Western Courier

Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: The Edge

Media Credit: Martyn Davis Possible couples sit across from each other at speed dating last Wednesday.

Media Credit: Martyn Davis The males far outweighed women during the event.

If you've ever been told that it's hard to meet someone on this campus, don't believe it. There are a lot of ways to meet a girl or guy, like Speed Dating. Yes, I said Speed Dating.

Surprisingly, Western has its own version of this event, put on by the University Union Board. Last Wednesday, guys and girls came together in the Western Illinois University Union Heritage Room, put on their numbered nametags and were soon chatting with complete strangers.

The event started at 8:30 p.m. and was followed by a folk music concert for all those new matches to get to know each other better. The rules were simple: You have three minutes to get to know as much as you can about the person sitting across from you to decide whether they are right for you.

Free food and drinks (non-alcoholic, of course) were provided, and if you weren't looking for a "romantic" relationship, there was the option of sitting at the "friends" table.

After the first Speed Dating event from last semester was a smashing hit, the UUB chose to do it again. Unfortunately, it wasn't as popular the second time around. Maybe it was because of events rescheduled due to the shooting scare that conflicted with Speed Dating, or the lack of advertisement. Whatever the reason, the UUB worked well with the number of people there and still made the event a success. One of the guys commented, "Even though there wasn't 10 percent of how many people that were there last time, they managed to make it work."

As a participant, I found it a little nerve-wracking at first, sitting across from a total stranger, but as we both started talking, it wasn't as bad as I thought. It seemed everyone was having a great time by the end, striking up conversations with each other and heading off to the concert together.

"Overall it was fun despite the small turnout," said one participant who wished to remain anonymous.

I did feel bad for the guys, though, because the ratio between guys and girls was about 30 to 6, so they all had their share of just twiddling their thumbs after their 3 minutes were over.

All in all, the event was still fun, and about five days later I received an e-mail with my "matches." Who knows, I might strike up a great friendship from my first Speed Dating experience.

Keep your eyes open next year for a return of Speed Dating, where you can meet a variety of different people from all over campus and have a great time as well.

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