The stage is set: one person is sitting at the bar and another walks over to join. Soon enough it is evident that one of them is far more interested. The question remains, how does someone handle that kind of a situation? Students at Iowa State share their thoughts.

Katie Reed, a junior in advertising, said that because she is in a relationship, she can use this information to ward off any flirtation coming her way. “Well since I have a boyfriend, if someone is just merely overstepping their boundaries,”said Reed, “I’ll just talk about my relationship or come right out and say I have a boyfriend.”

If someone is being more forward or cannot be bothered by the relationship information, Reed said, “I’ve learned being mature and honest is the best policy. I don’t want someone to waste my time and I don’t want to waste theirs either. I would say just be straight up and say it’s not working.”

In contrast to Reed’s more confrontational approach, Keaton Mohr, a senior in public relations, said that his first plan of action is to simply leave the situation. “Personally, I ran away at the bar once,” said Mohr. In this particular situation, Mohr went to the bar with friends, as his girlfriend was underage at the time. “So this girl had a birthday and she asked me for shorts. So, me being a polite person, accept and buy us two shots. And we take them but then she goes to her friends, ‘this guy is buying shots, come one!’ So I close my tab real fast because she was mooching and I ran away to the opposite side of the bar.”

In absence of a significant other, some, like Katie Bauer, a senior majoring in finance, said they fake a relationship. “Well, if I’m being totally honest, if a guy is being super persistent or asking for my number or something right off the bat,” said Bauer, “I would usually just lie and say I have a boyfriend because it’s the easiest way to get him to leave you alone.”

Taking preventative measures before the matter is also important. When dealing with friends who are interested, Sofia Jordan, a senior in design said, “Don’t sit by them when you hang out with mutual friends.” Jordan adds “don’t initiate conversation” and “put headphones in” as a way to ward off potential discussions.

In the event that someone is being too persistent, seek help from friends or staff around. In more threatening cases, feel free to contact Iowa State Police or Ames City Police.