Wheaton College students are known for entering into committed relationships in droves. In fact, compared to every other highly selective educational institution, Wheaton students have the highest marriage rates within 12 years of graduation.
With fear of the coronavirus not seeming to diminish and Wheaton’s “COVID-Safe, Thunder-Strong” guidelines in place, it might be hard to envision starting a new relationship this fall.
But really, there has never been a better time to develop a meaningful, romantic relationship on Wheaton’s campus than during the COVID-19 pandemic. How can that be? I’m glad you asked!
Hi Readers, my name is Daniel Thomas, and I am a psychology major in my seventh and final semester at Wheaton. In years previous, you would’ve found me lurking in the mezzanine of Billy Graham Hall, forcing my friends to play board games with me in the Smith-Traber lobby or scurrying back to my living quarters to take a nap before my next class began. This year, however, I am writing to you from the great state of Virginia, where my parents and I are becoming experts at living in close proximity to each other. (The secret, I’ve found, is 500 Hz of white noise blasting through my headphones at all times).
I began working for The Record last year, writing a psychology column that allowed me to combine two of my favorite things in the world: shedding light on the human mind and telling people how to live their lives. This year, I wanted to revisit both passions in a way that felt more personal. “Daniel Answers” was born as a space where people’s questions are heard, as well as a space where advice relies at least partly on evidence-based research rather than gut intuition alone. (But there will still be plenty of gut intuition, don’t worry).
In each post, I’ll be tackling a central question, as well as smaller, topical questions that have been submitted. It’s up to readers like you to send questions of all sizes my way for their inclusion in this column. Please email me at daniel.thomas@my.wheaton.edu or use the link at the bottom of the article to submit questions of your own. Happy reading!
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the Wheaton Record or Wheaton College.
