By Briyah Paley
Last night, the Curry Student Center Ballroom was full of single guys and gals looking for a date. The event was the 2006 Class Council’s “Singled Out,” based on the once popular MTV show that made Jenny McCarthy famous.
For $3, students could participate for three rounds. The first was physical features, the second was stunts and the third was compatibility of interests.
“We’ve been working on it all year,” said Justin Gorbet, president of the 2006 Class Council.
Boston radio station JAM’N 94.5 hosted the show, agreeing to do it as a promotional event. Kenya Claytor, Jessica Acosta and Juan Moya were the Masters of Ceremonies for the event. Prizes for the couples included MBTA visitor’s passes, movie tickets and dinner for two at an Italian restaurant.
Contestants were picked ahead of time, but “wannabes” were allowed to show up and try to score a date. Onlookers were also welcomed, sitting in the audience and cheering on wannabes. To be a contestant, there was an application with a required photograph as well as questions like hobbies and best pickup line.
“We put one in every student activities mailbox,” Gorbet said.
Jonathan Blake, a sophomore music technology major, was one of the first guys to show up.
“Maybe I’ll get up there,” he said. “I mean, you win a free date with a girl so you can’t lose.”
Blake wasn’t the only one thinking that way.
Jason Shepherd, a freshman computer science major, was rejected after the first round for having light hair instead of dark.
“I feel very rejected,” he said. But he felt it was still worth it to come for the event because, “there’s nothing else to do on a Tuesday night.”
Treasurer for the 2006 Class Council, Dan Paredes, an international business major, said they plan to use the proceeds for a big classwide event at the end of the year, possibly a murder mystery dinner.
“The more money we make, the more people can come. It’s for the students,” he said.
The first contestant, James Spencer, was introduced as “a wrestler who likes long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners,” by MC Acosta. Twelve girls walked up to be wannabes and the next thing they knew they were being asked if they were “party hearty” or “study buddy.”
Surprise, surprise, Spencer chose “party hearty,” and no one was disqualified. The next question was, “Are you Einstein or Beerstein?”
One girl claiming to be a Beerstein, left.
“How is it that these girls party on the weekends and are not Beersteins?” asked MC Claytor.
The next round was stunts, which included, “show how you would cheer James on during a wrestling match” and “freestyle Eminem.”
The girl who got that challenge forfeited that stunt. When two girls were left, MC Claytor announced that Spencer wanted to keep both of them.
In the end, Amanda Woolford, a freshman criminal justice major, won Spencer as her date, although the two looked as if they would go their separate ways afterwards. When asked if he would go with her to the Italian dinner that was given as a prize, he said, “we have to, there’s only one certificate!”
Next it was the girl’s turn. Guys were asked to show off their derrieres, to a cheering audience. One guy even dropped his pants to reveal a pair of scrubs. Another serenaded her with a rendition of “You are so beautiful.” When it came down to it, it was the fella who said he would watch a sad movie with her instead of a sports game who got the girl.
Overall, the event, which began half an hour late, at 8:30 p.m., with some technical difficulties and a half-full house, went smoothly. It’s hard to say if anyone actually found a date, but a good time appeared to be had by all.
