Valentine’s Day is special for couples but for this year, the single people also have a chance to find someone at the last minute. On Tuesday, February 12, a speed dating event is being held by the fraternity Phi Beta Sigma, at the University Union in the Redwood Room at 6:30 p.m. It will be free for Sacramento State Students and $3 or three canned goods for non-students.

Fraternity member Ternell Sullivan will be hosting the event. He says he came up with the idea last year after watching the speed-dating scene from the movie “The 40 Year Old Virgin.” This is the second annual event for the fraternity.

Speed dating gives people a chance to talk to someone of the opposite sex from three to 12 minutes. After the time is up, the women stay at their tables while the men go to another table. At the end of the night, everyone writes down who they were interested in and if there are matches, then the people running the event make sure the matches get in contact with each other.

Speed dating actually came from a Torah class in the 90s by a Rabbi named Yaacov Deyo, who is an educational director of Aish HaTorah, which is a Jewish resource group in Los Angeles, Calif. It was originally created for Jewish people to meet and marry in their own religion. Eventually the idea spread throughout the world.

In this event, people will have three minutes to chat with someone and then have to meet someone else. There will be a V.I.P. section at the event that will cost a small fee. Sullivan is not sure how much the fee will cost but says it will be around 50 cents. The V.I.P. section gives people a chance to talk to others for 12 minutes and will also receive free snacks and drinks.

“You’re basically waited on hand and foot,” says Sullivan.

People will use a stripper name instead of their real names for the event and give their e-mail addresses for contact information. He says if people want to exchange numbers then they could do it on their own. People will receive a “speeding ticket” in which they will write down who they were interested in and if there is a match, then the fraternity will make sure both people are contacted.

There will be big screen televisions to show comedy skits from the fraternity giving advice on dating. Slow R&B music will be played to set the mood and the fraternity is making CDs to giveaway in a raffle. Sullivan says the fraternity may give away movie Costco packs or movie tickets as well.

In addition to the event, the Sac State Health Center will have a booth set up to promote safe relations and will hand out free contraceptive packages. Student Activities Services will also have their own booth for free raffles. Students can win either dinner for two at the Cheesecake Factory or a couple’s massage at Mellow Me Out.

Sullivan said last year’s event was held in a smaller room on the second floor of the Union. According to Sullivan, the estimated 60 people who attended last year crowded the room and had to add tables for people outside. He also says there were more girls in attendance.

“We had to have one guy talk to two girls,” Sullivan said.

He expects this year’s attendance to double.

Sac State graduate student Jen Garrison will not be attending due to her marriage but says that speed dating is a good idea.

“In this day and age, everyone is busy and it is hard to meet someone, and speed dating is much safer than meeting someone over the Internet. It’s a lot to go out to find someone,” said Garrison.

She also says it’s hard to for students in their upper division classes because they see the same people every semester.

Ryan Eaker, criminal justice major, says he is not against speed dating but would not do it himself.

“I wouldn’t figure out enough about the person in three minutes,” Eaker said.

Eaker says he would feel like he was getting lied to even if it was 12 minutes.

“I just wouldn’t do it but I’m sure some people have good results,” Eaker said.

Sullivan is hoping for a great turnout for his event this year.

“I hope everyone comes out and has a good time,” Sullivan said.

Aaron Villegas can be reached at [email protected]