With spring officially upon Wisconsinites, some say love is in the air. But Marquette students have differing thoughts on the campus dating culture at a Catholic, Jesuit university.
The university promotes “cura personalis,” or care for the whole person, but some students say navigating dating and relationships often reflects the opposite. Casual encounters, social media and party culture play a significant role in forming relationships at Marquette.
Hookup culture, defined by students as casual relationships, sexual encounters and dating, has become a big part of campus life.
“I feel our campus isn’t as bad as a state school or some bigger universities, being a Jesuit college, but we still definitely have a lot of hookup culture prevalent on campus,” Aaron Hunter, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, said.
Hunter describes Marquette’s dating culture as mixed, with students having different intentions based on why they chose to attend the university. Some are drawn to the Jesuit identity, others come for the campus social life or academics, which Hunter said is reflected in how they approach dating.
Jake Green, a first-year student in the College of Arts & Sciences, sees the culture somewhat differently, describing campus as having a more casual relationship scene.
“There are definitely some serious relationships, but I would say the majority of them have to land on the sexual side,” he said.
Arya Jennens, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, mirrored Green’s opinion. She described hookup culture as prevalent among her fellow Golden Eagles.
Jennens added that many students, specifically women, have to navigate wanting a serious, meaningful relationship while adapting to a more casual relationship culture.
“A lot of girls that I know pretend they don’t want something more because a lot of guys they interact with don’t,” she said.
Some students like Jennens, Green and Hunter feel like this culture stems from places like fraternity parties, bars and social settings, since it’s where many students meet.
“I think Greek life is where it starts, especially if you’re in a frat, that’s definitely the vibe, like, ‘Hook up with as many women as you can,’” Hunter said as someone with friends in fraternities.
Dating apps also play a role, students say. Green said platforms like Tinder and Grindr are common ways students connect, and Green noted many users on these apps are typically only interested in casual relationships.
“I feel that a lot of dating apps nowadays really have changed our perspective on dating,” he said. “It makes it a little more difficult because it’s just there — your whole profile — and it’s like you know the person [already]. There’s not the fun of getting to know them.”
The university’s Jesuit identity, students say, has little influence on how relationships on campus work.
Jennens added that campus policies, like residence hall visitation rules, have more of an effect on dating than religious identity does.
While none of the students who spoke with the Wire reported feeling strong personal pressure to participate in casual dating, they said social expectations can still affect students’ behavior based on their individual beliefs.
Jennens said women often face more judgment than men for following hookup culture, and that some LGBTQ+ students may find it harder to meet partners.
While the university openly supports queer students, Jennens said navigating the dating scene for people in the community is hard, especially for one of her friends.
“It’s not a common demographic here, she doesn’t know a lot of events or people who are interested in that,” Jennens said.
Even though there’s no singular definition of dating at Marquette, students say it depends on people’s reasoning for attending Marquette, mixed with their own values about dating in college.
“In college or on your own, you’ve got to feel that out for yourself,” Hunter said.
This story was written by Lillie Martin. She can be reached at [email protected].
