Finding a summer fling can lead you to a lasting friendship or even to your eternal companion. BYUHSA sponsored an activity and helped students get to know each other through a few rounds of speed dating. Speed dating is an organized form of matchmaking that focuses on meeting a lot of people in a short period of time (from 3 to 9 minutes). “Sometimes people are hesitant to talk to someone they are attracted to and speed dating is a great way to have an opportunity to talk to someone that otherwise you wouldn’t necessarily go up to,” said Nathan Tucker, an executive director of BYUHSA from Arizona, sophomore in business management. “Speed dating is an easier, less awkward way to initiate a conversation.” To make things more comfortable and to keep the conversation flowing, speed daters had a questioner guide that went along with plenty of chips and salsa to snack on. Abby Smith from Iowa, a junior in marine biology, said, “I am a return speed dater. It’s always a good time. It’s fun to meet people and there is good food… my favorite thing about speed dating is that you get to meet a really wide variety of people…It works.” A handful of fun prizes and “date packs” were given away throughout the event. Prizes included a movie for two, a picnic for two and much more. Shane Dyer, a junior in EXS from Oregon, said, “I have a bucket list and speed dating was on there. I’ve never done it before.” When asked what kind of lady was he looking for, Dyer said, “I’m mainly here to just meet new people, make new friends, and to enjoy the event.” Tucker added, “It’s a great way to meet people and that is what speed dating is all about. We wanted to make something people didn’t have to pay for and could be in a more relax setting versus a dance.” A signal was given to speed dating participants. Each person made notes as to whether or not they’d like to meet their “date” again before moving on to another person. Usually, a day or two after a speed dating event, participants receive word as to who wanted to meet them and are given a method of contacting each other. “It’s a great way to just have fun, and it’s a mid-week event for students to come enjoy and relax from their studies. I’m a return speed dater, and I have been able to get dates out of it,” said Heliman Zheng, a sophomore TESOL from Hong Kong. Johnny Watkins, a junior biology from California, said, “This is such a good turnout. There a lot of people here. I enjoyed the event. There are great people, lots of food, prizes and delicious ice cream.”
Writer: Jennifer Herrera~Multimedia Journalist
