8 = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COVER STORY
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2003
Editor's note: The Kansan sent two students out on a blind date. What follows is an account of what happened. Find out what happens when these two stop being polite and start getting real.
Duo hardly a match
By Cate Batchelder
cbatchelder@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Beginning on the wrong foot, Jeff Allmon, Wichita senior, picked up Rachel Hynson, Dillsburg, Pa., sophomore, at Watkins Scholarship Hall 15 minutes late.
Once inside, surprised Watkins's residents, also friends of Jeff's, ran to hug him with excitement. A few "Omigod, it's you!" exclamations were said before the two actually met.
When introductions were done, he gave her daisies from Dillons. She graciously accepted and ran to put them in water.
When she came back, a few more awkward handshakes were exchanged to also introduce the third and fourth wheel a University Daily Kansan reporter and photographer who would follow them the entire night.
We piled into Jeff's car, already cramped in the backseat with a snowboard. For the rest of the night, Jeff's and Rachel's every move would be scrutinized by recording devices and high-end digital cameras. The two tried to act as natural as possible under careful watch of the two in the backseat.
On their way to have dinner at Paradise Café, 728 Massachussetts St., the normal interrogation with questions of, "What's your major?" ensued.
The two young college coeds talked easily of their life at the University.
Rachel garnered a few laughs from Jeff with her outrageous time while living in Spain.
"Yeah, I lived in Spain for a year and my host family was, well, that was a bad experience," she said. "They accused me of beating their children."
"Omigod!" Jeff said.
"That wasn't true!" she said back. "And then my other host family broke into my e-mail account, kicked me out of the
house, and then I ended up on a fascist military base. Yeah, that's how I learned Spanish."
The friendly banter continued but was almost squelched when Rachel told Jeff she considered herself an objectivist. The subject was temporarily dismissed when they arrived at Paradise Café.
Their dinner proved to be the best part of the date, both said. They talked about classes, professors and traveling.
They ordered the artichoke appetizer, but when it came time to order entrees, Rachel asked Jeff to stop talking so she
could give the menu her undivided attention.
Once orders were in, I stole each of them away to ask them a few questions about one another. They said they would be brutally honest.
Cate: How's it going?
Jeff: Fine. She's quirky. When she said was an objectivist — call me crazy — maybe I'm a little anal about my
SEE BLIND DATE ON NEXT PAGE
Jared Soares/Kansan Rachel Hynson and Jeff Allmon take a break to joke about their bowling skills. Both started the game throwing gutter balls...