A perfectly formatted line of twenty West Point boys, clad in meticulously ironed and pressed silver uniforms, march into the room. Every girl stares at a sight so rarely seen on the NYU campus: an array of single Jewish boys ready to mingle. The boys are the West Point Jewish Choir and they have traveled all the way to the big city to participate in an event called “Jewish Soldier Speed Dating.”

In early October the West Point Jewish Choir expressed interest in performing at NYU with the not-so-subtle ulterior motive of meeting NYU girls. That’s when my friend Liat and I brainstormed a list of creative mixers to bring Jewish guys and girls together. We strived for a program that required ample participation with the least amount of awkwardness, and we ended up with speed dating. We figured that the reality behind every Hillel event and each AEPi and AEPhi social is to provide an excuse for Jewish college students to meet. I remember learning that this was the initial reasoning behind Jewish summer camps, which would explain why my parents insisted I go every summer.

We thought, “Why have a cover? Let’s tell it like it is—we want to meet people!” So we spread the word through cleverly worded flyers, emails and Facebook. Within three weeks we had 60 people registered, which proves through numbers alone, the necessity on college campuses for these kinds of opportunities to interact.

When participants entered the room, the mood was set. Pink and red hearts, streamers, tablecloths and balloons filled the room. Everything was pink and red, from the punch to the candy to the frosted brownies. Admittedly, we went a bit overboard, but sometimes cheesiness works. I think the mood helped everyone to really engage in the speed dating. The room was set up in such a way that the boys positioned themselves around the perimeter, allowing the girls to then take seats directly across from them. After four minutes the girls would move clockwise to their next mini-date. Each participant had a list of names so that they could check off those with whom they wished to reconnect after the event.

While the girls were moving Liat and I would ask an icebreaker question such as, “What is your favorite hidden gem in New York City?” or “If you could be any kind of car, what would you be?” The questions were there as a crutch, but as I listened to more and more conversations, I realized how unnecessary they were. All the participants were heavily engaged in conversations of their own and seemed to be really enjoying themselves. When we tried to end the event, the participants stopped us because they hadn’t yet met everyone! Even after the event, many people hung out together and continued to keep in touch.

Living on a college campus is both stimulating and difficult because you are pulled in so many directions. For most, it is also the beginning of a newfound independence and understanding of self. So much energy is spent trying to figure out who you are, what you stand for and what you want to do. These discoveries in addition to schoolwork, extracurricular activities and family can make it tricky to find the time to really invest in relationships. Our “Jewish Soldier Speed Dating” event proved to be an incredible way of bridging the gap and bringing Jewish students who might not have otherwise met, together. This event made it OK to admit our desire to date fellow Jews and provided a comfortable atmosphere in which to do so. It fostered a sense of community because everyone was willing to let down their guard and just have fun. It also created a bond between the Jewish students at West Point and those at NYU.

After “Jewish Soldier Speed Dating” we did successfully match up some participants. It is yet to be seen where these relationships will end up, but what is certain is that our event allowed it all to begin. Perhaps there isn’t one right way to meet someone, but try hosting a speed dating event on your own campus—you just might be surprised who you find.

Rachel Channon is a sophomore studying drama at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, with a double major in Political Science. Originally from Chicago, she now loves to call the busy streets of Manhattan “home.” In addition to acting, she loves to cook, work out and keep up with the latest fashion.