As a college freshman, you have a lot on your mind. While finding your classes and decorating your dorm room are important, you can’t forget about the dating scene. Have no fear, Temple is home to thousands of good-looking, interesting people who are just as psyched about dating as you are. For your convenience, we mapped out the best places on campus to scope some hotties.
Class
The best opportunity to get to know someone is being in a classroom with them for three hours each week. Plus, you already have at least one interest (or burden) in common. If someone catches your eye, grab a seat around them and try chatting before or after class about your required reading or your thoughts on the professor. After a few days (or weeks) of small talk, mention that you’re in serious need of a caffeine fix and invite your “friend” to join you. For those on the shy side, be optimistic: You have the entire semester to work up the nerve.
Dorms
For the next year, many of you will essentially be sharing a home with hundreds of new people. The No. 1 way to go about meeting them is to just be friendly. Get to know your roommates and get to know their friends. Your social network has the potential to explode (in a good way). Also, walk around and see who’s hanging out in the halls or has their door open. Remember, everyone here is in the same boat as you are, so if someone seems receptive, introduce yourself, compare schedules and become friends – or at the very least, Facebook friends.
Beury Beach
This is the large patch of grass by the Bell Tower where people go to sunbathe, hang with friends, eat, study and relax. You’ll find all sorts of people out here, from jocks to free-spirited musicians to students who simply appreciate the value of a nice day in the city. Most people on the beach come with friends, so bring along some familiar faces if you don’t like the idea of approaching a group of people while flying solo.
House/frat parties
Even though Temple is known for its academics, the party scene isn’t too shabby either. At more exclusive parties, you may have to know someone to be admitted. However, many party hosts exercise a more-the-merrier philosophy. Activities vary from party to party, but music and dancing are always givens. Striking up a conversation at parties is fairly easy since partygoers are generally laid back. Most of the fraternities are located along 16th Street. Frat parties tend to be larger and crazier than house parties, but be safe in both cases: stick with your friends and keep an eye on your beverage.
Free Food and fun Fridays
Texas Hold ’Em, karaoke, Latin dancing and 90s trivia are just a few of the activities you’ll find Friday nights on campus. Located in the Howard Gittis Student Center Atrium, Free Fridays take place from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. almost every week of the semester. They offer free food, chances to win cash prizes, and opportunities to meet outgoing people. People who live on or nearby campus, are under 21, and prefer activities to parties (at least some of the time) usually attend. Even if you don’t go home with any phone numbers, there’s always the possibility of hitting the jackpot on Casino Night.
Clubs
It turns out that extracurricular activities aren’t just for high school kids. At Temple, you’ll find organizations for nearly every cause or interest: Temple Paintball, Broad Street Line Acappella and WHIP Student Radio station, to name a few. Joining an organization will give you the opportunity to meet like-minded people with guaranteed similar interests. Attend a few meetings and see if the cause (or the people) piques your interest. For more information about student organizations at Temple, go to the Office of Student Activities in the Student Center.
New Student Center (SAC II)
Located on 13th Street between Montgomery and Cecil B. Moore avenues, the new SAC is ideal for meeting new people. The lounge area is usually packed with people, many of them playing cards and socializing. The game room is host to pool tables, ping-pong, foose ball, air hockey and plenty of people who might like to be challenged to a game by an interesting person. When you manage to get a date, why not take them to The Reel, the movie theater on the lower level of the new SAC? The Reel shows films from the past two years. Admission is $2 for Temple students and $4 for any non-Temple affiliated friends.
Katie Ionata can be reached at kathryn.ionata@temple.edu.
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