Students filed into the BYU Marriott Center on Saturday, Nov. 2, to kick off a free event hosted by BYU President C. Shane Reese and his wife, Sister Wendy Reese.
Dubbed 'Date Night with the Reeses,' this event attracted students with dates — or just friends — to spent time together through multiple activities.
The evening began with a performance by the Young Ambassadors: a musical group comprised of BYU students. The students danced and sang along to a musical mashup, including Florence and the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over" and Queen's "We Will Rock You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody."
The BYU Dunk Team — an acrobatic basketball group of BYU students — also made an appearance, showcasing their theatrical slam dunk skills.
BYU junior Chloe Seamons attended the event alongside a hometown friend. Seamons said the Reeses were presidents over her FSY camp in high school.
"They are really awesome, and they are always super spiritual and fun, so I figured it would be a fun little activity," Seamons said.
The Reeses sat amid the attendees and were accompanied by four student panelists. Each student came prepared to ask the Reeses a dating question.
After the panelists asked him some questions, President Reese posed his own.
"Is it okay for a woman to ask a man out?" he asked.
BYU sophomore and student panelist Ali Nearon responded.
"I think we live in a world where it's so saturated with people and we feel so disconnected with each other and there are so many options that I feel like it kind has to be both parties: (...) not just the girl, but also the guy both reciprocating at the same time," Nearon said.
Abigail Haven, student host for the 'Meet the Reeses' portion of the event, said she hopes her peers will take advantage of the free, planned date night that BYU has created for them to connect with other students through their similarities.
"I love BYU campus, and we're BYU Cougs, so (we'll do) anything we can do to help support," Haven said.
Following 'Meet the Reeses,' the event moved to the other side of campus: food trucks served students outside the Wilkinson Student Center, and board games, karaoke and other activities entertained the remainder inside.
A previous winter semester's Date Night with the Reeses was Isaac Palmer's first date with his now wife, Liberty Palmer.
As most of Isaac Palmer's time is spent trying to keep up with different events and classes, he said he blocked out four hours of his evening to not worry stress and just enjoy time with his wife.
"You have to get out of your comfort zone, you have to push yourself, and this is such an easy place and environment to talk to people, to ask people out," Isaac Palmer said.
Liberty Palmer said there are different activities nearby, making it an opportunity to see each other do different things and interact in different ways.
"I really like the ability that it allows you to interact with people because I think dating is more about creating an environment where you can have good conversations and get to know a person than the actual activity itself," she said.
In addition to the hot chocolate, Liberty Palmer said she enjoyed reliving first-date memories with her husband.
"It is a very casual event, low-key, and it is a good, safe place to get to know people and to just relax," Liberty Palmer said.