Going once, going twice…sold to the highest bidder!
The MacArthur Campus office of Residential Life sponsored its first annual Charity Date Auction on Monday, March 24th at 8 p.m. in the dining hall. Bidders vied for the opportunity to have dinner with one of six students up for auction.
In order to bid, students were required to bring in non-perishable goods such as canned food, Ramen noodles, and boxes of pasta. One can of food was worth “$10” and one bag of Ramen was worth “$1.” When they turned in their cans, bidders received Monopoly money, which they used to bid. To supplement their bids, bidders could trade $1 cash for “$10” in Monopoly money. In total, the event collected 441 items including cans, Ramen, pasta, and other non-perishable items.
The auction featured six students: three men and three women. Among the men were senior Bereket Ghebremichael, senior Adam Iglesias, and freshman Austin Boyle. The women included junior Susie Quintana, freshman Carmen Blubaugh, and freshman Meg Selby.
The highest bidders won free dinner with the person they bidded on. Gift certificates were donated by Quarterdeck, Duffy’s, The Alehouse, and Outback. Chartwells also provided refreshments for the auction.
Organized and hosted by RA’s Walteria Tucker and Ashley Carter, the bidding lasted about an hour. All bidding started at $10, and went up from there. Each date up for bid had the opportunity to “strut their stuff” for the audience. The hostesses and audience members asked them questions about their perfect dates, their favorite cities, and their favorite sports.
“Had I known that a date auction would generate this much charity involvement from the students, I would have planned three already,” commented Carter.
The highest bid for a female contestant was $550 for Selby by juniors Patrick Hoy, Riggs Gjyshi, and Alex Watts.
The highest bid for a male was $500 for Boyle by junior Maria Vizcaino. One of Boyle’s favorite activities is running.
“The best way to run long distances is the heel to toe method,” explained Boyle, “I can go for hours.”
