This month the Instagram account, WWU Viking Memes, will make matches among Western Washington University students for its third year in a row. The creator of the account usually sifts through an average of a couple hundred students, matching applicants in either a friendship or relationship pairing. The event will be open Feb. 5 through 11:59 p.m. on Feb 8.
To enter the matchmaking process, students pay a fee of $3 and fill out a Google form posted on Instagram. The account owner, a third-year at WWU, shares that she takes her time making sure to choose questions that are thoughtful and inclusive. There are roughly 30 questions, both free-write and multiple choice.
Here are a few examples of the kinds of questions asked during matchmaking:
Friendship Match:
- If you had to describe yourself in only three words, what words would you choose? What words would your friends use to describe you?
- What does friendship mean to you?
- Building a community at Western
- Starting to have interactions
- Sharing experiences and adventure
- Having someone to rant with
Relationship Match:
- What is your love language?
- Acts of service
- Receiving gift
- Quality time
- Words of affirmation
- Physical touch
- What does a relationship mean to you?
- Something casual
- Going with the flow
- Uplifting each other's lives
- Serious and looking for a soulmate
Wyatt Pohl, a fourth-year student at Western, shares that though things didn’t work out long-term, he had a positive experience with his match last year.
“We hung out a few times, but sadly lost touch with each other as classes got more hectic,” Pohl said. “But it was a great time and I’m glad to have met someone new, even if it was just in passing.”
Third-year Western student, Imanat Kang, had a unique result from the matchmaking process when she participated last year. She and her best friend both filled out a form, but forgot to put each other's Instagram handle where the survey asks about individuals you don’t want to match with.
“There were so many people who did the matchmaking and we could’ve matched with anyone, yet they matched us together,” Kang said. “Our forms could’ve been similar, but I think they just did a really good job.”
According to an article by Crystal Raypole, and reviewed by clinical psychologist Dr. Marney A. White, meeting new people and developing healthy friendships has the ability to decrease feelings of isolation, reduce stress and offer emotional or social support.
When they have filled out the questionnaire, matched students will be reached out to through email, with their matches' name and contact information included. Matches then have the choice to connect virtually, IRL or not at all.
“Honestly I’m just doing this for fun,” the account’s owner said.
They got the idea from a TikTok video on matchmaking and then decided to apply the idea to students at Western.
“It’s a lot of work but I really enjoy it,” she said.
More information about the matchmaking event was provided on Saturday, Feb. 5 when the event opened on the Meme page’s Instagram. The event is open to any and everyone, you just have to be open-minded with the hopes of meeting someone new.
