Nov. 13 is Sadie Hawkins Day, a day when women are encouraged to break social norms and ask men out. It is rooted in the story of Sadie Hawkins, a character created by American cartoonist Al Capp in the comic strip “Li’l Abner,” which debuted in 1937. Since Sadie’s father eventually grew tired of waiting for men to court his daughter, he created an honorary day when all of the unmarried women in town would pursue the town’s bachelors.

The idea of a woman asking a man out is not as foreign in contemporary society as it used to be. However, some men remain uncertain about the notion. “I think that guys would be intimidated by girls asking them out because they’d want to maintain this sense of being the alpha male,” Steven Gennario, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16, said. Despite this standard mentality, Gennario is not one to regard a woman asking him out as a turn-off; he feels that whether he likes the girl asking him out matters more than the fact that the traditional gender roles had been reversed..

“I feel like there’s a modern shift in culture; women can do everything men can do, so I don’t see too much of a problem with [women asking men out],” Dylan Reilly, FCLC ’16, said. However, he admits that if women asked out men too much, there would be somewhat of an imbalance that might make men uncomfortable. While this doesn’t mean that women can’t ask men out, it points out how men would receive this untraditional attitude as a result of conventional expectations.

Some women compliment this male mindset by being hesitant to make the first move themselves. “I’m just much more used to the traditional way of doing things so I really haven’t had the experience of asking a guy out, but it seems pretty nerve-racking,” Alexandra Bandea, FCLC ’17, said. “I also don’t want to be that desperate girl that is always going after guys.” Yet, there is definitely a certain appeal to a woman is confident enough to take charge.

“I think that some women would revel in the opportunity [to ask a guy out] because they’re more confident,” Amina Cami, FCLC ’16, said. Katie Mitchell, FCLC ’17, concurs with Cami’s opinion, stating that she doesn’t think that a girl who makes the first move would turn off guys because it exudes confidence, which is a desirable trait.

On the other hand, Jocelyn Hernandez, FCLC ’16, doesn’t see a problem with other women speaking up about how they feel before men, but would be reluctant to do so herself. “I think it’s good if other women do it, but I’m just too shy to. I’ll drop subtle hints, but I’ll never actually tell a guy I like him,” Hernandez said. Nevertheless, this isn’t an indication that asking men out is not an option for people with similar outlooks. “I guess if it was a shyer guy, I’d be more willing to hint at [me liking him] just because it’s not as intimidating.”

Like many women, Hernandez believes that it can be pretty difficult when it comes to asking a guy out, especially if said guy is very social. On the other hand, while Cami agrees that it would be easier to approach a shyer guy, that kind of person just isn’t her particular cup of tea. “Who I would be attracted to would be more of the person who would pursue me. It all has to do with personality because I wouldn’t be attracted to somebody that would wait for me to ask him out. I would want somebody who has the confidence to come up to me and say it himself.”