Last month, students were given the opportunity to vote for members of the Dart and Rockhurst High School’s Prep News to be paired together on “blind dates”. Now, the journalists recount their experiences.

Matchmaker: Emily McCann & No one

(Bachelorette #2 & Bachelor #4)

From her perspective:

by Emily McCann, STA senior & Dart design manager

Blind dates can be great. Girl meets boy, both fall in love and thus begins a whirlwind romance that promises a fairy tale ending.

Unfortunately, I was on the other side of blind dating. The side full of disappointment and sadness.

I had contacted my date (this is a little against the tradition of blind dating) and asked when we could meet. I gave him some times that worked for me and not surprisingly my date, who by the way was a younger man, was busy with work and school and was not going to be able to take me out in the near future. To say the least, I felt rejected. On a school sponsored date, I got ditched. It doesn’t get worse than that.

I wasn’t mad at him. I totally understand that his schedule was too busy. I mean he had to go to work and get good grades. Having a good job in adulthood will help him snag a great girl so I respected his efforts to excel at a young age.

I also think he had some other reservations about going on a date with me. First of all, I have a brother who is also a junior. It’s weird going on a date with your classmate’s older sister. Also, I guess I can be a little intimidating and some younger gentlemen might be slightly frightened of me.

However, I do see an upsetting pattern of high school boys blowing off high school girls.

According to a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina and Boston College, boys and girls in the same grade account for 42% of relationships, older boys dating younger girls makes up about 40% of relationships, and older girls dating younger boys makes up only 18% of high school relationships. Statistically senior girls have the greatest disadvantage in the high school dating system. After my recent experience I would have to agree.

Senior boys want younger girls because I guess they would be considered easier to manipulate. Junior boys want to date junior girls or sophomore girls, but most of them aren’t too thrilled about dating a ‘cougar.’ Then here comes the problem, senior girls want to date guys that are freshman in college, but unfortunately, freshman in college are away at college. So that leaves senior boys who we already know are interested in younger girls. So senior girls are the ones who get ditched on blind dates that aren’t blind at all.

From his perspective:

The Rockhurst junior who McCann was paired with did not follow through with the date. However, you can view his matchmaker profile here.