Love is Blind... but the Kernel is here to help

By Alexis Baker and Laurel Swanz features@kykernel.com

In a culture where dating decisions often take the form of split-second swipes on a phone screen, the Kernel wanted to offer four UK students the chance to find something deeper.

On Sunday, Feb. 12, we set up two couples on blind dates at Puccini’s Pizza Pasta, courtesy of the Kernel, to possibly meet their Valentine – or at least make a new friend.

The Kernel opened an application for any students at UK looking for love (and a free meal).

The four students were selected from the pool of ap- plicants, paired up based on their responses to questions about their personality, sexual preference and what they were hoping to get out of the date. Editor-in-Chief Rayleigh Deaton and Managing Editor Hannah Stanley sat down and played matchmaker, pairing the couples that they believed would be the most compatible.

The participants knew nothing about their date going into the evening, giving them the chance to learn about someone else with no prior knowledge about them – a unique opportunity in today’s social media-inundated society.