'Naked Roommate' author speaks on campus

Best-selling author Harlan Cohen gave students advice on everything from dealing with naked roommates to dating in college during his comedy event on Wednesday night in the Tyler Haynes Commons.

Author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller, "The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College," Cohen has visited more than 400 college campuses. He uses personal stories and answers questions from the audience to advise students on how to get the most out of their college years.

Cohen's most valuable advice for first-year students was to take time to be uncomfortable, he said, "Put yourself in rooms with lots of people, and do things you love to do."

Janelle Whitehurst, arts and lecture chairwoman of CAB, said she had wanted Cohen to visit Richmond at the beginning of the year because he had great advice for first-year students. "He is really funny, personable and relevant."

Freshman Emily Cho had not heard of "The Naked Roommate" before Cohen came to campus, she said. "He makes it funny which makes it engaging," Cho said after his talk.

During the event, Cohen emphasized the importance of becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. He also told students to make friends by engaging with a lot of different people during their first year of college.

Cohen shared stories of his tumultuous first semester of college, including his difficulty with making friends and his breakup with his first girlfriend. He explained that he didn't enjoy his first semester because he waited for other people to give him his college experience, rather than creating it for himself.

Cohen also talked about dating and relationships in college. His most recent book, "Getting Naked: Five Steps to Finding the Love of Your Life While Fully Clothed and Totally Sober," discusses Cohen's theory that he calls the universal rejection truth. "The universal rejection truth of dating and relationships says there are thousands of men or women who will want you, and there will be millions who will not," Cohen said.

Cohen approached students in the audience and asked them what they are looking for in a relationship. He asked them about their best characteristics and what kind of person they wanted to date in college.

"It's cool when students can come together and be honest about sex and college and roommates," said senior Joey Greener, vice president of campus relations for CAB. "They are issues that we all have in common."

Dealing with difficult roommates was another topic that Cohen covered in his discussion. He said to simply coexist with your roommate and to find a way to get along. "If something makes you uncomfortable, talk about it," he said.

Cohen told students to take risks, tell people how they felt and understand that they lived in a world of options during college. He also said open communication was important when engaging with new people.

After the event, Cohen talked about his favorite part of visiting college campuses. "I love seeing the trends," he said. "Everybody has very small testicles and small ovaries and is so afraid of taking risks, and it's an epidemic."

Contact contributing writer Molly McGrath at molly.mcgrath@richmond.edu