Opening Volley PUBLISHER Wayne T. Lewis CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Lindsay Press EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jack McLaughlin
S AV M C K E E Assistant Editor
ASSISTANT EDITOR Sav McKee
Love Bytes A private plane to St. Barts, home-made cocktails at his penthouse in Chicago’s West Loop, someone to show me around the new city I moved to (while paying for it all) – I already envisioned my life with Matt, solely based off his pictures on his Tinder profile. I matched with him on the dating app almost a decade ago with much encouragement from my then roommate to “get out there and meet new people,” after I spent too much time sulking around our apartment, thinking about my ex-boyfriend. Matt wasted no time, messaging me for a rendezvous that involved oysters and overpriced champagne at a fancy restaurant I’d been dying to try (pinch me!). When I told him I had a flight to visit my family that morning, he told me to change it for the next day instead. I took that demand as a sign that he was actively pursuing me, and again, thinking about that private plane to a tropical island he bragged about on his online dating profile...I quickly canceled my cheap seat that was right next to the airplane’s bathroom. Some may call that “stupid,” but I like to rephrase it as “being a hopeless romantic.” You know the saying…if it sounds too good to be true…well, yup. Unsurprisingly, I was ghosted that night. He vanished into the digital abyss, leaving me alone at the restaurant. To make matters worse, I had to book a Greyhound bus from Chicago to Dayton because there were no more flights available that weekend. On the 20 hour Greyhound odyssey back home to see my family (the driver took an astonishing amount of cigarette breaks), I ran out of cell phone data (I was a broke grad school student), and I had to resort to already downloaded playlists that my ex-boyfriend made for me in college, plus one episode of the The New York Times podcast called Modern Love, which focused on a couple getting back together again after a long break. I sat there for hours with love serenading me in all its forms, and my thoughts inevitably drifted to my ex. Every cloud outside of the window was somehow shaped like him (see, I told you I was a hopeless romantic). Throughout my long journey, both literally and figuratively, I convinced myself that we were destined to reunite. It sounds cheesy, I know, but that ex is now my husband. And while I don’t want to give a jerk like Matt any credit for my very successful love story, that excruciating bus ride and my failed dating app experience brought me a lot of clarity
– my intentions on the dating apps weren’t pure. I was trying to distract myself from someone I knew I was meant to be with but too stubborn to admit it, essentially by using a guy I met online who appeared to have a lot of money. I’m still unsure how I feel about online dating, and truly, I feel like an outsider, considering I’ve only had a handful of online dating app experiences almost 10 years ago, and I’m married to someone I met in-person. I do feel that I have a unique perspective as a third-party spectator though. You see, many of my incredible, fascinating friends, who are an absolute catch, are actively searching for a partner via dating apps, and I have the privilege of being the one they ask to scroll through their profiles to proofread and check their thoughtfully selected images, charming bios, and amusing answers to Hinge’s pre-set questions. Somehow, after following all of the extensive “dating app rules,” and curating an alluring profile, a lot of my friends still haven’t found anyone worthwhile, and some of them have been searching for their matches for years. It makes me wonder if dating apps are meant to build strong relationships at all, or if they’re really just designed for fast, casual, fun, distractions and hookups. Nevertheless, I’ve witnessed countless love stories blossom from the realms of online dating, too, which my friends and I have nicknamed “Tinderella Stories.” Even enough of these successful love stories and moments of selfawakening to make me question if dating apps are truly the villains they’re often made out to be. What all of this really means is this: We don’t have the final verdict on digital dating. No one does, but like The Bachelor, it’s both good and bad at the same time. Because of this, we’re dedicating this issue to the nuisances behind Love in the Digital Age. Ultimately, whether found through swipes or chance encounters, I’ve learned that it’s not how you find love – really, the journey lies in the sincerity behind the pursuit. Love, it appears, is as diverse as the means through which we discover it, and in this digital age, intentions reign supreme. So here’s to finding love, Columbus – whether that be in line at a local coffee shop, or online discussing your favorite movies. Just look out for guys named Matt with private planes, please. Questions about advertising? Scan here!
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Sarah Pfeifer, Alissa Ohashi, Tyler Jamison, Aaron Massey, Leonardo Carrizo CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jack McLaughlin, Laura Hennigan,
Sav McKee, John M. Clark, Dylan Ecker Chris Alexis, Matt Mahoney, Taylor Dorrell CREATIVE DESIGNERS Bryce Patterson Tori Smith Atlas Biro VIDEO PRODUCER / EDITOR Austin Black DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Justynne Pride SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Julia Attanasio MARKETING ASSISTANT Zoe King ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Meggin Weimerskirch SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Mindy Wilhite SALES MANAGER Paul VanHorn ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Anna Gerhard BRAND MANAGER, 614 LAGER Lizzy Saunders EVENTS COORDINATOR Lizzy Saunders
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