MIND + BODY
THE MANY HANDS YOU’LL HOLD IN COLLEGE Story by Kat White | Photos by Dylan Hanson & Gracen Bayer | Design by Sarah Stewart Relationships come in all shapes and sizes. Each one is unique to the individual and couple that is participating in it. It takes time to figure out what you want from yourself and a partner. Cindy Bruns, the director of Counseling Services, says, “College for traditionally aged students is a time of a lot of growth and exploration. ‘Who am I? Individually, who am I in a relationship with other people? What do I value? What do I like? What do I not like?’” These are important questions students ask themselves when they are in college. “Relationships are really integral across our lifespan,” Bruns says. “This particular developmental mark for traditional-age students, they may become maybe even more important, which can lead to the difficulty in balancing relationships with all of the other obligations and developmental tests that folks are having to navigate during this time of life.” Students have to find what they are comfortable with and grow with themselves or other people. This helps them both grow as an individual and potentially with a partner. 24
SPRING 2022
Status = Single
Being single is very complex. People can label themselves as single and still casually go on dates. People can label themselves as single and have zero romantic interactions. No matter what kind of single life someone finds themselves nestled in, each one is important for growth.
It Starts with You
According to Bruns, being single is a time to explore yourself, similar to when you’re exploring someone in a relationship. “It also provides you with the opportunity to really just explore a number of different relationships and understand who you are and what you want within the relationship because it takes off the pressure,” says Bruns. Eden McOmber, senior psychology major, says, “being single, you kind of wonder what type of person fits me. It’s also learning how to date in the future.”
