“Semi was kind of awkward, and my date is more interested in me than I am with them. How do I let them down gently?

Sally:

First things first, you don’t owe anyone anything just because they asked you to a dance or even on a date. You are not obligated to like someone just because they like you, that’s not the way it works. I am the more forward type of person, so I would just let them know by saying “I’m really excited to go as friends, but I’m not looking for anything right now.” But for people who are more reserved, maybe tell one of their friends to let your date to semi know you just want to be friends. Yet keep in mind it is probably better coming from you. But don’t feel bad because you don’t want to hookup with your semi date. At the same time, don’t mess around with them and flirt with them if you aren’t looking for anything. Whatever you want, it’s best to just make it clear.

Sincerely,
Sally

Steve:

Semi is supposed to be fun yet so many people take it seriously, especially underclassmen. Instead of thinking about Semi as a night with friends, it becomes a night with your date. Often people only want to ask people they would want to be involved with instead of just asking a friend. In my opinion, this is stupid because that is not what semi is about. Just because you asked someone and they said yes does not mean that they like you. It is actually somewhat common for one of the people to develop some sort of feelings for the other during semi (from what I have seen), so try to understand that. However, just tell him/her that you want to be friends and he/she should respect that.

Sincerely,
Steve