THE COOP

Today is the day of all days — Fluke Marriage Pact release day. You either woke up with the universe on your side (your class crush graced your email), or with another strike to your dismal love life (your match’s digital footprint solely entails LinkedIn). Signing up for either the Duke Marriage Pact or Fluke Marriage Pact is a gamble with fate, and many results can come from participation. Please enjoy these true stories, showing glimpses of love — or a lack thereof —   on Duke’s campus. (All names changed for anonymity). 

 

Duke Marriage Pact: 1, Love: 0

 

This next story is a tale of love, confusion, and destiny. Alyssa met Brett her freshman year at a date party. Despite them being aesthetically perfect for eachother (slightly indie and always wearing lots of rings), they did not hit it off. Alyssa was devastated; how could a guy so theoretically perfect for her flop so badly? Regardless, she decided to befriend him and make a bit out of their lack of chemistry. Throughout the following months they were around each other more often, and thus got to know each other more. Under Brett’s seemingly uninterested exterior layed a seed of hope. Their quasi-flirty exchanges culminated in a very flirty night party experience. After that there was always this will they/won’t they vibe to their interactions, with their tension reaching a boiling point come winter. Then, something remarkable happened. Lo and behold, Alyssa and Brett had gotten each other for Duke Marriage Pact! 

 

Yet somehow, the match did not push them any closer together, and they still occupy a strange space between friends and lovers. With past romances and some slightly off-putting comments in the way of realizing their destiny, who knows what the future holds for these lovebirds. But, one point for Duke Marriage Pact! That algorithm did good work.

 

Match made… briefly

 

Leah was eager for Valentine's day. Despite being single, which usually mandates depression on February 14th, she was excited to see the results of her Fluke Marriage Pact. After a very dry previous semester, she thought that maybe the Fluke knew something about her compatibility that she didn’t. Leah opened her email to find Mason as her match. She stalked his Instagram, and then surmised that he was a hidden gem — decently cute with under 20 mutual Instagram followers. After peer pressure from her roommate, she DMed him on Instagram (yes girl make the first move!) and then asked him on a lunch WU date. The date (?) went great — she felt like he was her soul mate! Super compatible (bravo, Fluke). They texted a little more, and then Mason asked Leah on another date. From then on they hung out on and off, embarking on somewhat of a situationship. But the more time they spent together, the more Leah thought maybe they weren’t so compatible afterall. After differences in pacing (I’m just going to leave it there), Leah and Mason mutually decided to move on from each other. Alas, they were not each other's perfect match, but at least they made it out of Outlook. 

 

Right person, wrong dorm

 

Holly had been embroiled in a situationship for many months, and it was time to bring some new energy into her life. On Valentine's Day, she opened her email to find Frank as her Duke Marriage Pact. Very satisfied with her results after a quick Instagram search, she requested to follow him. She left it at that, leaving the ball in his court. That same day, a few hours later, she was sitting at a table outside Perkins with her friend Vera. Suddenly, Frank walked by! Overcome by the serendipitous occasion, Holly called out to Frank, “Hey, you’re my marriage pact!” Frank turned around in surprise, then pranced over to talk with the two girls. They chatted a little, and Vera (ever the wing woman), suggested that the two go out for lunch. They picked a time and date, then met up at WU later in the week. The energy was good, and they began snap chatting afterwards. Unfortunately, their budding romance was perhaps stymied by the fact that Frank lived in the same dorm as Holly’s situationship. Holly often ran into Frank when she was on her way to her situationship’s room… But, even if the pair was not necessarily a love match, they both retained a fondness for each other as friends. Maybe all that matters from Marriage Pact is the friends we make along the way. 

 

Pact, meet reality

 

Last but not least, we have Ashton and Emily. Actually, this story is kind of the least since it’s definitely the most underwhelming story, but honestly 80% of Marriage Pact matches go this way. It’s good to add some realism to the mix. So, Ashton and Emily matched in the Fluke Marriage Pact. Emily wanted to take advantage of the experience (someone had hand picked this guy for her), so she texted Ashton and asked him to lunch. Burdened by mismatching schedules, Ashton ultimately asked if Emily wanted to just grab dinner at WU. They had a nice time, but not enough sparks flew to keep up the momentum. After dinner, Ashton and Emily never hung out again. So, the two were not soulmates. Let’s wish Ashton and Emily better luck this year!

 

None of these stories actually have much of a happy ending, but each participant can claim that they actually had the balls to reach out to their marriage pact. Moreover, some got a funny story to share at brunch. I truly encourage people to make the most of their matches — after college, you won’t get to do so ever again. Who knows, maybe you will be the anomaly to actually get into a relationship from Marriage Pact. May the Fluke ever be in your favor.