In honor of Valentine’s Day, Texas A&M University-San Antonio hosted a speed dating event at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 in the auditorium where students mingled and met new people.
Love was in the air as heart-shaped balloons and festive colors decorated the auditorium lobby for General’s Speed Dating.
Nine men were designated to different tables while women were expected to rotate around the lobby and mingle with the participants. As more people arrived to participate, chairs were added to the lobby for more students to join.
Once a three-minute buzzer went off, the women shifted to a new table — ready for a new date.
Business management freshman Claire Benavidez said she attended in hopes to make new friends and connections on campus.
Benavidez said she doesn’t typically celebrate Valentine’s Day, but wanted to do something to celebrate this year.
“I’m not one to like to make it (Valentine’s Day) a big deal but I don’t know, it’s different now that I’m in college instead of high school,” Benavidez said.
Political science freshman Nayahna Trevino said she was looking to have a good time and get a chance to mingle.
“A lot of the guys were nice. (There) were a lot of good friendships, I would say,” Trevino said.
Students were provided with icebreakers to spark conversation with their dates. Trevino said the cards were “a really big help.”
Anthony Ledesma, an international business freshman, said this was his first time trying speed dating.
“I wasn’t planning on coming here,” Ledesma said. “My friends kind of made me come.
Ledesma said he went into the event thinking it would be an awkward experience, though it wasn’t as awkward as he had expected.
After being in the speed dating hot seat, Trevino said she loved the experience and thought it was a creative idea for Valentine’s Day.
At the end of the event, three pairs of Six Flags tickets were raffled to those who participated. Whoever won the tickets were allowed to choose their date.
Trevino was the first winner of the night. Trevino chose Ledesma to take on a date, to which Ledesma declined.
“To be honest, I don’t like roller coasters,” Ledesma said of rejecting the date.
Although Ledesma decided not to go with her, Trevino found someone who would go with her on the Six Flags date.
“I was literally eating chocolates and I was surprised I even heard my name,” Trevino said of winning the tickets. “But I was also very surprised about getting rejected.”
