Speed dating event plays matchmaker for student body
Love was in the air at the Schine Goldstein Auditorium on Thursday when Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity hosted its fourth annual speed-dating event.
There was a nervous energy in the auditorium as the guys waited for their first dates. Romantic music blared from overhead speakers. As the girls shuffled into the auditorium, the guys started cheering.
Inspired by the movie ‘Hitch,’ this speed-dating event, hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha in collaboration with Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Kappa Epsilon, gave student pairs about five minutes to talk and get to know each other. Speed dating involves fast-paced conversations in which two people exchange basic information and then determine if they want to see the other person again.
When the lights flashed, women moved to the table next to them, where they found a new, eager man waiting. As daters went from table to table, moving became chaotic and hectic. But over time, the transitions went smoothly and everyone found their dates.
Many participants were members of sororities and fraternities, but the event was open to the whole university.
Speed dating does suggest matchmaking, but this event garners other positive results, said Joseph Iluore, event coordinator and member of Alpha Phi Alpha. Iluore, a senior biology major, said the fraternity hosts the event annually to give students the opportunity to make connections with diverse people they might not have met otherwise.
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity hosted the event on its own for its first two years. Last year, the fraternity teamed up with SAE for the first time.
‘Basically, we try to create a campus environment that’s diversified and integrated,’ Iluore said.
The student attendees expressed excitement for the event. When the girls entered the room, they danced and sang along with the music on the radio.
‘I thought it would be a good idea to broaden my horizons, get out of my comfort zone and meet more people,’ said Perry Feld, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Her friend, Riali Austin, a sophomore advertising and policy studies dual major,decided to come with her.
‘We wanted to meet some new people,’ Austin said. ‘We heard that it was a fun experience, and everyone told us great stories about it.’
As the event progressed, students became considerably more lively and comfortable with one another. Many met new friends, some met up with old friends and others met potential new dates.
Although speed dating is an incentive, Iluore said that it’s the networking between students that really counted.
The brothers of the fraternity aimed to break the Guinness World Records’ record for the most speed dates in one night. They missed it by about 50 people.
‘Last year, we had about 500 people. This year, our goal was to get 600 people to come,’ Iluore said.
But some daters achieved their goal of finding a date for the next night, including Feld.
‘I met a really nice guy,’ Feld said. ‘He was super funny and really charming. He gave me his phone number, so we’re gonna go out, and I’m really excited!’
Published on February 12, 2012 at 12:00 pm
