With fraternity Chi Psi’s formal coming up this Saturday and no date, Weinberg freshman Tim Savage did what many Northwestern Greek students do in these desperate situations: go date hunting.
“I’m scrambling because I want to go with a friend,” Savage said. “But I should take advantage of formal and take a date I have interest in because I will be spending the whole night with her.”
So Savage went to The Keg of Evanston, 810 Grove St., Monday night looking for a formal date — but had no luck.
Whether through friends, or searching for that special someone at a bar, Greek students are searching for dates for
upcoming spring formals.
Last week, Medill freshman Nicole Kwan, a member of Kappa Delta, had one of her fellow sorority members set her up with someone for formal.
“It was a little stressful because I didn’t know who I was going with for a while but it worked out well,” Kwan said.
Although some of the set ups are blind dates, most of the time they’re with
acquaintances or “friends of friends.”
“If (members of my fraternity) really don’t know who they are going to ask, they’ll go up to a girl at the Deuce or The Keg that they kind of know,” said Weinberg freshman Luke Tanen, who is in Lodge. “It’s not some random girl, but some one they knew would be there that night.”
But why search in bars?
“The Deuce and The Keg, those two are the typical Northwestern bar scenes,” Tanen said. “It’s a social environment and a social person there would certainly be up to going to a date party or a formal.”
Although going with an
acquaintance could be awkward, most people find the situation enjoyable.
“It was good,” said Weinberg
freshman Kerianne Tobitsch, who also
is in KD. “We had stuff to talk about, when you don’t know a person there’s
a lot of ground to cover.”
Savage, who has been to another formal with a blind date, said going in a group makes the situation easier.
“It’s fine as long as you’ve said a few words to the girl before,” Savage said. “It’s not awkward when everyone there’s having a good time.”
Even still, Bryan Cohen said he’d rather just go with a good friend.
“With my personality it’s safer to go with someone I know,” said Cohen, a
McCormick sophomore in Pi Kappa Alpha. “There’s less risk.”
When it comes to being set up, students put their trust in their friends.
“Being on cheerleading team I have a
supply of girls to set me up with people,” said Pike member
Anthony Ryan, a Weinberg junior.
With friends in comMonday, chances are that the blind date will be a success.
“I set them up with my good guy friends,” said Weinberg sophomore Beth Cleland, who is in Kappa Alpha Theta. “I figure if I like them, they will.”
