He said...
These days, it seems like there's always a way to get a quick romantic fix. The dating world is a difficult bridge to cross sometimes, especially that one day every year, Feb. 14, when everyone wants to be loved. Valentine's Day is a Hallmark holiday that stuck one year and has since become one of the most important reflections of love and romance in relationships.
When I went to the Mary Graydon Center on Valentine's Day to scope out an effort to bring romance to people's lives, I was more than skeptical. I was about to observe one of the newest dating and romance phenomena, the now infamous pastime of speed dating. And I was scared.
The AU Gymnastics Club sponsored the Valentine's Day event to raise money for their national competition in California.
"My roommate was joking around with the idea of speed dating as a fundraiser and then I thought it might actually be a good idea," said gymnast Rachel Provencher, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs. The $5 admission fee seemed reasonable, but would anyone show up?
When the night came, people poured in and many seemed excited at the prospect of this fun idea. "I thought [this would be] kind of funny because after [watching] '40-Year-Old Virgin,' I really wanted to try it," said Steve Sondheimer, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business.
Fortunately, there were some takers, because I would not be participating in speed dating - or so I thought. After much coercion, I was labeled with a number and sat down, ready to have a quick date with every one of the 10 girls who came.
The whole process was awkward from the start. Each dater was given a sheet with conversation questions and space to write down your name and email address, as well as the number of any date you thought was cute, fun or interesting. Every dater is assigned a number and every girl moves around the table to date each guy. Each date lasts only four minutes. Four minutes to find your mate.
The first date started without a hitch. Number 10, then number 19, 14, 12 and 20 - and with each one there was a different conversation. Some felt awkward, especially because the conversation questions suggested talking about Ninja Turtles and peanut butter, and that just didn't tell me what I needed to know about future dating material. Don't get me wrong: all the girls were great. But did I really want to date someone after just four minutes of mindless conversation?
Watching them rotate around the room, the girls seemed to feel the same way. This speed dating seminar was full of people who knew each other and had little reason to be there other than to support the team. But it was great fun when the whole process was taken with a few laughs. The best part was when everyone turned in their papers and listed who they wanted to possibly be in contact with. I got three potentials. Not bad for a newcomer, I thought.
Clearly, dating for the college set is a much simpler process than it is for, say, a middle-aged person. Speed dating has its redeeming values. It brings together people who don't know each other and allows them to socialize quickly so they are more apt to find a mate. But for now, it seems the traditional approach to dating works better for me.
When all was said and done, it seemed clear that, more than anything, AU gymnastics had some great support, and that was all that mattered.
"It just proves that AU students support club sports," said gymnast Rachel Centariczki, a junior in SPA. "It went really well!"
She said...
Walking into a room full of 19 strangers who all have one thing in common with you - being single - can be pretty intimidating. Welcome to the world of speed dating, one of the latest trends to hit the dating scene.
The AU Gymnastics team held its own speed dating session on Valentine's Day. For $5, females had the opportunity to settle into a cozy, balloon-decorated room in Mary Graydon Center and talk to 10 potential suitors.
When I walked in, cheesy oldies like "Be My Baby" were playing. Guys were asking around for "Gina," quoting "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." I took a seat and was given a flier to fill out with my name and e-mail address along with a nametag with a number on it. We would have four minutes per guy and if we sensed a potential match, we were to write down the guy's number.
My first guy was another Eagle staffer, basically just a practice round. We laughed through the icebreaker questions we were given, contemplating our choices for favorite Ninja turtle. (Mine's Michaelango, just in case anyone's wondering. I identify with his goofy personality.)
After a quick four minutes, I moved on to my next prospect. In the grand tradition of AU, I knew him through a friend of mine. I was surprised to learn that he had another connection to me: he was born in Pittsburgh, where I am from. I spent the majority of time with him reminiscing about Pittsburgh hotspots. As it turns out, he was born at the hospital where my parents work. I felt comfortable and at home talking to him.
I began talking to the next guy about journalism and working for The Eagle. He admired that I worked for The Eagle, but talked about how he fired his entire high school newspaper staff and revamped the style. A commendable feat, but it seemed more like we were in a college interview than on a date. In short, we weren't a good match.
Moving on, the next guy - a braces-clad, smiling freshman - asked me what grade I thought he was in. Despite the braces, he gave off a pretty mature vibe. I guessed junior or senior, which I think pleased him. We made small talk about celebrities and laughed about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' alien spawn, due in a few months.
The next guy began our conversation asking where I was from. When I said Pittsburgh, he made a face and said he was from New Jersey and hated the Steelers. I immediately thought, "Well, this is going to be a wonderful four minutes." It turns out, he was a really nice guy but when he mentioned that Steelers fans "talk too much shit," I tuned him out. Major mismatch.
My next prospect was a really sweet guy from Illinois. We seemed to hit it off, especially when he told me he liked old movies. He didn't even roll his eyes as most guys do when I tell them "Moulin Rouge" is my favorite movie. I really wanted to talk more, but unfortunately four minutes flew by.
The next guy and I knew each other entirely too well to even take our date seriously. He told me that he reads my Xanga daily and laughed. I rolled my eyes and we both agreed that whoever thought of speed dating must not have realized how awkward it was.
Moving on, my last three guys were a blur. They were very nice but it was hard to get them enough to really begin a conversation. The last guy I talked to was from Bucks County, Pa., which he repeatedly reminded me was "the better side of the state." What is it with all these Pittsburgh haters? My final date and I ended up talking about the guy I had really hit it off with. I found out he was a Midwestern Republican, which I definitely liked to hear.
Overall, as a person who doesn't usually try new things like speed dating, I really enjoyed the experience. Movies like "Hitch" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" were right: Speed dating, although extremely awkward, can make for some great stories to tell friends later. Besides, according to the Discovery Health Channel Web site, half of the people who participate in speed dating events come out with a potential match. Give it a try.
