To be or not to be might not be the question for some college students.

Today’s generation might have held on to an assumption that can stand the test of time: When initiating a relationship or simply a first date between heterosexual individuals, the male should ask the female on a date or to enter a relationship.

Though it might be a dating tradition dictated by prior generations, the atmosphere on campus indicates that dating rules for traditional college students are transforming with time to accommodate the diversity of campus communities.

From a group of 40 heterosexual ULM students consisting of 20 females and 20 males, responses varied when asked about females asking males out instead of vice versa.

Only one male out of the 20 said he does not believe that a female should ask out a male. The other 19 males said that being asked out instead of being the one asking someone out would not make them too uncomfortable or scare them away.

Most of these males replied nonchalantly with “Yes, I’d be okay with that,” or “That’s acceptable,” while some were more enthusiastic in response to the idea of females who decide to take the first step toward a relationship or a date.

Jeffery Williams, a junior kinesiology major, said, “I like strong, independent women. I think it would be very attractive for someone to take the initiative and not be afraid to break social norms.”

Despite these males’ acceptance of the female taking initiative, they said they still see it as a reversal of roles.

Reactions indicate that males might not see the females asking them out as a normal occurrence yet. Some male students hesitated and found the proposition to be strange.

Noah Guillory, a freshman pre-pharmacy major, said, “It would come off as a bit forward, because that’s not very expected.”

Guillory said he would not be intimidated or uncomfortable if it occurred.

The female might be her own barrier to taking the initiative to be the first to ask.

Out of 20 females, only four said they would ask out a male. However, all 20 agreed that it is acceptable for the females to ask the males if that is what they are comfortable doing.

Responses varied from “If they ask me out, then I don’t have to, and I don’t want to” to “Why would I date a guy who isn’t bold enough to ask me himself?”

However, some female students see asking the male out as a risk worth taking.

Taylor Witherspoon, a freshman vocal performance major, said, “I think it’s a bold move and it actually impresses guys, so you have a good chance of getting a ‘yes’ out of them.”

Several females’ responses expressed that such an action could make a male feel as though his role is being “threatened.” This response contradicts the responses in which the 20 males said it would be acceptable.

The survey suggested men might be more comfortable with women asking them out than women are with doing the actual asking. Though a female asking a male out might not have become the norm in contemporary society, it has moved from being considered a crazy proposition as it was for past generations.