Students crowd the sign-up table, hoping they can get a number between one and 60. Hands shaking, palms sweating, students nervously fidgeting in anticipation of the Campus Activity Board's latest event: speed dating.
The CAB event took place in the Student Union room 316 Wednesday night. With the promise of new relationships hanging in the air, be they friendly or romantic, more than 100 students came out to speed date.
For CAB Special Events Director Lauren Jenkins, the massive turnout was anything but expected.
"I was expecting less than sixty people," Jenkins said. "We were going to turn people away, [but] we actually had a second round of speed dating for [another] sixty people. We sped date 122 people, and we still had to turn people away."
The speed dating event, having been very popular when presented two years ago according to Jenkins, was brought back for students to have the chance to meet new people in a safe, relaxing environment.
Advertised through a Facebook group—where only 44 people originally responded as attending—as well as many posters and emails, the speed dating event offered free beverages and snacks to students while they connected with new people.
Freshman Adelaide Baker discussed her hope for the event and its likeness to the movies.
"You always see [speed dating] in movies and wonder how they're going to be," the pre-med psychology major said. "I think it's nice that they're having activities to encourage people to come out, especially in such a big school. What's the worst that could happen?"
For Caitlin Tapp, a social sciences education major, speed dating was a chance for students to improve their social skills.
"I [came out] to meet new people," the freshman said. "It's a big deal [for students] to be social, to have friends and learn social networking skills."
With more than ten volunteers and the various directors of CAB acting as mediators between couples for lulls in conversation, students had the opportunity to have two-minute conversations with several different partners, making sure to note the numbers of whom they clicked with on their "interests" card.
If CAB members saw that two people both marked each other on their "interests" card then they sent out emails to inform the potential couple.
The two-minute conversations included a number of topics, such as favorite things, hobbies and pastimes, and basic information such as major and class; it was ultimately left to the students, what was to be shared during their dates.
Shannon Ros, a freshman and volunteer with CAB, greeted students who managed to get that numbered nametag into the room where the speed dating would begin. The event management major described how she felt speed dating was a chance for people, not only to make new friends, but to find a sense of community as well.
"It's a risk, I think, as far as putting yourself out there, but obviously people think it's worth it," Ros said. "If you're not that sorority or fraternity type person, or you're shy, this is a great way to come and get your footing. It kind of gives you that sense of belonging."
Megan Beeson, a fellow freshman and volunteer for the event, agreed that speed dating and meeting new people in general was a risk worth taking.
"I know it's hard to meet people, but this is something where that's the main goal: to meet people," the undeclared major said.
However, with the sign-up sheets filling fast and the possibility of entering the second round fading, students continued to wander around the third floor of the Student Union, hoping for a third round of speed dating—a request that couldn't be realized.
For those who didn't get the chance to enter the room filled with prospective relationships, Jenkins provided relief with plans for a return of the event next semester, with an emphasis on a fancier, "dress to impress" atmosphere.
"I'm trying to plan it where it will happen before Valentine's Day," Jenkins said. "Everyone's looking for that special someone that they don't have on Valentine's Day—it might be a good turnout. It seems like it's a popular turnout now."
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!