Date Night at BYU-Idaho is coming around once again, and the event brings along with it new activities to participate in for singles and couples alike.
This semester’s theme is “dynamic duos.” The event is this Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Manwaring Center, Hart Building and BYU-Idaho Center.
“So, like Batman and Robin or ketchup and mustard, or you know, whatever,” said Abby Nelson, campus events coordinator. She said Date Night has a new twist this semester.
“The whole point of Date Night is to bring a date, right. But we’re—this time we’re incorporating a singles mixer at the—for the first couple of hours, so people can—if they don’t have a date—they can come and try to find somebody to go to the activity with,” Nelson said.
Nelson said she’s loved the direction university President Alvin F. Meredith III has taken Date Night in. She said President Meredith is trying to improve the culture at the school, especially the dating culture.
“And not making it such a big deal to ask someone on a date. I think that it has kind of died off as time goes on. People are less—it’s less likely for people to just go up and ask someone on a date from—from things I hear from students and in my own experience,” Nelson said. “Let’s bring back the normalcy of, ‘Let’s go on a date and get to know each other. Let’s not just hang out or text each other. Let’s just do something together.”
Nelson said she and her team try to change things up for students every semester.
The headlining activity of the evening will be an arcade room located in the Manwaring Center Grand Ballroom, along with other recent additions such as a silent disco and watercolor classes.
Nelson said she loves when students really get into the event.
“Start thinking about the costumes that you’re going to have with your date. Like the dynamic duo theme. I think I’m really excited to see what people come up with. I think that’ll be a lot of fun,” Nelson said.
Something important to note is that this semester’s Date Night will not begin with a mini-devotional. Traditionally, Date Night has started with an opening session with the Merediths. However, this semester that will not be the case. All activities will begin hosting students at 7 p.m. sharp.
Nelson invites the students to invite somebody out for the event.
“You’re all students, and you’re going about your lives. You’re going to classes, you’re going to church, you’re going to FHEs. There’s somebody that you’ve noticed that impresses you in some way. Just go. I don’t know, just find somebody that you have fun with and come to this event,” Nelson said.
For more information you can find an outline of the activities on Date Night’s webpage.