BSU hosts speed dating event

Auburn's Black Student Union hosted a speed dating event for students to meet new people, enjoy food and spend time with the BSU family Thursday night. 

The organization's transfer committee organized the two-hour event. Over 25 students attended and were accompanied with R&B music and several interactive games designed to discover mutual interest in Auburn's Mell Classroom Building. 

For many, it was their first time participating in speed dating. But the new experience left them with lasting impressions from first-time encounters with new friends who were once strangers.  

Valair Curry, freshman in Wildlife Ecology and management, attended the event for the first time and expressed how excited she was to socialize with peers.

"I'm so glad I came," Curry said. "I've seen some of the faces around campus, but I never really had the chance to have a conversation with them and get to know them. I'm not much of a social person, but I met some people that I can see myself being friends with for a long time."   

Though there were not any matches, students did one thing for sure, talk. 

Tyia Hunt, sophomore in industrial engineering, and director of the BSU transfer committee, said whether people attended the event with hopes of finding love in time for Valentine's Day or just wanted to grab snacks, she wanted at least to socialize. Hunt believes having a social life is an essential part of the college experience but can be a challenge for some students.  

Hunt recalled a time when her parents said, "you meet your forever friends in college," but it seemed almost impossible during her freshman year amid the pandemic. That feeling stuck with her, and she wanted to make a difference. 

"Last year, I was not able to socialize as much as I wanted to, and it affected me, I lost my motivation," Hunt said. "Most social events were held online, and all I could do was watch people through a screen, and it was hard to connect. So, I didn't want that to be the case for new students, and I thought why not an event have where they can come out and meet new people at the beginning of the semester."   

For Spencer Hawkins, the gesture was greatly appreciated.  

Hawkins, a senior who transferred from Bowling Green University in Ohio to Auburn in the fall of 2021 because he wanted a "fresh start" and wanted to be a part of Auburn's highly acclaimed Aviation program. Now that he's on The Plains, he must start his social life from scratch. 

Thankfully, the event was helpful for him.  

"I'm over 700 miles away from my family and friends, and it's a bit of a shock, but I'm in a new chapter in my life," Hawkins said. "I was just talking to one person who lives just a few doors down from me, and now, we're cool from just chatting. Speed dating was a good start for me; it came in handy," 

Though students from all backgrounds were welcomed, it was primarily a time for Black students to have a space to gather, considering that Auburn's demographic is made of less than 5% of Black students. Hunt said it is vital for minority students to have a haven to converse with others in their culture.  

"At this school and other schools where there is not a lot of representation from minorities, it's important to interact and with people who look like you," Hunt said." It's important to talk to people who you can relate to and people who will understand your story and even your struggle. But it has to start somewhere. " 

Before ending the event and expressing the hope that everyone "made at least one new friend," Hunt encouraged people to find time to break out of their comfort zone and socialize with people. She said simply having a conversation with someone can go a long way. 

"Take the chance, put yourself out there, and talk to people; there's nothing to be afraid of," Hunt said. "You never know what a simple conversation can lead to; you never know if the person who you say, 'Hey, how are you' to can be the person who has your back forever, and that’s what matters."