Q&A:
Senior Bethany Stokes and William Massimini (DeMatha Catholic High School)
How long have you been going out?
Bethany: It will be nine months on Feb. 16.
How did you meet?
Bethany: Well, both of our school’s crew [rowing] teams practice at the same boathouse, Anacostia Waterfront Park. Only a few schools practice there so we got to know each other whenever the two teams would hang out before practice started.
How did you ask each other out?
Will: I was considering asking her out, but I wasn’t sure if she liked me. Then one day, her friend told me that she did like me. The next day at practice, I asked her to be my ‘date’ to the Stotesbury Regatta that took place the following weekend in Philadelphia. Both of our teams were attending the regatta so I thought it would be a great opportunity.
What attracted you to him/her?
Will: At first, I didn’t notice Bethany because I didn’t really pay that much attention to the other teams. But, when I finally did notice, it was because she was always the person in her boat laughing at her friends’ jokes, so I knew it would be easy to get along with her. Then, when I talked to her, I found it really easy to do so I was intrigued and really wanted to get to know her better.
What’s a normal date like? How often do you date or see each other?
Bethany: A normal date is usually just relaxing at either his house or mine or going to a movie or mini golf. We love mini golf. We usually only get to see each other on the weekends because of the distance and because we usually have homework or practice after school during the week. Our time together is really comfortable. We don’t need to do something exciting every week because we don’t get to see enough of each other to begin with.
Freshman James Sauro and Allie Daniere
How long have you been going out?
Allie: Ten months.
Who asked who out first? How did you do it?
Allie: It was funny how he asked me out on Skype.
James: I was a loser and asked her out online.
What attracted you to him/her?
James: She was pretty, funny and nothing felt awkward with her.
At what point in the relationship did you realize that this person is special and you want to date them for a really long time?
James: Right away, I felt madly in love. Just kidding. It was probably right before summer started.
What is a normal date like?
Allie: We see each other every day because he lives in my neighborhood. A normal date is doing homework together. We see each other every day and do homework together, so it isn’t very hard to manage dating and school.
Have you ever argued or broken up temporarily? How did you settle it?
Allie: We argue every day about stupid things because we are both extremely stubborn. We settle the arguments by me apologizing first. If it didn’t happen that way, the argument would last forever. And yes, we have broken up, but only for a couple hours.
When did you introduce each other to your parents? How did that work out?
Allie: Well, the way my mom found out we were together was his mom calling her to say that we were going to the movies together. I probably should have told my mom before that
Seniors Monica Gillis and Lucas Carneiro
How long have you been going out?
Monica: One year and two months, on Thursday (Feb. 19).
Who asked who out first? How did you do it?
Monica: It was pretty much me. We held hands at the Holocaust Museum field trip.
Lucas: In ninth grade I think she had a crush on me and she would follow me around in basketball practice, but I wasn’t very interested. And then in 10th grade we had English together and I still wasn’t interested, but she still liked me. And then in 11th grade we had chemistry together and world history. Then she started hanging out with me.
What was your first date like? Where did you go?
Lucas: It wasn’t formal dating. We just started going out. Laser tagging was the first time we went out. In the first round of laser tagging my knee started swelling up out of nowhere. I should have gone to the hospital but my dad didn’t want me to. It’s kind of embarrassing ‘cause her sister took us [to the hospital].
What’s a normal date like? How often do you date or see each other?
Lucas: We go to the movies and watch TV and in the spring we sometimes walk around D.C. and go to museums.
How do you manage dating and school?
Monica: I have nothing else to do. All my classes aren’t very serious so I don’t have any work. Sometimes I think, ‘oh, I wish I was with Lucas,’ but then we see each other and it’s fine.
When did you introduce each other to your parents?
Monica: I just told my parents that I had a boyfriend, but it was right before winter break so I wasn’t really sure if he was actually my boyfriend. After winter break, we didn’t really have an official meeting. I kind of just said, “He’s coming over…”
