Students Make Love Connections

"I have in mind the perfect man. What makes you the perfect man for me?"

"If you were an amusement park ride, how fast would you be?"

"It's Friday night. How do you get me in the mood?"

These are questions one rarely hears at Harvard, where ice cream socials pass for parties and any undergraduates hidden in the Widener stacks late at night are probably...studying for their midterms.

But this fall, several House committees have risen to the challenge, struggling to energize Harvard's anemic dating scene. Taking their cues from game show classics like "The Dating Game" and "Singled Out," the Yard and three Houses have organized their own games for lucky residents so far this year.

But have Harvard's bachelors and bachelorettes made the love connection? Several lucky contestants from Pforzheimer, Winthrop, Quincy and the Yard say that while they had fun, their true loves are still somewhere out in the audience.

Silent Nights

Most of the participants agreed that the Harvard dating scene is notorious for its lack of activity, although they insisted their participation was just for fun.

"There's a large amount of people here who don't go out very much," says Adam D. Checchi '99 of Winthrop. "It's like high school...`The Dating Game' made me think I should be helping fix the problem."

Checchi also proposes more constructive solutions.

"If you want you can print my phone number in the article," he adds helpfully.

His date, Sinead B. Walsh '00, says after transferring to Harvard from Texas Christian, she was astonished by the lack of social activity.

Helping improve the scene "is kind of a mission of mine--I'm a very socially oriented person," she says. "Don't underestimate the number of people who are ready to party."

Valerie A. Edmondson '00 of Quincy says romantic involvement at Harvard is sharply divided into two camps.

"It seems to be either relationships or random hook-ups which don't lead anywhere," says Edmondson, who is also a Crimson executive.

In the same vein, Pforzheimer's David J. Kim '01 says his participation in the dating game wasn't only for his own benefit.

"I was doing it for the House," Kim says.

Questions and Answers

Enter the House committees, which organized each event independent of one another.

"It's a good way to poke fun at the fact that we don't have much dating here," Raymond D. "Lano" Williams '00, president of Winthrop's House Committee, says.

Williams adds that the event is a longtime Winthrop tradition, which died out in recent years.

Game rules vary from House to House. Both Quincy and the Yard game were modeled on MTV's "Singled-Out" in whichone contestant narrows down a field of 50 willingmembers of the opposite sex.

Winthrop's game echoed "The Dating Game," inwhich one contestant is allowed to choose fromthree fellow singles. In Pforzheimer, the audiencechose dates for the contestants, who then had toreturn a week later to reveal the results of theirdates ... la "The Love Connection."

Just like their TV counterparts, the questionsat the dating games ranged from the erotic to themundane.

Walsh says her favorite question was, "If youwere an ice cream flavor, what would you be andhow would you lick me?" Walsh points out that thequestion's wording was unusual at best, which didnot escape her date, Checchi.

"He said, 'If I'm the flavor, why am I doingthe licking?'" Walsh says.

Contestant Kamil E. Redmond '00 of Pforzheimerasked her would-be dates, "It's Friday night. Howdo you get me in the mood?"

One man "said he would come behind me, placehis hands on my shoulders, run his hands down tomy fingertips and repeat until warm," Redmondsays. "I was thinking, 'Oh no, oh no.'"

The prize for the most suggestive instructions,though, goes to Michael W. Lin '00 of Quincy. Linhanded a banana to each bachelorette, onespectator says, and asked her to bite off as muchof the fruit as possible.

The first-year version of "Singled Out" wassomewhat more sheltered. Competitors were askedwhether their ideal dates would be short or tall,what sort of transportation they would take to aformal, and what their perfect spring breaks wouldbe.

"They weren't as sex-oriented as the questionson MTV, but they were interesting," says winnerMelissa M. Debayle '02.

Just Good Friends

Although some contestants say they genuinelywondered whether sparks would fly, none of thoseinterviewed hit it off romantically with theirdates.

"I was thinking that maybe I'll meet someone,we'll really like each other, maybe something willdevelop," Redmond says. But she says she and herdate James P. McFadden '01, who like, Redmond, isalso a Crimson editor, ultimately had differentinterests.

"Jim was very nice, but his favorite pop artistis Frank Sinatra," she says. "He's going to makesome female a great date and a great husband--justnot me."

McFadden agrees.

"No romantic spark, just a good friendlyevening," he says. But he adds that he had no realexpectations for the evening.

"I just wanted to meet someone who was normaland could have a good conversation," McFaddensays.

While it might seem counter to the games'romantic intentions, some of the winning couplesdecided to double date. Redmond and McFadden wentto the Cheesecake Factory with another Pfohocouple, Kim and Rachel L. Brown '01.

Kim says he and Brown liked one another buthave no plans to go out again.

"I wasn't expecting much--it's a contrivedgame," Kim says.

The stakes were higher for Debayle and herdate, Sam R. Hornblower '02, who met in front ofmore than half of the first-year class--at least800 people, Debayle says.

Hornblower, hair slicked back and decked out inan Armani suit hastily borrowed from a neighbor,chose Debayle unseen from at least 50 contestants,to the shock of Debayle's friends.

"I was pretty embarrassed, especially at theend when people were making fun of my answers,"she says.

The pair actually met before in the Yard MailCenter, she says, but they had never talkedextensively.

"He's an interesting guy," Debayle says. "Ithought, `I'm pretty normal compared to you.' Buthe was cute."

Hornblower says the feeling was mutual. "She'svery good looking and a very nice girl," he says."We had a good time." Still, he says he doesn'tknow whether the pair will see each other again.

But the most typical Harvard date has to beChecchi's and Walsh's. Although the couplereceived free movie passes and a gift certificateto Grendel's, they haven't yet been able to find atime when both are free.

"We keep having to reschedule," Walsh says.

Sounds like another Saturday night at Harvard.

WINTHROP

Think: "Dating Game"

Players: 16

Prize: Gift certificates for Gren del's, moviepasses

They say: "All the guys were really cool. Iprobably couldn't have gone wrong." Sinead B.Walsh '00

PFOHO

Think: "Love Connection"

Players: 12

Prize: $40 to spend anywhere

They say: "He's going to make some female agreat date and a great husband--just not me."Kamil E. Redmond '00

QUINCY

Think: "Singled Out"

Players: about 40

Prize: $50 to spend anywhere

They say: "There doesn't seem to be too muchexplicit dating-going on." James P. Stewart '00,HoCo publicity chair

YARD

Think: "Singled Out"

Players: about 100

Prize: $20 Bertucci's gift certificate

They say: "We see each other all the time." SamR. Hornblower '02PFORZHEIMER HOUSE CONTESTANTS

Winthrop's game echoed "The Dating Game," inwhich one contestant is allowed to choose fromthree fellow singles. In Pforzheimer, the audiencechose dates for the contestants, who then had toreturn a week later to reveal the results of theirdates ... la "The Love Connection."

Just like their TV counterparts, the questionsat the dating games ranged from the erotic to themundane.

Walsh says her favorite question was, "If youwere an ice cream flavor, what would you be andhow would you lick me?" Walsh points out that thequestion's wording was unusual at best, which didnot escape her date, Checchi.

"He said, 'If I'm the flavor, why am I doingthe licking?'" Walsh says.

Contestant Kamil E. Redmond '00 of Pforzheimerasked her would-be dates, "It's Friday night. Howdo you get me in the mood?"

One man "said he would come behind me, placehis hands on my shoulders, run his hands down tomy fingertips and repeat until warm," Redmondsays. "I was thinking, 'Oh no, oh no.'"

The prize for the most suggestive instructions,though, goes to Michael W. Lin '00 of Quincy. Linhanded a banana to each bachelorette, onespectator says, and asked her to bite off as muchof the fruit as possible.

The first-year version of "Singled Out" wassomewhat more sheltered. Competitors were askedwhether their ideal dates would be short or tall,what sort of transportation they would take to aformal, and what their perfect spring breaks wouldbe.

"They weren't as sex-oriented as the questionson MTV, but they were interesting," says winnerMelissa M. Debayle '02.

Just Good Friends

Although some contestants say they genuinelywondered whether sparks would fly, none of thoseinterviewed hit it off romantically with theirdates.

"I was thinking that maybe I'll meet someone,we'll really like each other, maybe something willdevelop," Redmond says. But she says she and herdate James P. McFadden '01, who like, Redmond, isalso a Crimson editor, ultimately had differentinterests.

"Jim was very nice, but his favorite pop artistis Frank Sinatra," she says. "He's going to makesome female a great date and a great husband--justnot me."

McFadden agrees.

"No romantic spark, just a good friendlyevening," he says. But he adds that he had no realexpectations for the evening.

"I just wanted to meet someone who was normaland could have a good conversation," McFaddensays.

While it might seem counter to the games'romantic intentions, some of the winning couplesdecided to double date. Redmond and McFadden wentto the Cheesecake Factory with another Pfohocouple, Kim and Rachel L. Brown '01.

Kim says he and Brown liked one another buthave no plans to go out again.

"I wasn't expecting much--it's a contrivedgame," Kim says.

The stakes were higher for Debayle and herdate, Sam R. Hornblower '02, who met in front ofmore than half of the first-year class--at least800 people, Debayle says.

Hornblower, hair slicked back and decked out inan Armani suit hastily borrowed from a neighbor,chose Debayle unseen from at least 50 contestants,to the shock of Debayle's friends.

"I was pretty embarrassed, especially at theend when people were making fun of my answers,"she says.

The pair actually met before in the Yard MailCenter, she says, but they had never talkedextensively.

"He's an interesting guy," Debayle says. "Ithought, `I'm pretty normal compared to you.' Buthe was cute."

Hornblower says the feeling was mutual. "She'svery good looking and a very nice girl," he says."We had a good time." Still, he says he doesn'tknow whether the pair will see each other again.

But the most typical Harvard date has to beChecchi's and Walsh's. Although the couplereceived free movie passes and a gift certificateto Grendel's, they haven't yet been able to find atime when both are free.

"We keep having to reschedule," Walsh says.

Sounds like another Saturday night at Harvard.

WINTHROP

Think: "Dating Game"

Players: 16

Prize: Gift certificates for Gren del's, moviepasses

They say: "All the guys were really cool. Iprobably couldn't have gone wrong." Sinead B.Walsh '00

PFOHO

Think: "Love Connection"

Players: 12

Prize: $40 to spend anywhere

They say: "He's going to make some female agreat date and a great husband--just not me."Kamil E. Redmond '00

QUINCY

Think: "Singled Out"

Players: about 40

Prize: $50 to spend anywhere

They say: "There doesn't seem to be too muchexplicit dating-going on." James P. Stewart '00,HoCo publicity chair

YARD

Think: "Singled Out"

Players: about 100

Prize: $20 Bertucci's gift certificate

They say: "We see each other all the time." SamR. Hornblower '02PFORZHEIMER HOUSE CONTESTANTS