This beautiful Valentine’s Day, love is in the air.
Molly Swist and Abria Duran decided to stir up some romance in Westfall Hall at Colorado State University with a matchmaking event sure to hit the jackpot.
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On Feb. 1, the two resident assistants put out printed questionnaires at the front desk as well as in the lobby of each floor.
The forms were due Feb. 9 so that matches could be given out up until Feb. 13.
Duran is the RA for the 11th floor of Westfall Hall.
“We got around 75 (questionnaires) and were able to make 35 matches,” Duran said.
“Being gay myself, it was really important, especially in the space we are in. People are still trying to figure themselves out, so I think through a matchmaking program, it’s easier to hide behind a piece of paper and try something new.” -Abira Duran, Westfall Hall resident assistant
The matchmaking included friend matches as well as romantic pairings.
“We got the idea from a staff meeting at a workshop during our training,” Duran said. “Our boss put up four big poster boards around the room, and we had to write down a list of event ideas. We wrote matchmaking on our board, and that’s where the idea came from.”
Students were matched based on sexual orientation, sexual preference, red flags, favorite things and how much time they are looking to spend with their partner.
Overall, Swist and Duran had more female-identifying residents participate over any other group. Matches also received a sex goodie bag if they wanted one.
“We will include condoms, lube (and) dental dams as well as penis candy, uterus confetti, boob confetti, sex tokens and an informational flyer,” Swist said.
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Swist and Duran decided email was the safest option for notification as opposed to more personal contact information. If students matched successfully, they were given each other’s school emails as their form of first contact. Swist and Duran went around dorm to dorm delivering flyers and telling residents to check their inboxes.
Swist and Duran only had a few joke questionnaire responses; most people gave them genuine answers. The majority of students in the dorm took this as a serious opportunity to meet someone new. Duran and Swist said they had an excellent time playing Cupid.
“It is an easy opportunity for people to hide behind a piece of paper and still put themselves out there,” Swist said.
Duran had one resident approach her in the bathroom and say she made her roommate fill out the questionnaire. Residents encouraged friends and roommates to apply with them.
Sexual orientation was important to both of these RAs, as it may have been a resident’s first time actually writing down their sexual orientation.
“Being gay myself, it was really important, especially in the space we are in,” Duran said. “People are still trying to figure themselves out, so I think through a matchmaking program, it’s easier to hide behind a piece of paper and try something new.”
Overall, the 11th floor had the most applicants.
Julie Grajeda Orozco lives on the 11th floor and participated in the matchmaking.
“I choose to participate because I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet new people, and filling out the form was a fun alternative to filling out more serious forms,” Grajeda Orozco said.
Dylan Moore was also an 11th-floor participant.
“I decided to participate in the matchmaking event because I wanted to put myself out there and also find a significant other,” Moore said. “On top of that, if it doesn’t work out, then I gained a new friend instead.”
Reach Gwendolynn Riddoch at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
