Speed Dating

Fri Oct 18th, 2002 03:18:34 AM EST

Diary Entry 115
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My apartment complex had a "compatibility party" and "speed dating" event tonight.

For the "compatibility party," you filled out a web survey of 2-answer multiple choice questions in advance, and then when you walked in the door you got a list of the people who had the most answers the same as yours (your "most compatible" matches) and the most different from yours (your "most incompatible" matches). Everyone put on a name tag and you walked around trying to find people on your list.

In the "speed dating" event, an equal number of men and women sat at numbered positions and talked. Then, every two minutes, the men rotated around to the seat with the next number. It was awkward, but kind of fun. It was especially awkward in that some of the women there actually had boyfriends. One I really liked, in fact, turned out to have a boyfriend—but she didn't say that until afterward, when we'd been talking for 15 minutes, and when I tried to give her my number and email address. Bitch.

On the other hand, I did successfully give my info to a woman who is into biking too, mountain biking in her case. We're going to go out biking sometime. I hope she does write to me.

Incidentally, this event was a great example of the gender imbalance here at Stanford. The original email announcing the speed dating said that the first 25 men and 25 women would get to participate. In the end, over 50 men emailed, but only 17 women. Argh.