The crowd at Kilroy’s on Kirkwood on a Friday afternoon is a thin mix of friends grabbing a late lunch, loners staked out at the bar, and a few waiters taking advantage of the excess space to organize some clean glassware.
It’s not necessarily the ideal hour to meet singles, although upon mention of it, people eagerly share their advice.
“Do you know of a girl who looks like you that would be interested in me?”
That’s what waitress Milana Page heard from a stranger one night at Alley Bar. That stranger is now her boyfriend.
“Just go easy, man. Chicks will talk back if they want to talk to you,” says another guy seated at the bar. “People go up and say the same shit. If you can say something interesting, that’s rule number one. She’s expecting that.”
But Kilroy’s on Kirkwood isn’t the only place for dating advice.
Patrick Nagel, a health educator at the IU Health Center, organized a speed dating event for the Health Center’s annual Sexploration Week for students at the beginning of the semester, in which he concentrated all of the Do’s and Dont’s of dating into a few timed sessions.
Nagel, who graduated from IU earlier this year, says dating requires more patience in a college town, where the weekend social scene often lends itself to hookups more so than actual dates.
“Sometimes when alcohol is involved, it’s kind of hard to propose something for future reference as opposed to just for the night,” he says.
For those seeking more than a one-night stand, Nagel says getting involved in activities and organizations on campus or in town is another great way to meet people.
But what do you do once you spot that potential someone?
Upon meeting someone, Nagel says humor is the best way to open up a conversation with a potential date, especially at a bar or a party.
“The best kind of humor would be observational humor,” he says. “Making note of a kind on lighthearted event that’s going on is always a good start.”
And a good wingman or woman alongside never hurts.
“A wingman is a nice little buffer,” Nagel says. “Sometimes, at least for myself, I can tell that I’m on my game when I’ve got a good friend of mine there and we can bat jokes off each other and have a good time with it. That also helps take the pressure off the situation.”
But for those who prefer being a lone wolf, Nagel says it can be completely acceptable to go to a bar or party alone.
“I think it depends on the individual,” he says. “If you are gregarious enough to pop into a conversation or come up with a joke, the more power to you.”
But perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when looking for singles in Bloomington is to not have high expectations or overthink the situation.
“Dating has definitely lost some of its formality,” Nagel says. “But I think that’s a good step because everyone’s nervous enough about a date. You don’t need more rules and restrictions on top of what you should be doing.”
