Every year, each junior class has to undergo the mostly dreaded Dating Project.  The class this Project takes place in, is the Catholic Sex and Marriage classes, which are taught this year by Mr. Peter Galmish, Mrs. Brittany Storgaard, and Mr. Josh Havey.

For those of you that don’t know, the Dating Project is an assignment that requires you to ask that special someone out on a genuine date.  This idea came from a Boston professor who realized a decade ago, that not many people go on actual dates anymore in our “hook-up culture”.  In this culture, people want to have a good time one night without any commitment, and go back to their lives the next morning.

What is the importance of having a serious relationship that you start by going on dates with?

Is there an importance, or can you succeed just as much as anyone else if you don’t go on dates?

The core to these answer lies in the person.

Going on dates allows you to understand another person in a non-school setting, and in a sense, allows you to understand another person intimately.  However, when you go on a first date in any relationship, it doesn’t have to start in a romantic setting.  Dating friends is just another hangout, so does dating add to a relationship?

Dating definitely adds to a relationship, but not always in the ways you might think.  Typically, dates are seen as the first step in establishing a serious relationship.  While it can be, it doesn’t have to be.  When you go on a date, you also get to work on valuable communication skills, and through trial and error, you learn how to be interesting, and if you don’t already, you can learn how to talk to people in an intimate setting without being nervous or awkward about it.

So dating does add to a relationship in the sense that it could lead to an intimate relationship, but it could also lead to a stronger friendship.  Henceforth, do you need to date in high school and/or college to be able to be in a close relationship when you find that special someone?

Generically, dating in high school and college will prepare you for going on dates when you do find someone special.  But you don’t NEED to go on dates to be able to get into a strong close relationship with somebody.  The already established skills that make a date valuable can be learned elsewhere.  As long as you know how to talk to people, and know how to respect other people, you can wait to date until you find the person you fall in love with, and then grow in your relationship.

The Dating Project gets mixed feelings among students.  You either like it, or you would rather spend your time doing other things.  But ultimately, the Dating Project gives you an excuse to go with either a friend or your crush, and get to know them better.