Love Is In the Air: Speed Dating Returns To Reber-Thomas Dining Hall

Sodexo is bringing back Speed Dating from 5 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 10 for students who are looking for “a movie kind of love.”

Speed Dating is a Sodexo event, which will be hosted at the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall. There will be sign up tables in the lobby of the dining hall, and then students will be assigned to a group. 

At this event, students will have the opportunity to meet at least 10 new people within 30 minutes. After a student has signed up, they will be placed into a group and will then be notified when their party is ready to start Speed Dating. 

“My team and I are going all out for Speed Dating, and we keep in contact with the former event planning team,” Field Marketing Specialist Shelby Burton said. “This will no doubt be a fun event.”

Speed Dating first started in 2014 and became a reoccurring February event until 2021 due to COVID-19. Sodexo is reintroducing Speed Dating this semester while promoting the idea of finding “a movie kind of love.” 

“Give 30 minutes of your time to meet 10 new, fun people,” Burton said. “Keep it casual, meet great new friends and possibly get that ring by spring. This is an event where everyone will have fun.” 

There will be photoshoot opportunities setup throughout the dining hall. All photo booths are romantic comedy movie themed, featuring movies such as “LaLa Land” and “Titanic.” 

“Sodexo is taking ‘a movie kind of love’ to another level by including romantic comedy themed movie cutouts that couples or friends can get memorable pictures in,” Burton said. 

Senior Paul Eggemeier spoke on his time at the speed dating event his freshmen year in 2019 and how it provided a great opportunity to meet friends  

“Liberty’s speed dating was a great opportunity to meet new people, especially as a freshman,” Eggemeier said. “Personally, I didn’t go to find anything romantic, (instead) just to have (a) fun time with some friends. It was perfect just to have fun and meet new people that I wouldn’t have otherwise met. Liberty’s speed dating was also a nice time just to take a break from the school work and do something new
and adventurous.”

Following Sodexo’s Speed Dating event on Feb. 10, Liberty University’s Student Activities is hosting a RomCom Movie Marathon on Feb. 12 that can give students the opportunity to follow up with any potential budding relationships.

If students follow Liberty Dining on Instagram (@libertydining) prior to the event, they can receive free flowers and chocolate at the event.

Barton is a news reporter.