Speed dating: an insider story

This story is written from the perspective of NIC Sentinel Lead Reporter Taylor Nadauld.

The sounds of overly flirtatious men pounding on tables for women to join them tinged the awkward evening air of NIC night life on Wednesday night.

ASNIC hosted its annual speed dating event in the lower level of the SUB, and I, as a reporter, was requested to attend the event, observe, and document it accordingly.

By the night’s end, I received three roses, multiple invitations to “just sit down across from me and ask the questions,” and an invitation to watch “Lord of the Rings.” I never even had to enter the dating pool.

Joined by a few fellow journalistic partners in crime, I made my way around the room and began observing what happens when you put 40+ flirtatious students in one room and force them to talk to each other.

Let me just start by saying that the night began with various inclusive options. There was a small table for “men interested in men” – population: 4 – as well as one for “women interested in women” and “people interested in people” – total population of the two: 0 – and finally, one mega table for “men interested in women/women interested in men” – population: everyone else.

I met every type of person here: Singles looking for a connection, people I would’ve expected to have significant others already (maybe they did); I even met a couple who decided to attend the event and speed date other people.

Boyfriend-of-aforementioned-couple, Stephen Thompson, 22, said the event was all about the free food, good fun and making of friends. But even he had no luck in the love department.

Students enjoying their time at Student Event’s Speed Dating night. Abigail Nelson/Sentinel

“The best part is when [Thompson and his girlfriend] actually lined up; we tried really hard to pick each other up and failed,” Thompson, who was completely clad in a pink snow suit, said. “I couldn’t come up with a good line to pick up my own girlfriend. That is how hard it is to do speed dating.”

I felt for these people. Especially the incredibly disproportionate ratio of heterosexual single males, because if even the only couple in the room was having no luck, surely these people could not be doing any better.

The ratio gave me ample time to interview the men though, and I was able to get some insight into how their night was panning out.

“Um, pretty unsuccessful, believe it or not,” Easton Whiteside, 19, said. “There’s like, three girls here and like, 45 guys.”

One thing that you must anticipate as a female journalist on the prowl for interviews is that the recorder in your hand and camera over your neck will not protect you or distinguish you from the rest. In fact, they may be mistaken as ice breakers. I hardly had to approach anyone for an interview. I was summoned.

One particularly testosterone-tinged summoning involved a young man rapping for me on the spot while his two buddies joined in with beat-boxing and fist pumps galore. It was as if I had been transported to 1986 and the Beastie Boys were crooning me their siren song.

“That’s how this night is going,” Mike D of the group – Chesapeake Doering – 18, said at the rap’s end.

Participants were given a list of getting-to-know-you questions that they were invited to use to break the ice. When asked which question on the list was most likely to get him a date, MCA of the group, Wyatt Nash Fitzgerald, 19, said, “Probably, ‘what was the last book you read’, because there’s an 85% chance it’s going to be ‘50 Shades of Grey’, and it just so happens that I’m 50 shades of grey.”

Luckily, about halfway into the event, more women showed up and almost evened out the playing field. There was much hair flipping and eyelash fluttering. Girls’ voices reached all-time highs, and the men’s reached all-time lows.

“I walked in and there were like three girls here, so it was kind of awkward,” said Jasmine Smith, 18, “but it was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be.”

Though Smith said that nothing serious was going to come out of the event, overall, it was interesting.

“I’ve never done anything like this,” Smith said, “so it’s a good experience.”

Jasmine Smith, 18, speed dating. Lily Anderson/The Sentinel

Meanwhile, at the “men interested in men” table, things seemed to be going well.

“It’s less awkward than five guys to one girl,” Kelton Spillar, 21 said.

The outlook was hopeful.

Overall, the experience actually did appear to be a success. ASNIC student events member Maria Paluzzi, 18, agreed, saying the disproportionate number of men to women was expected and that the dynamic traditionally produced good results.

“It still works really well,” Paluzzi said. “Everyone is just talking with each other and that’s the whole point for this is to just socialize and meet new people and get everyone involved and interactive with each other.”

“We’ll definitely continue to do it for sure,” Paluzzi said.

“Speed dating has changed my life. I’ve met at least five girls I will now be dating,” Eli Herman said, motioning to the empty table in front of him.

Godspeed, speed daters.