Jan. 23, Villanova students who filled out ‘The Marriage Pact’ questionnaire received their matches. The anticipation of finding out your match’s name has passed, and it’s up to students to decide whether to make a move or not.
There were 2,231 submissions from Villanova students, who might have been looking for a relationship or simply the opportunity to meet new people.
Many of the questions asked on the Pact revolved around relationship “dealbreakers” such as political affiliation, drug use and opinions about intimacy.
The questions were deeply personal, which made it more likely to be matched with someone with the same values and interests.
The insights into students’ beliefs made ‘The Marriage Pact’ full of opportunity to meet like-minded people on campus. Many students were successful in doing so, and many “talking stages” began this past week.
However, two days before matches were released, 561 more heterosexual women than heterosexual men filled out the survey.
In an attempt to give all individuals romantic matches, the questionnaire’s deadline was extended to Friday, Jan. 23. This effort did not do much to address the situation, with many girls receiving friend matches.
Not all students had desirable results.
Lauren Armstrong, a senior, reflected on her experience with ‘The Marriage Pact’ over her four years at Villanova.
“The marriage pact can truly be a hit or a miss,” Armstrong said. “Sophomore year I got matched with one of my good friends, and we were in the same room when we got the email which was funny. While nothing has ever stemmed from the marriage pact for me, it is a fun Villanova tradition that my friends and I have looked forward to the past four years.”
Clearly, those looking for love via ‘The Marriage Pact’ were left disappointed when it did not work out. Getting a “friend match,” for some, defeated the purpose of filling it out, not finding a romantic partner.
Not everyone had a negative ‘Marriage Pact’ experience, though. Some students have begun to connect in real life with their matches, testing the waters of a possible relationship.
Whether the matches were well-received or not, the ‘Marriage Pact’ revealed something about students at Villanova and possibly young people in general.
Students still hope to create meaningful, romantic relationships during their time at Villanova. They just go about it unconventionally.
Whether ‘The Marriage Pact’ really has an algorithm that matches students perfectly, or it is just completely random, students still take the time to fill it out every year. For some, the Marriage Pact is the first step in finding “the one.”
