2008 Woodie Awards
Buy a ring, win $5K!
Peter Burke, Opinions Editor
Issue date: 2/27/07
Last Updated: 8/9/07
The contest itself is not a problem, the problem is that the contest is a contributing factor to burning the Ring by Spring" mentality into the psyche of so many Whitworth students.
Take as an example an acquaintance of mine that has been dating for more than two years, but has not popped the question yet. I do not know his reason, but the fact is that when I have been around him this semester, at least three people have asked him if he has asked his girlfriend to marry him yet. How frustrating must that be for him? I can hardly imagine what his girlfriend must be going through as her friends put pressure on her about when she thinks it will happen, or even how she feels while so many friends are setting wedding dates while she is finishing up her senior year.
The reason he and she are being nagged about marriage is not because they are waiting, but because of the Ring by Spring mentality that is so ingrained in Whitworth culture. The expectation of marriage is stifling to dating couples who are not getting married anytime soon. Simply put, Ring by Spring is an old-fashioned, baby boomer generation concept that needs to be retired. It is simply unrealistic and unfair to assume that dating couples should get married right after graduation.
As for the contest, I have two things to say.
One: If this contest changes how and when you would propose, don't enter. There is an authenticity that comes along with doing something special, yet meaningful in your own way and not to win a contest.
Two: There is no guarantee you will win the contest, so if you spend more on a ring than is in your budget and you lose, too bad, so sad. The contest does not actually have any affect on prospective buyers, instead it leaves a mental scar on the rest of us. A scar that only deepens with every mention of the Ring by Spring.
As for the "little three," the other two are a little less complicated: Catching a falling pinecone and dropping your food-laden tray in Saga. I'll take my chances with those.
Take as an example an acquaintance of mine that has been dating for more than two years, but has not popped the question yet. I do not know his reason, but the fact is that when I have been around him this semester, at least three people have asked him if he has asked his girlfriend to marry him yet. How frustrating must that be for him? I can hardly imagine what his girlfriend must be going through as her friends put pressure on her about when she thinks it will happen, or even how she feels while so many friends are setting wedding dates while she is finishing up her senior year.
The reason he and she are being nagged about marriage is not because they are waiting, but because of the Ring by Spring mentality that is so ingrained in Whitworth culture. The expectation of marriage is stifling to dating couples who are not getting married anytime soon. Simply put, Ring by Spring is an old-fashioned, baby boomer generation concept that needs to be retired. It is simply unrealistic and unfair to assume that dating couples should get married right after graduation.
As for the contest, I have two things to say.
One: If this contest changes how and when you would propose, don't enter. There is an authenticity that comes along with doing something special, yet meaningful in your own way and not to win a contest.
Two: There is no guarantee you will win the contest, so if you spend more on a ring than is in your budget and you lose, too bad, so sad. The contest does not actually have any affect on prospective buyers, instead it leaves a mental scar on the rest of us. A scar that only deepens with every mention of the Ring by Spring.
As for the "little three," the other two are a little less complicated: Catching a falling pinecone and dropping your food-laden tray in Saga. I'll take my chances with those.
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