Dear Trevor:
So, I’m in this econ class with a guy I think really likes me. Every time I look up, he seems to be looking at me. Our eyes meet, we kind of grin, and then immediately look away. It seems we’re both pretty shy. What do you think I could do or say to find out more about how he feels about me…and how can I do it without freaking either of us out?!
P.S.: What’s your take on abortion?
– Maddie, Lakewood
Dear Maddie: Wow, lots to think about in that one! Do you know of any mutual friends you might have with the guy? Maybe you could casually mention his name in front of them and see if anyone has any insights about your shy buddy’s feelings. Or you could always just be bold and see what he’s doing for lunch some time. Sometimes just waiting on the other person means waiting for nothing.
As for abortion, as a professional advice columnist, I don’t like to reveal my perspective on such weighty, divisive issues. The abortion question is an important decision for individuals to make for themselves. But I will say that one of the positions is definitely really wrong! 
Dear Trevor:
My girlfriend is obsessed with unicorns. She always turns the conversation back to unicorns when we’re together, and even my friends are starting to get a little ticked off by all the unicorn talk. I don’t mind the posters and notebooks, but when she tried to find a sitter for her huge model unicorn collection, that was the last straw. I told her it was me or those g#dd%mned unicorns, but she started crying and hung up on me. Now I don’t know what to do!
– “Mark,” Gahanna
Hi, “Mark.”
Tough one there. The only thing I can compare it to would have to be a personal experience I had during my sophomore year with my girlfriend, “Colleen.” However, her fixation wasn’t with unicorns but with the “North American Sasquatch,” as she called it (despite a biology major acquaintance’s insistence that such a name amounted to a redundancy in terms). What started out as a seemingly innocent, though quite public, area of interest rapidly spiraled into endless conversations that centered around the mythical creature until his big foot was wedged squarely between us.
One minute it was, “What do you think you’d do if we actually saw a North American Sasquatch?” or “Isn’t the North American Sasquatch cool?,” and the next it was, “Hey, what do you think the offspring would look like if a North American Sasquatch were to impregnate, say, a reasonably attractive, blonde 20-something from Findlay, Ohio?” At the time, I’d try hopelessly to steer our conversations in another direction, hoping to broaden her interest to include biological sciences generally, or even primates specifically (I’d have even settled, at that point, for an unnatural obsession with great apes or something). Nothing seemed to make a difference.
But, you know what? Now that I’ve had some time to reflect, I realize that the problem wasn’t with Colleen, her grainy pictures of a mysterious “beast,” or even her massive collection of plaster cast “footprints,” but with yours truly. My mistake was in trying to change a person into something she’s not. If Unicorn Girl is not what you want, don’t de-horn her interests. Buck up and find what’s right for “Mark.”
Dear Trevor: I could use your advice on how to deal with my new housemate, whom I’ll call “Bud.” Bud moved in just recently after my last housemate, “Mike,” moved out quickly and unexpectedly. To put it bluntly, Bud can be a bit surly.
He stays in his room pretty much all the time, except when he goes out at night. He rarely spends time in the common areas of the house, and all of his food and drinks are stacked neatly on one side of the fridge – I guess he doesn’t want to share. In the 72 hours since he’s moved in, he’s refused my multiple invitations for a game of checkers, or my offers of a cold soda, or even a ham-salad sandwich.
Last night, when he came home, it was clear he’d been out partying. He looked a little “hungover,” if you know what I mean. Shortly after he came home, he got sick in the bathroom. I went in and offered to help clean up, but he just said, “Get the (expletive) out of here.” I’m disappointed — I was really hoping Bud and I could be pals.
– Bummed on North College Street
Dear Bummed: Your housemate reminds me a lot of one I had briefly during my sophomore year. I went through some of the same frustrations with him. For being such a cool guy, he sure did keep to himself a lot.
No amount of “Let’s go outside and toss around the football” could pull him away from his video games, smut mags, and various other vices. My choices were to adjust by accepting him (since you can’t change another person without his or her willing participation in that change) or find a new environment more suited to my own interests. As it turned out, though, my “Bud” was an undercover cop whose true identity we ‘d learn only after ”Bud” was badly injured while biking just a little too close to cougar country!
Dear Trevor: My roommate and I are about to host our first off-campus party. We’ve pared down the guest list to over-21s, reserved a few kegs and sent the invitations. Any tips for pulling off a successful (and legal) bash?
– Ashleighee and Barbara
Dear A and B: Hey, ladies! Sounds like a good time. Hmm… A successful and legal bash. Well, it might be smart to keep a few fake I.D.s (with generic-enough-looking pictures) on hand in advance. That way, in the event that some under-agers “sneak through the cracks” and the cops happen to pay a visit, you could present a few examples of your handiwork, and make like you had just seized them from the perpetrators yourself.
You could be all, “I can’t believe these people just lied to me! Thanks so much for your time and help, officer.” Just be sure not to oversell your lines, and do not smirk. Also, it’s never too early to start practicing your best “betrayed and genuinely disappointed” face. ; ) You could probably even incorporate it into some kind of drinking game, or corn hole or something. May the best “disappointed” face win!
It may not be cool to rat out illegal revelers, but it sure beats being the one that Mom, Dad, and Aunt Jane get to read about online in the Athens police blotter. Oh yeah, and steer clear of the hard drugs!
Dear Trevor: My younger brother, “Guy,” recently moved in with me. He has a job, but he often skips or goes in late, and has this other guy who looks a lot like him cover for him. I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time until THAT dude gets fired! Anyway, Guy is living with me because he got kicked out of his last apartment building Read more »
Dear Trevor: My childhood friend and I decided to enroll in the same school, which I’ll call “Fohio University.” Let’s say my friend’s name is “Zennifer.”
Zennifer and I have always been really close, but since we’ve come to Fohio, I’m really worried about her. She hasn’t been acting the same ever since she got involved with a certain sorority, which I’ll call “Slamma Gamma Jamma.” Read more »
Dear Trevor: So, this is my first year at college. Before I moved down here, I had chatted a little over Facebook with my roommate-to-be. She seemed a little weird, but pretty cool overall. But now we’ve got some major issues, and I’m not sure what to do. It started with disagreements about little things, like not leaving my shoes on her side of our dorm. Then I walked in on her cussing out my shoes (no kidding!), which were barely touching the half-way point across our floor. Read more »
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