Each year, The CT chooses two applicants to be taken on a blind date. The two daters do not see each other before the date. We brought them in for a short interview to ask them some questions about themselves and their applications before they are ushered away on a fabulous, all-expenses-paid Valentine’s day date.
Photo by Samantha Foster
Kaelie Ukrop
Freshman
Theatre and religious studies major
Commonwealth Times What made you decide to apply for the blind date?
Kaelie Ukrop I had actually never heard of it before. … I thought, Why not? I’ve never been on a blind date, so it’ll be a new experience.
CT What are you expecting from the blind date?
KU I don’t know. Hopefully just to have a good time, meeting someone, maybe seeing if something is there, but I don’t know.
CT So you’re not putting hopes for finding the love of your life in this date?
KU Not at all, I’m just hoping, if anything, to meet a friend. I just want to have a good time. What happens, happens.
CT Since you’re a freshman, how is college so far?
KU It’s been really good. Not really what I expected, but actually I don’t really know what I expected. … Just typical, nothing too exciting.
CT What’s the most exciting thing that has happened so far?
KU I don’t really know if I have any crazy, wacky stories. I’ve been having fun telling my friends that I’ve been chosen for a blind date experience, so that might be the craziest thing so far. Little things here and there, but nothing too big.
CT What are some of the little things that you like to tell people about?
KU I feel like I have had an exciting experience, but nothing comes to mind. The first week of college I had the little college romance, it didn’t really end up working out, … but that was exciting when it was happening. My best friend from high school ended up going to VCU, which is nice since I wasn’t just thrown in. It wasn’t like if I went to another college where I knew no one. In high school I had a really tight group of friends and I thought I would have more of a hard time adjusting in this whirlwind, but I’ve found that I have adjusted pretty well to meeting new friends.
CT What are some things that you like to do?
KU I like to travel. I’ve been to Spain, Italy, Kenya, South Africa, Mexico and the Bahamas. That’s one of my passions. Hopefully after college, I’ll be able to continue (traveling), but I’m not sure how to incorporate theater, which is what I love.
CT Did you travel with school groups, or with your family?
KU Different ones each time. … When I went to Spain and Italy, I went with my church and we did camps for kids and just went around doing community service, which is awesome. I was there for a week each. Africa was by far my favorite. I was there a month, which is the longest I have ever been out of the country by myself, which is a really crazy experience.
CT What were some of the things you did?
KU The first two weeks I was on a mission trip, so we went out to the villages. We were in Kenya. … It was the most amazing experience of my life. … Probably the most amazing memory I have is being in a little hut with just a family and this probably 90-year-old African woman. … She loved basket weaving and I asked her why she does that, why she loved basket weaving. She said “Well, I’m a widow so instead of going and stealing money to survive, I make baskets so I can sell them in the community.” It was really awesome because she has this choice. … It was really beautiful. She taught me how to do her basket weaving and it doesn’t sound very exciting, but it is when you’re there and you’re in the environment. It was such an amazing experience.
CT So, on your application, you put “snuggle with strangers,” as one of your interests. Care to elaborate?
KU I had all these serious things written down, so I needed to write down something funny. That wasn’t even funny though. … I do snuggle with friends I know a lot, but I’ve never snuggled with strangers.
CT You don’t just invite people off the street to come snuggle with you?
KU On occasion, if I’m bored that night, but no. I’m such a touchy-feely person with my friends. I irritate them and they get so frustrated. They’ll be sitting down and I’ll just smother them, giving them kisses on the cheek. I’ll try to restrain myself on the date. No strangers yet, but it’s my aspiration.
Photo by Samantha Foster
Alex Cortes
Freshman
Anthropology and Spanish major
Commonwealth Times Why did you choose those two majors?
Alex Cortes Anthropology because that’s what interests me the most and it’ll give me a chance to travel outside the U.S.
CT Where have you been?
AC I lived in Spain in a city called Murcia last year for a semester in between high school and college. I’ve also been to Canada.
CT Did you go by yourself?
AC By myself (to Spain) and by myself to Denmark as well. I went there and stayed with one of my best friends who was an exchange student in my high school.
CT What did you do while you were there?
AC I did the little tourist things, like seeing major landmarks and stuff. I went back this summer with one of my best friends from the U.S. to a music festival in Denmark. It was really fun. It was a week of camping in a really free environment.
CT What kind of music was at the festival?
AC There was actually a really big variety, like The Cure was there. I guess you could say that I like music a lot, like shoegaze (music), like My Bloody Valentine and other indie and alternative bands.
CT Since you’re such a big music fan, do you play any instruments?
AC It’s funny you should ask because I was in middle school band and a year in high school and I played the trumpet. I actually just brought it back up to Richmond over the break because I was hoping that I could pick it up and do a little music project or something. Just from like, listening to Belle and Sebastian because they have a lot of trumpet parts.
CT What are you expecting of the date?
AC Honestly, I thought to myself earlier, “No expectations.”
CT Why are you not expecting anything?
AC Because it’s a blind date. I’m just hoping to meet someone cool. Maybe be friends. Have a good time.
CT What is one of your more exciting stories?
AC I already brought it up, I guess, about me going to Spain. it had a really big impact on my life. It was a really good experience.
CT What sort of things had an impact?
AC Literally just being there. Being able to sit outside and just watch a completely different culture just pass by me throughout the day. I just felt really content there
CT Have you adopted parts of the Spanish culture into your everyday life?
AC I think I’ve integrated a bunch of different parts. When I was in Denmark, I was there two times for a little over a week both times and I think I adopted a lot of customs from there too, mixed with my American customs.
CT Anything in particular?
AC The siesta. I’m not napping all the time, but when I have the chance.
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