"God, I love summer!" These words were quoted in a letter to the editor sent last year around this time. At first, I thought about how I, too, enjoy the warm weather -- but the author wasn't referring to the temperature when he professed his feelings for Mother Nature.
He was drawing attention to the phenomenon of the "selective apparel" that warm weather brings. As soon as the mercury begins to inch up (even to only 50 degrees), females around the valley suddenly become much more "selective" as to which parts of their bodies remain clothed.
Some of the shedding can be attributed to the heat, I suppose. When I strolled through the campus asking people what they thought about this topic, one girl told me she wears shorts because she's hot and she sweats. But I knew, even though she was trying to deny it vehemently, "hot" meant "hott" -- she really wanted to be noticed by as many guys as possible.
I don't think wanting to be noticed is a problem, nor is wearing a short-sleeved shirt. However, there exists a definite trend of bellies busting out of ever-smaller shirts, skirts tapering shorter and chests growing more visible with each degree.
This phenomenon of selective apparel is so excessive that my 54-year-old father has trouble keeping his eyes ahead when walking down College Avenue.
The problem is that while women expose their skin during the summer, they continue to suppress their minds. If you feel like you need to be half-naked to attract men, then the real problem is your self-esteem. Instead of wasting time and money shopping for the most revealing new fashions, address the underlying problem of shedding outdated gender stereotypes.
I obviously hold opinions that differ significantly from those of most men. However, I timidly suggest that the average guy would be far more impressed if the woman standing next to him at the bus stop walked a few feet to her left, turned her head to look at him, and said "Hi!" That's infinitely better than her standing idly by, preening like a peacock, hoping her skimpy feathers will attract the male's attention. I don't think I'm far off when I state that, in the vast majority of cases, uttering that one syllable will gain far more respect and attention than a low-cut halter.
Clothes worn by men during the summer are considerably less selective than those worn by women. Men don't worry as much about their clothes because most women wouldn't take the initiative to start a conversation, regardless of how men are dressed. Sure, girls also look at guys, but in 90 percent of cases, that's all they would do. All the talk about things finally being 50/50 is bulls---. Instead, most women dress seductively and expect men to fall all over them, giving them the power to play "hard to get" and to reject people at will, sometimes rudely.
Sorry, but I don't fall for that game. Therefore, I offer an incredibly easy challenge to all the women in the world this summer. What to do is simple: ask. This isn't the '50s. I, for one, am tired of doing all the work when it comes to dating. It would be a refreshing change for a member of the opposite sex to sit down next to me while I'm reading a newspaper somewhere and comment on the rising rates of tuition or chat about the upcoming Blue and White game. And if you're dressed conservatively, I won't run away in fear.
As the summer semester approaches, enjoy the weather and dress the way you'd like. But don't show off your tan just because you think men will salivate. They'd show you far more respect and attention if you simply talked to them. Is that so hard?
