I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about how, back in the olden days of high school, if we saw a guy and a girl holding hands, we could automatically tell that they were an item—boyfriend and girlfriend, if you will. Apparently, that isn’t the case up at BYU-Idaho.

The one-night handstand usually takes place on the first or second date.  Let me give you an example to think about. 

Betty and Bob are going out on their second date together. There is major flirtation going on during their dinner at Fong’s Chinese restaurant. Bob has pretty much had a crush on Betty since the first time he met her at The Crossroads. After dinner, they go to a movie at the REX. As they sit next to each other in the theater, Betty (the offender) inches her hand over to Bob’s (the victim) hand until bam, the deed is done.

Little does the poor guy know that Betty just held hands with a different guy the week before. Little does he know that Betty is probably going to do the same thing with another guy next weekend and forget all about Bob.

Daniel Wyler, a junior studying business management, is now married, but had experiences with the one-night handstand before his marriage.

“I think as far as a guy is concerned, it isn’t that big of a deal. There have been numerous times when a girl has wanted me to hold her hand, and I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I just did it,” Wyler said. 

Does this scenario sound familiar at all? I know I’ve seen it happen many times during my experience at BYU-I.

What has happened to the meaning of hand-holding? Is it now an action we give away like free samples?

For Chun Kim, a sophomore studying nursing, hand-holding is a big deal in her country.

“In my culture, [hand-holding] takes a long time. For me, it took me a month of dating. In Korea, people wait a little longer to hold hands. If [the relationship] isn’t serious, we don’t do any kind of contact.”

Last time I checked, holding hands meant a form of commitment, but maybe I’m just old-fashioned and should move to Korea.

Don’t you even want to know the person you are holding hands with? Doesn’t it mean anything anymore?  

We have hand-holding offenders right here on campus. They may be your roommate, they may be your next-door neighbor, you might even be a one-night handstander.

You might think I’m some kind of hand-holding fanatic, but I’m really not. I just think a higher respect needs to be given to hand-holding. It is a sign of affection that should only be given out if both people are thinking about furthering a relationship. There is no need to cause you or someone else unwanted drama and heartache over hand-holding.

In the famous words of John Wayne, “Life is tough, but it’s tougher when you’re stupid.” Let’s make smart decisions and be considerate with our relationships with the opposite sex. Let’s get rid of the BYU-I trend of the one-night handstand.