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By Jennifer E. Townsend
Reporter
A video dating service, the Singles
ionnection, recently has opened in
Iryan, but not many Texas A&M
tudents are rushing to join, an ad-
inistrative assistant for the service
aid.
“We have gotten some calls from
:ollege students, but they take it
note as a joke,” Shelley Fleming
id. “A lot of the guys who call seem
o think we run an escort sevice —
aying things like, ‘I need a date for
laturday night, how much?’ ”
She said the students who do
|ome in are mainly older students,
ither graduating seniors or adults
/ho have gone back to school.
“Our service is mainly for people
/ho are tired of going to clubs or
|ust don’t have the time to go out
nd find someone to date,” Fleming
aid.
Gregg Barfield, owner and
ounder of the Singles Connection,
aid the service tries to offer a viable
Jternative for singles frustrated
nth the club scene.
The Singles Connection opened
4arch 7 and has about 30 members
ofar. The service is basically for sin-
lie professionals. Ages of members
un between 25 and 60, Fleming
aid.
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She said members are looking for
nything from a simple compan-
nship to a permanent relationship.
One A&M studuent who has
ined the service is Lori Jones, a se-
ior theater arts major.
“I’m really not thrilled about
eeting guys at bars,” Jones said.
^People at Singles Connection are
IBiore interested in meeting someone
’ fora relationship.”
I Singles Connection members
■teet prospective dating partners
through a video selection process.
Each member Fills out a personal
Irofile sheet. The profile asks ques-
tions such as “Do you smoke?” “Do
jou have children?” “Would you
late someone who drinks?” and
Would you date someone who has
lets?”
The profile also asks members to
escibe the type of person they
/ould like to meet and to describe
emselves as a friend would decribe
them.
The profile is put in a photo al
bum along with pictures of the mem
ber. A five minute question-and-an-
swer video also is made of each
member, Fleming said.
In the video, members talk about
their worst dates, the best way a man
or woman can attract their attention,
the kind of movies they like to watch,
their favorite things to do on a date
and the qualities they look for in a
dating partner.
“You can really tell a lot about a
person by their video,” Fleming said.
“People are very honest. They don’t
know who is going to be watching
them so they aren’t embarrassed
about being themselves.”
Jones said she believes people are
natural in their videos.
“Because you’re not really meet
ing someone, it’s easier to show your
personality,” she said. “And you can
always redo your video if you don’t
like it.”
Members view photographs, read
profiles and watch the videos of
other members as often as they
want, Fleming said.
If members see someone they
would like to go out with, the club
sends a notification postcard to that
member, explaining the member’s
selection as a date.
Members are allowed 36 selec
tions during a one-year mem
bership, but they may be selected by
other members an unlimited num
ber of times during that year.
The person selected has two
weeks to view the video of the other
member, Fleming said. Then, the
date either is accepted or refused.
If both members agree to a date,
the club will release their phone
numbers.
“Everything is done on a confi
dential basis,” Fleming said. Mem
bers don’t even know each others’
full names until a date is agreed
upon, she said.
Barfield said people avoid per
sonal, upfront rejection by using a
video dating service.
“And if you do get picked, it’s a
big ego boost,” he added.
Fleming said that by using video
selection, a lot of the first-date ner
vousness is alleviated.
“This way you already know about
the person, so the first date isn’t un
comfortable,” she said.
One club member, Kelly, who de
clined to give her last name, said she
likes the Singles Connection system
of matching people.
“By watching the videos, you find
out if you are even compatible to go
out on a date with someone,” she
said.
By the first date, members already
have a basic idea of each others’ likes
and dislikes, she added.
Kelly received her first date after
being a member for only two days.
“I got a date right off the bat,” she
said.
Kelly said she thinks being a mem
ber of the Singles Connection is
worth spending the money it costs to
join.
A membership regularly costs
$250 a year, but through April the
Singles Connection is offering a spe
cial introductory price of $185 for
women and $195 for men.
“You know people are serious
about wanting to date someone be
cause they paid at least $250 to be
members of the club,” she said.
“They want to meet someone who is
in the same position they are in.”
Barfield said he opened the Sin
gles Connection because the video
dating services in other areas had
been extremely successful.
There seemed to be a need for a
dating service in the Bryan-College
Station area, he said.
Singles don’t have many alterna
tives to meet people, Barfield said. A
practical alternative to traditional
methods is a dating service.
Barfield said women seem more
reluctant than men to become mem
bers.
“The only problem I have now is
getting women to join,” he said. “If
the women are here, I will have no
problem with the men — they will
naturally follow.
“The women are very curious.
They just don’t seem ready to spend
the money and commit themselves.”
Fleming said that about 200 peo
ple are on the mailing list.
“Many of them seem seriously in
terested in joining,” she said. “I’m
confident that we will have 50 mem
bers within the next two weeks.”
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harges dropped against rape suspect
lersloir:
SAN DIEGO, Texas (AP) — A sexual assault charge
as dropped Wednesday against one of II men
barged in the gang rape of a 19-year-old woman after
lie was mistakenly identified by the victim.
I A Duval County official also said he expects the case
to go to a grand jury next week.
I Adolfo Quintanilla Jr., 28, of San Diego, was charged
following the brutal March 26 attack the woman re-
orted.
Assistant District Attorney Rodolfo Gutierrez said
the woman had confused Quintanilla with another man
arged in the case and misidentified him.
“The motion (to dismiss the charge) was issued yes-
rday, and the order was signed today,” Olga Solis,
for Justice of the Peace Amado Garcia Jr., said
Wednesday.
Quintanilla “has asked us to contact the media” so
that his name is cleared, Gutierrez said Tuesday.
“We’re writing a letter to his employer that there are no
charges against Mr. Quintanilla.”
Gutierrez said he expects a grand jury to begin hear
ing evidence next week in the attack that has stunned
the South Texas town of about 5,000.
The woman and witnesses said as many as 20 men
may have been involved in the four-hour ordeal. She
told investigators she was abducted in town and driven
to two ranches where she was repeatedly attacked.
Gutierrez said a 14-year-old boy was implicated in
the case this week, and that the woman and witnesses
identified him.
at Academy
WEEKEND 1988
LADIES'NIKE SLIMFIT
LEATHER AEROBIC
SHOES
Senior Basil
Friday, April 7 5, 8 p:m^ ;:v .
Texas Hall of :Fame, $5/coupie
Fea turing Melissa Prescott
^pj^/^^QehaStallingsA’ST^^ill
kAe;* WCoach oTStALpdia-Gardiftsii::
Saturday, April 16, 9 p.m.
MSC and Rudder Exhibit Hall, $35/couple
Featuring Michael, Michael and the Maxx
Ed Gerlach Orchestra
The Senior Weekend Package at $65/couple,
includes all three events. Tickets are on sale
at Rudder Box Office at 845-1234. ” vr ^ 1
All tickets are presale.
Battalion
SPREADING
THE NEWS