He said, she said: Relationship advice

Q: I want to go campaniling this Friday. How should I handle the situation? Any suggestions on getting a girl to go with me?

He said:

There are multiple ways to go about doing this. There's the safe route, the gutsy route and the random route. I'll elaborate on each, but the main thing to keep in mind is that you don't handle this situation too seriously. Campaniling is a University of Northern Iowa tradition, so make sure that the emphasis is there and not anything too sexual or just plain uncomfortable.

The safe route is to ask a close friend. Again, the key is not to make a big deal out of it. You both trust each other and can both know going in it's nothing awkward. As long as you go about it this way, it'll probably be a good memory to post on the timeline of your friendship.

The gutsy route and most obvious would be to ask a girl you are interested in. Sure there's the chance of bitter rejection or avoidance, but it's at least worth a shot. If there's a mutual interest, how romantic would that first kiss be? College tradition, true feelings shared and souls bonding – cue the violin music!

The random route is just that: random. Find a random girl. Sure it's not exactly kosher, but it's spontaneous. The chances are stacked against you, but who knows, a friendship or even romantic relationship could be the result.

The main idea about all this is going about it in a fun, laid-back way and trying not to be too forward. Let's be honest, using campaniling for something more than fun if you are single is a little creepy. I trust in your good judgment. Be safe, have a solid homecoming, and when you kiss under the campanile, make that extra effort that you aren't transforming it into gratuitous PDA. That's never fun for bystanders, especially single ones.

She said:

If you want to kiss her at midnight, man, take charge and do it. Be confident. You can make it happen if you really want it. Plus I'd be willing to bet she wants to smooch with you too.

If there's a girl you've had your eye on for awhile, possibly someone you're starting something with, it could be fun to give her hints about Friday night.  You could even set it up through text for her to meet you there. Flirting is fun, even through text message. Something short and sweet letting her know you'd love if she met you there. You'll definitely be in suspense to see if she shows up, but what could be more romantic? This way the two of you getting together is more by chance. Things happening by chance or coincidence are a lot more fun than if you know something is going to happen. So if you ended up picking her up and taking her, it might not be as spontaneously romantic.

If you'd like something more planned out, another good idea would be to incorporate your friends and her friends. Let's say a group of you go to the pep rally at 9 p.m. and decide to hang out until campaniling. If you're already walking around campus as a group you could all head over to the campanile together. I know that sometimes pairing up can be awkward but you can gradually get closer and closer to her as the night progresses.

What good is Homecoming if we don't celebrate being young and a college student at UNI? Take advantage of each moment. Don't let opportunities like this pass you by, and even if you get rejected, at least you've still got a story to tell.