Dear Emlyn,
I have a freshman who is in love with me. Is it ethical for me to make him take my laundry to the dry cleaner’s?
Kisses,
Jackie “Launderin’” DeGioia
Dear DeGioia,
That it’s unethical to hold a gun to anybody’s head and demand that he or she do all of your laundry is pretty much a given. Unfortunately. I’ve tried it, and I felt absolutely terrible about myself afterwards. However, if your freshman is offering such services, I say full speed ahead. Who’s it gonna hurt? In fact, this could be a golden opportunity for you. If he’s hopelessly in love and willing to run your errands, why not keep this freshman around under the pretense of platonic friendship? Really skirt the line between “being friendly” and “taking advantage of him.” Let him do your laundry and bring you Sweetgreen and stand in line for your GUGS burger—just make sure to follow up with a polite thank you and something like, “Wow, you’re such a good friend!” to make sure that things don’t go any further. If you really think about it, you’re teaching this freshman not to trust people so easily, which is a valuable lesson! Gosh, you are so nice and thoughtful. He should be grateful!
Dear Emlyn,
As a sophomore back on the Hilltop, I’ve got to start considering my study abroad plans, meaning if and when I’m going to do it. I know which country I want to study abroad in, the only problem is that I love Georgetown so much, and I love my friends even more. Do I study abroad at all? And if so, how do I decide between fall, spring, or maybe summer?
Thanks,
International Love
Dear Love,
I’m having the same issue! As much as I complain about Leo’s and Georgetown’s uneven sidewalks, I really do love the Hilltop and I think it’d be pretty sad to miss out on a semester with my friends. Still, study abroad is a great opportunity and I think you’ll be happy you took the chance to do it, so go ahead and take the plunge. Maybe convince/bribe/force a friend or two to go with you? Also keep in mind that you’ll make new friends when you study abroad, assuming that you’re a generally likeable person who showers regularly. My cousin and his wife met on a UNC study abroad trip to Thailand, so maybe there’s hope for you, too! Maybe.
As for when to go, I’d say either summer or fall. Go in the summer, pay an arm and a leg, and you don’t miss any of the Georgetown action. Or just go in the fall, because everyone knows spring at Georgetown is better anyway. Can you imagine being overseas on Georgetown Day? It pains me to think of such things.
Dear Emlyn,
My roommate and I started out as friends this year. We texted a bit over the summer. I thought he was an okay guy, but once we both got here I’ve been running into problems. He considers me to be his best friend, but I don’t like spending time with him in the least. I find him petty and annoying. What’s worse, he doesn’t like any of the people I’ve grown to be friends with, and takes it as a personal insult if I ever choose to hang out with them over him. So I’d like to just ditch him and hang out with other people, but he would be all alone and hate me for it. What do I do? I shouldn’t be stuck to this kid, should I?
Sincerely,
Detached in Darnall
Dear Detached,
You should never be “stuck” with anyone. Spending time with people that you don’t want to be spending time with is so pointless—you’re a hot commodity, honey, so don’t waste your time. I know it sucks to feel like you’re letting your roommate down, but you have absolutely no obligation to be close friends with him (unless you guys have a really strange roommate contract). Think of it from his perspective. It must suck just as much to have a best friend that only hangs out with you because he feels forced to. Start to gradually give him more and more space: spend time out of the room, meet up with other friends even if your roommate gets upset at first, get involved in other things on campus, etc. That will give him a chance to make some legitimate friends, and at the same time you’ll get sweet, sweet freedom.
