
Sophomore Dylan Cain and his friend first made accounts on Tinder in February, though it was more of a joke in making silly profiles. Other Duke students on campus have started using dating apps to meet others outside of their immediate circles. They haven’t made plans to commit to anything very serious for now. “You layer the confusion of, ‘Are they into this aspect of the relationship’ with ‘Are they comfortable with the health and safety risks that that aspect would bring,’ which is stressful,” Supple said.ĭespite the difficulties in navigating dating during a pandemic, the two are still talking and meeting for Zoom dates regularly. But I think she didn't want to assume that was what I wanted to do.” “I was like, ‘Okay.’ I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. “She was like, ‘I feel like it wouldn’t be smart to give you a hug, so I think I'm just going to head out,’” Supple recalled. Throughout the day, they maintained some distance in line with public health protocols. Afterward, they admired the houses along West Club Boulevard on the walk back to Supple’s place. On a Sunday afternoon, they cooked vegan butter chicken-a dish with neither butter nor chicken-and picnicked in Oval Park.


Live blog: Summer cancellations and this week's dining hoursĭuke Dining: Best in the nation because of outside, local vendors? Read more Inside administrators’ scramble to prepare as COVID-19 crept closer to campus Supple, like most other Brooklyn natives, does not have a car or driver’s license, so Emily made the trek to Durham. Having both recently tested negative for COVID-19, she felt comfortable extending the invitation. The two continued to Zoom, play video games and watch movies together virtually.įinally, later in September, Supple decided to ask Emily if she’d like to hang out face to face. In mid-August, before they could entertain the possibility of meeting in person, Emily left for college, about an hour away. For their first virtual date, they chatted over a Zoom video call for five hours and played Stardew Valley, a multiplayer farming simulation video game. They immediately understood each other’s jokes and references. The two quickly struck up a conversation on the app, then graduated to texting. “That is something I would do,” Supple thought to herself. Emily wore denim overalls and carried a cup of iced coffee in the front pocket. She came across a profile that caught her eye. “I'm kind of in the mindset right now that I have literally nothing to lose, so why not?” “I thought, ‘This is a great way to boost my ego, to go on here and compliment people and let them compliment me back,’” Supple said. Stuck at home and feeling a combination of lonely and bored, she decided to give Tinder a shot. In July, senior Becca Supple moved into a house near East Campus. “I think things worked out for the best,” Tanna said.

Now the couple is finally together in person, both living off campus in Durham for their junior year. Once they played an online jigsaw puzzle together.
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Sometimes they’d use Netflix Party, a Google Chrome extension that allows people to watch TV shows or movies synchronously from different computers. Through months of quarantine, Tanna and Kulshrethsa FaceTimed each other at least a few times every week. What if this is the one area that's maybe not so different?” They're feeling like they need companionship,” said Lindsey Parker, a student development coordinator at DuWell who focuses on sexual health and healthy relationships. From FaceTime to dating apps to distanced dates, students have found creative ways to connect with others. It was really nice.”Įven in a pandemic, dating hasn’t gone away for Duke students. “In the moment, it didn't feel weird at all. “When I talk to my friends about it, they’re like, ‘Wow, that's so weird that you guys started dating online,’” Tanna said. When the coronavirus pandemic forced Duke students to stay home for the rest of the semester, Tanna found herself in Arizona, across the country from Kulshrestha, who was in Charlotte. It would be months before they saw each other again.

They parted ways for spring break, expecting to be back with one another in a week. On March 6, they officially started dating.
