Dear Kiley (Week 5)

What's a fun lunch place around campus for a casual date?

Zanotto's is a favorite of mine. It's at the corner of Bascom and Naglee, but don't let it's old-fashioned grocery-store vibe throw you off. They have an awesome Panini and sandwich shop where you can also pick up sushi, soup and salad. Grab a bottle of wine (or soda, depending on how good your fake is), and head out to the rose garden just across the street. If one of you was organized enough to bring  a blanket, set up a picnic on the grass; otherwise, grab a seat at one of the picnic tables just inside the gates. If you're looking for something a little closer to campus, and want an actual restaurant, check out Neto's Sausage on Franklin St. It's a laid-back place that serves an awesome BBQ alongside a full menu of traditional Italian food. It's also conveniently located if one of you happens to live at Park Central; after all, you never know where a steamy lunch date might lead.

I am trying to get this girl to ask me to her sorority formal. How should I do it?

Well, the obvious answer would be for her to want to ask you. If that's not the case, I can think of a few options that involve camera phones and black mail, but that's probably not what you were hoping for. The best thing to do would be to make sure she knows you'd be an awesome date. Show her you know how to have fun, but are also responsible (read: good at holding her hair back if necessary), and would make a good impression on her friends. If you're comfortable around her sorority sisters, that's a big plus, so grab any opportunity to spend time with her when she's with them. If they approve, it's more likely she will, too.

If that doesn't do the trick, there's no harm in shameless hint-dropping. I'm a personal fan of, "So, that formal of yours is coming up, you have a date yet? Oh, whoa, I just found this hundred dollar bill in my pocket…weird. So, yeah, about that date…"

I've been in class with this cute guy for four weeks and he doesn't do more than say hi. How can I get a convo going?

You might want to check out a question I answered a few weeks ago concerning facebook stalking. Now, I'm not advocating you spend hours on his page memorizing his favorite quotes and photo-shopping yourself into his pictures. But you might consider grazing over his favorite books, movies, and shows, just to see if you two have anything in common.

Not one for cyber-stalking (i.e. his page is private)? Go the more traditional route and talk about the one thing you already know you have in common: the class. Ask him about a homework assignment you found especially interesting/stressful/ridiculous, see if he's already started studying for the midterm, or confirm that you have the right information about a paper.

Of course, you might not actually be wondering about any of those things, but they're a great way to break the ice. After that, you'll be well on your way to that late-night study session you've been dreaming about.

Dear Kiley is a personal advice column run by The Santa Clara. Submit your questions to TSCscene@gmail.com. The Santa Clara reserves the right to modify questions as it sees fit for brevity, clarity and suitability.