The countdown to Valentine's Day is almost over, and you're single. Oh, what to do? Buy a date.
Out on Rugby, the Asian Student Union and the Queer Student Union are joining forces to host a date auction tonight.
And there's a twist -- you can bid on anyone, opposite sex or same sex.
"When people conceptualize a date auction, it's always in heterosexual format," said fifth-year Education student Anthony Whitten, president of Out on Rugby and chief organizer of the auction. "I want this to be an auction for everybody regardless of sexual orientation. We're trying to bridge the communities between straight and gay."
The ASU has held date auctions in the past, but its president, third-year College student Huong Huynh, expressed particular enthusiasm for tonight's program.
ASU's "date auctions are totally attended by Asian American students," Huynh said. "QSU and ASU, who normally don't have anything to do with each other, will really draw in different people."
Whitten also said he is excited about the diversity of the anticipated crowd. He emphasized another important source of this diversity: the auctionees.
Huynh and Whitten both sought out people to put on the auction block and said the reactions they received were nothing but positive.
"I asked all around -- people from QSU, people from sororities, friends on the lawn who e-mailed their friends in student government -- who all want to do it," Anthony said. "It's really for everybody."
Also citing the general interest, QSU Co-President Luke Ward explained his reasons for co-sponsoring the auction.
"We have more people involved than ever, and we've been impressed with how other groups have been able to pull off date auctions, so we'd like to try to put a different spin on it," he said.
Whitten said he's looking forward to seeing how the first auction turns out and hopes it will become an annual event.
"It truly is one of the first date auctions of its kind," he said. "I have not heard of other schools doing it."
The best part about the auction, according to Ward, is that the happy couples can go with each other to QSU's semi-formal dance Saturday.
The Valentine's Date Auction will be held at Baja Bean at 7:30 p.m. with bids starting at 10 dollars.
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