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-- See video of speed dating at the bottom of this page --
Being a former speed dater, I was looking forward to not fumbling my sentences and making a complete idiot out of myself like I did last time.
I just got off work and rushed over to Bell Memorial Union as fast as I could. About half an hour before the event, there were eight guys and no girls. I was seriously worried. Then more guys came. One of the groups brought a girl with them, making it 18 guys and one girl. It was awkward.
When the event started, there were about 87 people. While there were more guys than girls, it was still a better turnout than I expected.
Unlike the last time I participated, I felt pretty confident about myself. I felt I could actually talk to people instead of sitting around wondering what I got myself into.
The DJ gave us the go ahead to begin. I felt no fear as I was asking the questions. They were the typical ones, such as name, major, hometown and hobbies. I ended up admitting that I'm a huge film/history/book nerd all at once, but I truly didn't care. A few people gave me a weird look when I mentioned hunting, though. I guess hunting doesn't settle well with some people.
As I went further down the line, there came a point when I had to sit out for two rounds. That happens when there are more guys than girls. I ended up talking to the guy who was sitting next to me the whole night, since he had to sit out as well. His name was also David. It was his first time being out to a speed-dating event and he was having a blast.
It came time for me to continue down the line. To be honest, I'm not one of those guys who can get a number the minute a girl walks past. Frankly, I could care less that I'm not some "mack daddy" or whatever you want to call it. I was having fun sitting and talking to people, and if I got a number, that was cool. If I didn't, I had no problem with that.
By the end of the night, I had a lot more fun than I did my previous time. I don't think I made myself look like a fool. I didn't fumble my words or say anything ridiculous, so I think I did all right. I met 15 new people within an hour, and they were all great.
While three minutes is a very short time to meet someone, it really tests your skills at how much information about yourself you can give out in that amount of time. At first, it may seem a little uncomfortable because you're not sure of what you're doing, but after a while, you may regain yourself and talk your way through the rest of the event without any problems.
I highly recommend speed dating for those who haven't tried it. A.S. Late Night hosts the event once a year and it's a great way to spend a Saturday night.
I prefer meeting women this way rather than at a party or bar. There are times when it may seem repetitive, but I had more fun meeting people at this event.
When it comes to speed dating, you don't have to find the person of your dreams to have a good time.
David Wangberg can be reached at dwangberg@theorion.com
Video by Eder Diego
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