By Nitesh SrivastavaThe Daily Northwestern

As people sauntered in from the rain, all eyes in the room focused on sheets of paper lying neatly on a table. For some students, the numbers on the papers literally determined how much their peers thought they were worth.

“I feel like a farm animal, like I should be wearing a number and someone should be holding my pedigree,” said Medill sophomore Lindsay Schafer. “It should be fun to see how much I’m worth. I’m excited.”

Schafer, who is on the 2006 Homecoming Court, was participating in a silent date auction for Dance Marathon. The event took place Monday night at Prairie Moon, 1502 Sherman Ave., placing members of the Homecoming Court as well as other campus celebrities up for auction. People could list bids starting at about $20 on sheets of paper in a back room.

“It feels really awkward, but it’s exciting because I’ve never been ‘auctioned’ before,” said Medill senior Emerald Morrow, making quote marks with her hands. “I hope someone ‘buys’ us. That sounds so awkward.”

About 30 students initially braved the rainy night to attend, many of them auction candidates or event sponsors. More students arrived as the evening progressed.

The rain, as well as upcoming midterms, probably kept some students from attending, event coordinators said. Because all participating restaurants donated their services, the event was still a success, they said.

“Basically any dollar we make on this is profit,” said Weinberg senior Nathan Tenenbaum, DM’s special events co-chairman. “A bar night is not a huge event. If you can make a couple hundred dollars, it’s been a good night.”

As of about 10:30 p.m., the event had raised about $150 in bids and suggested cover charges at the door.

The students up for auction had a more personal investment in the success of the event.

Communication senior and Associated Student Government President Jay Schumacher arrived at the auction to find that nobody had bid on him yet.

“I should go around and introduce myself,” he said. “I’m hopefully optimistic. I’m worried the weather’s not that great right now. That may be a factor. They asked me for a picture and so I told them to go on Facebook, so there’s the Facebook factor. The weather factor and the Facebook factor.”

At last year’s auction, he said, ASG members bid on then-president Patrick Keenan-Devlin, who later paid them back.

“I’m not above that,” Schumacher said.

But his situation improved on its own shortly afterwards.

“The early projections are looking good,” he said. “I’m at $25. I think I’m going strong to finish around $30.”

But how much did these candidates think they were worth?

“I’m worth the price of a good dinner,” Schumacher said.

“I invited a bunch of my friends together, and their pool was $60,” Schafer said.

“I’m priceless,” Morrow said.

Reach Nitesh Srivastava at [email protected].