On Monday, March 9, Dating, Engagement and Marriage Week (DEM) begins at Ouachita. This week consists of a series of events pertaining to each of these three relationships and their foundations in Christ.
A week of events to help you learn and grow your current and future relationships, DEM Week is intended for every Ouachita student — dating, engaged, married and even single.
Although there are specific events set aside for engaged and married couples — such as Tuesday’s Engaged Couples Dinner at the Honeycomb Restaurant and Friday night’s Engaged and Married Couples Retreat at the Wingate Hotel in Little Rock — most of DEM Week’s events are on campus and are open to all students.
All three Noonday sessions for the week are scheduled to address each of the three relationship statuses. Monday’s session features Zach and Ashley Wright teaching about dating.
For Wednesday’s Noonday, Joey and Sadie Dodson will be discussing engagement. And finally, for Friday’s meeting, Tully and Amy Boreland will be speaking on marriage.
Engaged couple Chase Allen and Kristi Hall dated for five years before their engagement five months ago. Both Allen and Hall are looking forward to the activities planned for the week.
“I’m looking forward to the dinner at the Honeycomb,” Hall said. “I’m excited to hear from the Bible professors throughout the week as well.”
The most predominant topic of the week, however, is dating.
Dan Jarboe, Ouachita’s university counselor, will be speaking in chapel this coming Tuesday on the topic of dating in order to reach the most populous relationship status at Ouachita — those who are currently dating someone and those who will most likely be dating in the future.
“Dating is a learning process that allows you to have fun while getting to know someone of the opposite sex,” Jarboe said. “[It is used] to get to know [the other person’s] personal goals and values, family experiences and their interests. Learning how to really listen is an exceptionally important goal, especially for a guy.”
Jarboe believes, too, that dating is sometimes misconstrued to be what people want it to be, rather than what it really is.
“Dating is not so much looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right, but being Mr. or Mrs. Right,” Jarboe said. “Choose people to date that you would choose as a friend.”
Jarboe’s chapel discussion on Tuesday will include good purposes for dating, effective date conversation starters, danger signs in relationships and the different kinds of people you do not want to date — those who are not ready for dating.
Sophomore dating couple Ryan Gorman and Emilie Gill have been together for the past year and a half. They are both looking forward to Monday’s Noonday session.
“I really want to see what the transition was like [for Zach and Ashley] from dating to being married while still in school,” Gorman said.
Refuge on Thursday will include a dating lesson from Brandon Barnard. Andrew Roberson and Taihlor Treat, a dating couple who has been together for three and a half years, are both looking forward to Refuge next week.
“Even though we’ve been dating for 3 and a half years, it’s still good to hear someone else’s views on dating,” Roberson said. “We can’t be so closed-minded that we aren’t open to other people’s opinion on dating. Dating is always a learning process, and if you’re not learning anything, you’re not gaining anything from that relationship.”
There is something in store for everyone during Dating, Engagement and Marriage Week, so check out the posters around campus to see when and where your specific event choices are scheduled to take place.
