Upon entering the dignified, possibly best-furnished building on campus, the John Evans Alumni Center, uncertainty and tension filled the air. An amalgam of students had congregated in the room for a once-in-a-Northwestern-homecoming week experience.

“By virtue of what it is there is a little awkwardness,” remarked one participant.

“I am very skeptical of this kind of event, but it has the potential to be hilarious,” remarked another.

This Monday evening, NU’s Homecoming Committee hosted NU Speed Dating for the first time as part of the Homecoming Week festivities. With just over 50 participants who were required to register ahead of time, NU Speed Dating gave students the unique opportunity to sit down and meet new friends – or maybe lovers?

“We didn’t know if people would come and take it as a joke or if people who were less socially comfortable would enjoy the structure,” said SESP senior and co-chair Leah Hammerman.

Hammerman is one of three co-chairs for this year’s Homecoming festivities, along with Communication senior Havah Smith and Communication junior Emily Lane. The idea for the speed dating event came to the team almost immediately after they met.

“It’s more of a hookup and relationship culture than a dating culture at NU,” Smith said.

At first, it definitely did seem like some of the attendees came for the homecoming-themed, purple-frosted Tiny Dog cupcakes and the possibility of a laugh. The free-form, easygoing event allowed participants to float from chair to chair, having brief mini-conversations with others of both genders.

“Musical chairs style, but no chairs will be pulled,” explained one coordinator in a Purple Reign track jacket, or tracket.

The female-dominated event did prompt murmuring on the lack of Y chromosomes. But despite any initial apprehension, the event did get positive feedback.

One international student talked about how it was a good experience for her.

“I enjoy overcoming my inhibitions because it can be hard to communicate,” she said.

“It’s interesting to talk to people,” one speed dater said. “I’m the one to get the ball rolling, and you can talk and talk. Then when it’s time to move, you are like, wait, I have more things to say.”

“The nice thing is, everybody has the common denominator of being an NU student,” said Hammerman of the event. I’m sure that NU Speed Dating is much less intimidating than “real-world” speed dating. Of course, none of the co-chairs professed real-world experience with speed dating.

Considering this was the first year for an event of this nature, it was definitely an easy-spirited, fun and low-stress experience once it got started.

“As this is the first year, we’re really impressed by the turnout,” Smith said.

The co-chairs also talked about how they aimed to make the event non-gender specific, where both men and women could seek out both men and women as either friends or possible romantic partners.

I don’t honestly think that many – if any – of the participants really expected to meet their next true love at an event like this. I for one came away with new friends, good food and an appreciation for the openness for at least 50 Northwestern students.

– Kara Ali Goldsmith