Roomies is tomorrow. Before you get skeptical and say nothing good ever comes from setting your roommate up on a date, remember that Roomies has a history of bringing couples together that may not have otherwise met. Let’s start with the story of well-esteemed math professor Mike Miller:
Back in February of 1991 when Corban used to be Western Baptist, a certain girl named Katie caught Miller’s eye, but he was too scared to ask her out. Lucky for him, one of the fellowships sponsored the event called Roomies. So, Miller had his roommate coordinate with her roommate, and the pair went to the event, where they played games and activities, while being tied up at the ankles.
“I was a bit of a turd,” said Miller. “And thankfully she looked past that.”
After Roomies, Miller wasted no time in asking her out the very next weekend on Feb. 24, 1991. And on May 6, 1993, the two were married.
Miller obviously thinks highly of the event put on by the Saints and Angels this year, and wants to see it be just as fun as it was for him.
“It’s a great opportunity for people who know you the best have the guts to ask out the person you want to go out with. Your roommate does the hard part for you,” he said.
Two other Corban couples, whose weddings are both this summer, all started their relationships at Roomies. Amanda Martini and Cory Shields were freshmen at Corban in 2009 when their roommates Rachel Cole and Caleb Goins set them up.
“They kept telling me I was busy Saturday night,” said Martini.
But little did Cole and Goins know that Martini and Shields decided to return the favor and set them up as well.
On the day of Roomies, the foursome met all each other for the first time and began driving to the event. They ran into a slight hiccup when they realized no one knew where the event was.
“No one decided to look up directions,” said Cole, laughing.
Once there, both couples got their ankles tied together and proceeded to do the obstacle courses, relay races and even the goldfish eating competitions. Martini said her date was surprised when she swallowed a goldfish whole, so he chewed his. “Cory was trying to impress me,” she said.
Meanwhile, Goins and Cole were barely even talking to each other the whole night. Stumbling around with their ankles tied together, Cole remembers someone telling them, “You know it’s easier if you put each other’s arms around each other.” This, coupled with the fact that her face was sunburnt from her soccer game earlier that day, made Cole even more embarrassed.
“We are both pretty awkward when we first meet people,” she said.
As fun and awkward as their night at Roomies was, the two couples pursued friendships with each other the following fall, and early in October of 2009, Shields and Martini started dating. Goins and Cole followed in December of that year.
Both couples became engaged in 2010 and 2011 respectively, and they look forward to their weddings this summer. They credit Roomies with starting their relationships, and it will always hold special memories for them. Martini and Shields even kept the tie that tied their ankles together that night. Shields gave it to Martini as a gift, and she embroidered their significant dates on it. Shields even used it to propose to her on Oct. 18, 2010.
Clearly, Roomies is more than a fun night designed to create awkward memories for students. These people can testify to the fact that without the event, they would never have gotten the courage or opportunity to meet that special someone.