In today’s world, we have different types of dating apps that provide plenty of ways to search for love, all at the tips of our fingers. From the comfort and safety from our own homes, we have the power to look for love and showcase only the best parts of ourselves to potential mates.
There are still plenty of romantics who reject these modern comforts and believe that the best way to find love is through the old-fashioned way of going to a bar with a friend as their wingman. On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Thurs, Feb. 13, the Computer Science Undergraduate Society (CSUS) hosted datemyfriend.pptx at Bar des Pins, providing students with the chance to show off their single friends with the use of a PowerPoint. Within the span of two hours, a dozen presenters clicked through slides extolling the dating criteria of their best friends. Playing as their friend’s wingman, presenters highlighted any aspect that a future soulmate should know such as their achievements, idiosyncrasies, and athletic ability.
The pitches for love had no shortage of sarcasm or creativity. One especially hilarious presentation came in the format of a scientific research paper. The hypothesis was “A six pack makes you hot,” and their results were provided with Instagram-worthy visuals. Ghida Monla, U4 Computer Science and President of CSUS, explained the story behind this successful event.
“Last year, [the CSUS executive team was] at a meeting, [thinking about] what we can do for Valentine’s Day,” Monla said. “Someone just said at the meeting, ‘Let’s do a ‘date my friend’’ and everyone was so into the idea. We put the event up, and it went viral. It was a full house last year, and it started [this] tradition [that] we’re going to do […] every single year [from now on].”
Just 20 minutes after the event started, the bar was filled with students buzzing about whether they would find the one. The crowd was made up of people dressed in different styles: Some dressed to the nines, donning a full suit and tie, while others took a more relaxed approach with just a sweater and jeans. Although some were taking down phone numbers and sliding into direct messages (DMs) , the intent behind this event was just to host a comical event in the midst of midterm season.
“We just really want this to be like a high school event […] because it’s just a joke,” Monla said. “You just go through the slides and make fun of your friends, you know?”
Some participants, however, were a little more determined to find a partner. Arielle Lok, U0 Management, took it upon herself to be her own wingman, ensuing a booming applause from the crowd at the conclusion of her presentation. Lok prefers this style of showcasing herself in front of a large crowd rather than the use of impersonal Tinder biographies.
“[This event] follows the business model of ‘Subtle asian dating’ where you auction off your friends,” Lok said. “I feel like this is a more localized, […] physical way to meet people. It’s a fun time [….] I’d rather do this than dating apps […because] I am more on the serious side.”
Datemyfriend.pptx provided an alternative to dating apps, which can leave people feeling frustrated and yearning for more real-life interaction. Although there were numerous presentations, it remains a mystery how successful people were on their endeavor to find love.
“Someone here is pretty cute, but I haven’t slid [into their DMs yet],” Lok said. “I usually wait for the first move to be made.”
Whether students came with the intention of finding a Valentine’s date, cuffing their single friends, or simply enjoying the hilarity that ensued, one thing was certain: Everyone had a great time.
