TRAVIS HOMENUK/Opinions Editor & ALEX WERENKA 

Love is in the air. You’re coming back to school looking toned, tanned and ready to flirt. And now it’s time to find love — or at least some fall fun.

Before venturing into the exciting worlds of love, sex and everything that goes with it, we want to first encourage sexual positivity. As students, we are in a place where sex is a means of relieving stress and having fun. Making someone feel bad for their harmless sexual escapades is cruel, ignorant and exemplifies the hypocrisy of double standards. Don’t do it.

Part of dating culture involves being open to sexual experimentation while still being safe and level headed about what — or whom you are doing — so be smart about your encounters and use protection. Don’t forget that condoms are available free of charge in most USSU Centres on campus.

Consent is essential to any and every intimate encounter you may have. Remember: “yes” makes sex, sex.

Also, try not to fall into the trap of heteronormativity — not everyone is straight and not everyone has a defined sexual preference. There are a plethora of new terms to become familiar with such as pansexual, monogamist and transgender. Be accepting at all costs.

In the same vein, be sure that you respect your housemates if you do bring a lover home — unless they are your parents. If that’s the case, don’t worry about it! Your folks have been having sex in your house since your conception. It’s time you got some action too, right?

Now that we’ve covered the precursory actions, it’s time to get down to the fun stuff: how to meet people.

As a student at the University of Saskatchewan campus, be aware that “Usask Confessions” and “Usask Secret Admirers” are going to be rampant with posts about cute people on campus. Sometimes there are success stories that pop up from those who connected as a result of these pages, but mostly it’s people calling out their friends or ranting. Nonetheless, it’s a fun place to announce to the world your newest crush or attraction, so do it! If anyone says that they don’t want to stumble upon a post about themselves, they’re lying.

On the other hand, Kijiji is not something we would recommend checking out unless you are feeling particularly adventurous. There are posts on there for anyone and everyone, though many sound quite questionable. Be aware that if there is a dollar sign in the title or post, that means it’s for pay. We’ve heard of girls selling their own underwear on there as a way to supplement their incomes without full on selling their milkshakes. We know university is expensive, but we hope no student is that desperate. Maybe reserve Kijiji for apartment hunting and couch shopping.

However, there are a few dating sites like Plenty of Fish or Match.com that are viable options. When you pay for an account it usually means you will meet people who are more serious about relationships. Make a profile and talk to some new people. You never know until you try, right? Just don’t make your profile name anything too suggestive, and try to keep your online pictures appropriate.

The nice thing about online dating is that you don’t have to talk to everyone; you can be selective and block people who you don’t have a connection with. We know numerous individuals who’ve fallen in love with their online dating matches, so relationships can be found. You can also find people who just want to hook up, if that’s what you’re looking for.

If you’re a smart phone user, there is a new app called Tinder which is used as a means for men and women to meet up. Similar to Grindr, which is oriented towards male on male fun, Tinder connects you to people within a certain distance using your Facebook information. It’s seems like a good app, though there are not a lot of people from Saskatoon on it yet.

And, in case you’re an old fashioned romantic, one of the most surefire ways to meet new people and create a connection is to talk to them in person. Duh! The U of S hosts events like Usask Secret Admirers Live, which takes place on Sept. 17  at Louis. While meeting people in person is more terrifying, it can also be the most rewarding.

Don’t hide behind the façade of the internet if you can help it! Talk to that cute person in your class, join a club and meet people with common interests, dance with the twerker at the club and be their twerkee, ask for a number or add them to Facebook. Flirt, be charming and, most of all, be you. There are thousands of single people on campus and in Saskatoon. One strikeout is not going to dash all of your future opportunities, so keep trying!

If Honey Boo Boo’s mom found love, we can too.

—
Graphic: Cody Schumacher/Graphic Editor