new person? Are you endangering the community when you choose to break a rule? Are these rules even working or is it just luck? If I de-mask now, and was super cautious when this all started, am I throwing away all the work I did to keep myself safe? Am I a hypocrite if I change my personal mask policy for the sake of a cute date?
Whether or not you choose to de-mask or keep your mask on is up to you. Just like when you decide on your boundaries for first dates, choosing what to do with your mask is really up to you.
So, when does the mask come off?
You’ve decided to take the leap and ask that cute girl on a date. Are you going to pick a date that doesn’t need you to take off your mask or are you ok with going for ice cream together? You want to see her face, right? It feels like if you don’t take off the mask you’re not truly getting to know the person. The mask sometimes creates a physical barrier that translates into a mental one too.
And what about flings or hookups? If you know it’s not going to lead to anything serious do you even put in the effort to do a full face of makeup in case you do happen to take off your mask? Or is it an incentive to keep it on? At the end of it all, if you know you probably won’t see the person again, do you risk possibly transmitting the disease along further by taking it off with someone you don’t know?
And what are you even searching for right now? If you know you’re not looking for something serious, do you just toss caution to the wind? Now when we examine what we want it comes with an extra set of rules to be lined up with the community health agreement.
While yes, one person taking off their mask might not lead to an outbreak, we know that our masks serve more to protect others than ourselves. We would be remiss to think that we don’t have some kind of impact on the world, so when it comes down to it, your dating does affect the world after all.
There is no perfect response or way to live right now. It’s hard and I’ve said it once and I’ll say it, dating has gotten a lot harder since COVID hit. So, what do you do now when you want your goodnight kiss? They’ve walked you home and how do you do the unspoken dance of a goodnight kiss! If you’ve worn your masks all night will it freak the other person out if you take it off? Does this signal of doing so give them an out in case they really don’t want to kiss you? Or does it all just take away the fun of the moment?
The mask question is a big one, but one that if you are out there searching for love, you should really consider. Your health and the health of others is important, your semester is important, but so is your love life and your happiness. Determine for yourself what is worth the risk.
