Three minutes to love?
Walking into the Fanshawe Student Union's second speed dating night on January 25 was almost like walking into an elementary school dance — guys milling about on one side, girls on the other, waiting until they received the instructions that yes, they can talk to one another.
But that nervous energy added to the general open-mindedness of the evening.
Sure, there are people who would immediately roll their eyes at the idea of speed dating; but just like with any experience — it's good to keep a sense of adventure about you.
Speed dating does not seem to be for the desperately dateless anymore, as one might typically assume.
While many of the participants may have been dragged out by friends or co-workers, the general impression of the 18 girls and guys was that it was something new to do on a Monday night.
The girls seemed to have it easy. We were stationed at tables, while the guys had to play musical chairs, getting up and moving every time the bell rang.
So while each guy knew they were sitting down at my table for an interview, rather than an attempt at a connection, they were still animated and candid with their thoughts on if attraction can happen in mere minutes.
Some arrived on their own — which was brave, I told them — with the hopes of at least making even a friendly match that, of course, might lead to something more.
“I've been single for a long time, (this) is better than a bar,” said Peter — last names were not shared as part of the speed dating policy.
Michael, a self-proclaimed old-fashioned type, also finds bars to be the worst place to meet someone, and while he said he found it difficult to “sell myself really fast” at speed dating, the experience did give him a chance to meet people he would've never had the chance to through his regular schedule.
Others came for a little self-esteem boost. Kurtis, whose two dating expert friends from L.A. peer pressured him to try it, accepted the challenge as a way to get over his awkwardness with women.
For Jon, who claimed he had “never done anything like this before,” it was all about breaking out of his shell — which he said he's been doing since he got to Fanshawe.
“I was so anti-social in high school,” he said. “This is a good step for myself.”
Of course, speed dating does have its romantic undertones. It's said that it takes anywhere from three to 10 seconds for a first impression to form. So I wanted to get a sense of if a deeper connection can occur in three minutes.
Results were mixed. Geoff said he believed that two people may have that “click in such a short amount of time.” Another Jeff noted that it might not even take the three minutes to figure out if there's palpable chemistry.
“If you meet the right person, you know. It doesn't take that long to know if you have a rapport with someone,” he said.
Tyler, a theatre arts student who attended with the goal of shopping around and getting ideas for characters, still weighed in saying that it's difficult to distinguish people's real personalities from the one they display in the allotted time.
Although the idea of popping yourself in front of a stranger is awkward, it's also exciting. Regardless of the reasons for coming, everyone seemed to commiserate over the how strange it seemed to “speed date” and it really did serve as a good conversation starter.
While the results of the night — whether love matches were made or friendships formed — still remain to be seen, it was definitely overheard that some girls were interested. So maybe three minutes is all it takes?
The Dos and Don'ts of Speed Dating
I found having the opportunity to experience speed dating to be quite a unique, fun night out. Fanshawe College hosted its second speed-dating event, which left hopefuls in awe as they searched for their potential soulmate. The following are dos and don'ts when attending one of these not-so-typical ways of meeting the one.
Dos
- Do look presentable and not overdone like you're going to the prom. A man will appreciate natural beauty opposed to you having your entire face caked on. Girls, you know who you are.
- Do smile and be polite. The last thing you want to do is sit there frowning when all the man wants to do is get to know you. Even if it is just for the short few minutes he has to spend in your presence.
- Do ask interesting questions. Leave the more complicated questions at home as they tend to take more time to answer than is allotted at the event.
Don'ts
- Don't ever tell your date a lie. Enough said.
- Don't give out too much of your personal information on this first encounter. It is one thing to tell a person what you do for a living for example. But try to keep it to a minimum, as this is only your first encounter.
- Don't be too serious. Try to stick to a more lighthearted conversation with the person sitting across from you. The intent is for every-one to have fun, not feel like you're being grilled.
- compiled by Ivana Pelisek
But that nervous energy added to the general open-mindedness of the evening.
Sure, there are people who would immediately roll their eyes at the idea of speed dating; but just like with any experience — it's good to keep a sense of adventure about you.
Speed dating does not seem to be for the desperately dateless anymore, as one might typically assume.
While many of the participants may have been dragged out by friends or co-workers, the general impression of the 18 girls and guys was that it was something new to do on a Monday night.
The girls seemed to have it easy. We were stationed at tables, while the guys had to play musical chairs, getting up and moving every time the bell rang.
So while each guy knew they were sitting down at my table for an interview, rather than an attempt at a connection, they were still animated and candid with their thoughts on if attraction can happen in mere minutes.
Some arrived on their own — which was brave, I told them — with the hopes of at least making even a friendly match that, of course, might lead to something more.
“I've been single for a long time, (this) is better than a bar,” said Peter — last names were not shared as part of the speed dating policy.
Michael, a self-proclaimed old-fashioned type, also finds bars to be the worst place to meet someone, and while he said he found it difficult to “sell myself really fast” at speed dating, the experience did give him a chance to meet people he would've never had the chance to through his regular schedule.
Others came for a little self-esteem boost. Kurtis, whose two dating expert friends from L.A. peer pressured him to try it, accepted the challenge as a way to get over his awkwardness with women.
For Jon, who claimed he had “never done anything like this before,” it was all about breaking out of his shell — which he said he's been doing since he got to Fanshawe.
“I was so anti-social in high school,” he said. “This is a good step for myself.”
Of course, speed dating does have its romantic undertones. It's said that it takes anywhere from three to 10 seconds for a first impression to form. So I wanted to get a sense of if a deeper connection can occur in three minutes.
Results were mixed. Geoff said he believed that two people may have that “click in such a short amount of time.” Another Jeff noted that it might not even take the three minutes to figure out if there's palpable chemistry.
“If you meet the right person, you know. It doesn't take that long to know if you have a rapport with someone,” he said.
Tyler, a theatre arts student who attended with the goal of shopping around and getting ideas for characters, still weighed in saying that it's difficult to distinguish people's real personalities from the one they display in the allotted time.
Although the idea of popping yourself in front of a stranger is awkward, it's also exciting. Regardless of the reasons for coming, everyone seemed to commiserate over the how strange it seemed to “speed date” and it really did serve as a good conversation starter.
While the results of the night — whether love matches were made or friendships formed — still remain to be seen, it was definitely overheard that some girls were interested. So maybe three minutes is all it takes?
The Dos and Don'ts of Speed Dating
I found having the opportunity to experience speed dating to be quite a unique, fun night out. Fanshawe College hosted its second speed-dating event, which left hopefuls in awe as they searched for their potential soulmate. The following are dos and don'ts when attending one of these not-so-typical ways of meeting the one.
Dos
- Do look presentable and not overdone like you're going to the prom. A man will appreciate natural beauty opposed to you having your entire face caked on. Girls, you know who you are.
- Do smile and be polite. The last thing you want to do is sit there frowning when all the man wants to do is get to know you. Even if it is just for the short few minutes he has to spend in your presence.
- Do ask interesting questions. Leave the more complicated questions at home as they tend to take more time to answer than is allotted at the event.
Don'ts
- Don't ever tell your date a lie. Enough said.
- Don't give out too much of your personal information on this first encounter. It is one thing to tell a person what you do for a living for example. But try to keep it to a minimum, as this is only your first encounter.
- Don't be too serious. Try to stick to a more lighthearted conversation with the person sitting across from you. The intent is for every-one to have fun, not feel like you're being grilled.
- compiled by Ivana Pelisek
