First dates can be daunting, but a new study by The Match Lab in California showed 68 per cent of Americans would kiss on the first date.
The Aquinian’s senior writer, Martina Barclay, wanted to see if students at St. Thomas University would agree.
STU student Erin Hurley said she wouldn’t be opposed to locking lips on the first date. But in order for that first kiss to happen, she said it’s important to find someone who has similar interests and can make her laugh.
“I think an outdoor first date would be fun. If it’s warm, maybe a picnic with some good food or going to the ocean,” said Hurley.
On a first date, she said she looks for someone that she feels comfortable talking to and with whom she can have an easy, flowing conversation.
Second-year student Joseph Debly echoed Hurley’s sentiments.
“I would have to laugh a lot,” he said. “And they have to be really attractive for me.”
Debly feels more comfortable going places he knows on a first date, taking in his favourite movies and eating at his favourite restaurants.
“If they’re going to last, they’re going to have to get used to doing things I want to do,” said Debly.
He said first dates can be less common with university students as he feels some aren’t looking for long-term relationships, but he showed no hesitation over kissing on the first date.
“I’ve done it all on the first date,” said Debly.
Laughing seems to be the theme on a first date, as first-year student Payton Jacobs said on a first date she’s hoping for a guy with whom she can make jokes.
She said her best first date was a picnic on the beach, complete with sushi and chocolate-covered strawberries. Her ideal date in the winter would be skating on the canal in her hometown of Ottawa, topping it off with some Beavertails.
A kiss on the first date isn’t out of the question for her, either.
“[It depends] on the person I’m going on a date with, and for how long I’ve known them for,” said Jacobs.
Her turn-offs would be if they couldn’t hold a conversation or overly wanted the kiss to happen. She added that she would be more likely to kiss someone she had known for a long time.
“If I’d known them for a week and met them on Tinder, I would not.”
