Wait 30 days before opening

The 30-Day Rule encourages students to wait to start serious relationships. Some students don't always take this to heart. Photo illustration by Marissa Hochstetler.

by Josh Booth – Horizon Features Editor
I’m sure you all have heard of the “Five Second Rule,” right? That’s the one that says if you drop your food on the ground it is still safe to eat if picked up within five seconds. I’ll admit it; I’m a follower of this rule. I’ve already eaten cookies and chips I’ve dropped in my mod and I’m not ashamed of it. Then there’s the “Three Day Rule,” which is when you wait three days before calling the number a girl gave you. Now there is a new rule to add to the list.

In case you were asleep for all of the orientations these past couple of weeks, freshmen at Hesston College are being informed of a thing called the “30 Day Rule.” The basic concept behind this is for the freshmen to intermingle with one another and build friendly bonds before thinking about taking it a step further.

To dig deeper into the layout of the 30 Day Rule, I spoke to Mitch Stutzman, Resident Director, who provided some background.

“The Hesston College ’30 Day Meet and Greet Moratorium of Dating’ has been in practice for years,” he said. “The first time the unspoken rule was spoken was at the beginning of the 2008-2009 academic year by the Bills and Normas. The rule, however, has been around for some time.”

With any rule in society, people must believe in its purpose.

“The purpose of the Hesston College “30 Day Meet and Greet Moratorium of Dating” is to encourage students to learn to know as many people as they can on campus. The intent is to encourage broader community rather than have students focus on one romantic interest,” said Mitch.

Morgan Martin, a freshman, is a big believer in the rule.

“At the beginning of the year, people should be focused on creating strong friendships,” she said. “If you date before then, you miss seeing how that person interacts with a large group. It is healthy to wait thirty days before starting a relationship. After that if you feel there is still a strong connection then go for it! Just be smart.”

With rules come consequences for those who choose to break them. While Hesston College isn’t going to make you pay an “Early Relationship Tax,” you may “not get to fully know the campus community,” as Mitch put it.

There are roughly 500 of us living here; each with our own stories, full of sorrow and excitement, and missing out on the chance to hear them is definitely something you do not want to regret.

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