The Social Network...can I get one?

I'm supposed to be writing right now. Wait, I meant studying. Clearly, my mind is not where it should be (focused on the four elements of risk assessment). It's been an interesting weekend, to say the least. Wait, stop right there. The most I can do for myself to hold on to my happiness is to stop dwelling on the bad sh*t that happens and get the hell over it. Did you see that? HAPPiness is only half of what HAPPens. The rest, I believe, is how you react to it.
I was really about to write this post about some pretty depressing stuff, but I am alive, and breathing without mechanical assistance. I need to quit complaining. I have a story slash concern on the following topic: meeting women.

The concern:
1. Let's be clear. I am sexually, emotionally, physically, romantically, and everythingelse-ly attracted to men.

But, every day I am realizing more and more, especially in the public health field, men do not rule the world. My issue is: how am I supposed to build a network of lady contacts in the first place? There is a pretty solid group of ambitious and friendly black women at my school, I'd say we're about 15 strong- we go by 'GDubb SistaCircle', so coined by the resident Bison among us. The group pretty much formed through varying degrees of separation, random encounters in class, and introductions of the newbies (like me) to the rest of the crew. It's just like high school- "Did you finish this project yet? No? Me either; meet me in the library. I'm at a table with my friend, you can sit with us." Bam, contact.

So I'm set with a crew for time spent at 23rd and I street. But, what about off-campus? People keep telling me, when I mention that I'm in D.C. for grad school, that I need to build my network and take advantage of all the connections that I can make. Part one, I don't like "taking advantage" of people. I've done it, sure. And people have done it to me, but that doesn't make it right. I know that some people will never make it to true friend status, and will always hold a certain place in my life- the role of 'resource-friend'. Need tickets for a sold out event? Call the resource-friend who works for the sponsoring organization. Can't find the study guide you SWEAR you saved on your external harddrive? BBM the resource-friend who always takes notes and ask her to email them. The list of favors can go on and on. I think it's important to be genuinely concerned with the resource-friend's well-being, and ask them how they're doing (and actually listen attentively to the answer) before you ask them for a quick favor. But again, you have to have some resource-friends in your contacts list before you can use them to your advantage. That's where my problem lies.

The story:
This Friday, the Black medical and law student associations from Georgetown, George Washington, and Howard Universities held a mixer at The Park on 14th. The Black Public Health Student Network, of which I am a member, also made it on to the guest list, so two of my new friends from school and I were absolutely and fashionably in attendance. It was a nice event- quality dj playing music loud enough to hear, but low enough to talk over; delicious crab cakes (and by crab, I mean salmon..but if I said salmon cakes first, you all wouldn't have gotten it, right?); liberally-pouring bartenders, and handsome black men in fly skinny suits. There were a lot of women there, too. No ladies were really giving the stank face to each other like you might expect to see when cliques of black women gather (in separate, but equally judgmental groups) in one place. Everyone was friendly, and actually saying excuse me before trying to squeeze between you and the bar stool to get back to her group of friends. But that was just it- unless we were talking to dudes, or the women we came with, none of the ladies socialized. I guess in a setting like that one, where more winks were exchanged than business cards, it's tough for women to approach each other on a strictly networking/business/resource-friend tip. I've read before that meeting new female friends is just like meeting new dudes. Smile, say hi, and pay a compliment(copyright of that process goes to Belle Woods). In my humble opinion- that's super awkward. I mean, sure, you and your friends look nice and you're here at a professional/student mixer so, I'm assuming we have SOMETHING in common- but to just go up and say hi? No, I'm not ready for the networking world if that's what it takes. What about, gulp, rejection?

I can handle a guy not being interested. I've given a fake name or a mean mug to enough men not to question when karma bites me in the ass and stomps on my ego. The chance I take on saying hi to a good looking gentleman is a risk I don't mind taking. If it plays out well, I may leave with a new number in my phone, or at least entertain a good conversation (because once I say hi, if you have nothing to talk about, I'm walking away). But, when it comes to meeting women (esp black women) for potential resource-friends or even real friends, I have always felt unsure about how to approach and start conversation. Are we supposed to act like homegirls because we're fellow 'sistas'? What if they make a reference to something I can't relate to? They're gonna think I'm a square, when really my inquisitiveness (and sometimes cluelessness) is one of my most endearing traits! I have such a respect for successful black women, I'd act like I would in a room full of Ben Carsons or Kanye Wests. I wouldn't even know what to say or how to act. I'm just in awe and hoping I don't make a fool of myself.

The unrealistic solution:
This is obviously a pretty peculiar predicament. If I wanted to network with women, here's what I would do. I'd invite to my house a bunch of friends who don't know each other, and tell them to bring one female friend. We'd eat a healthy but hearty meal, where the important, educated, and business conversation would take place. Then, we pop 1 (or four) bottles of moscato, champagne or the like, and play a raucous game of Taboo. Business cards will be exchanged, iPhones will be bumped, and Blackberry barcodes will be scanned. The night ends with everyone being handed back their keys, (because my caterer stopped serving alcohol well before people needed to drive home) and people work on fostering the new relationships from there. Some may never speak again, some may become best friends. And, some may enter the resource-friend box. Either way, a night specified for networking goes down, and everyone leaves with at least the potential for a new friend.

So, I guess until I have my own home in which to host this dinner party of a lifetime, it's gonna be awkward moments at a mixer, avoided conversations and neglect of a potential great contact- OR I could get over it and find an appropriate, cool, non-awkward way to say hey to a fellow empowered female.

Any suggestions?