The Marriage Pact attracts students on their quest to find love. While some are simply looking for a friend, others want a true lover; someone to kiss at the Old College Well. For juniors or seniors, this year might have been their third attempt at finding love through the Marriage Pact. For underclassmen, they are just getting started. This year, 1,386 Davidson students filled out and submitted the Marriage Pact questionnaire. With over half of the campus partaking in the fun of checking the leaderboard, finding their one true match and stalking the Instagram of said match, I pose the question: Why is the Marriage Pact still such a controversial endeavor?

While there are the Marriage Pact truthers, there are also over 700 students that didn’t fill it out. While some of the single stragglers seemed to have lost hope, others are convinced that their current partner is already a perfect match. Some couples hate it, others are all for it and some don’t even know their significant other partook. But guys… it’s just not that deep.  

In my opinion, all couples on campus should have done it. Have some fun. Who knows—maybe you could’ve found the actual one or just a platonic soulmate. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should go look for another partner, and I certainly am not condoning cheating. That being said, the Marriage Pact could be the perfect opportunity for couples to realize if they are truly meant for eachother. Why should such a funny, silly and amusing endeavor bring couples to the brink of a relationship-ending argument? Make it a fun date night; bash each other’s match; fill it out separately; throw darts at your partner’s match, or never speak of it again. It does not matter. Be silly. Who knows, maybe in 10-15 years, when you are desperate or bored, you will get the courage to test if the algorithm really worked. Or maybe you will test it out next week! Only time will tell!

The Marriage Pact does not have to be an end-all, be-all contract. It is an opportunity to know another name on campus and partake in some Valentine’s Day cheer. In my opinion, everyone should have submitted the questionnaire, and if the Marriage Pact was a heated argument for you and your significant other during the past few weeks, maybe you need to reevaluate your relationship…or maybe try therapy. Nothing as silly as a computer-generated algorithm should stop couples from partaking in some fun and amusement. Maybe in completing the survey, you are saving someone from getting their campus nemesis, or helping someone avoid getting matched with an ex-partner. If anything, you could be doing some good! No harm, no foul, partake in the amusement. 

On your way to Warner’s Stupid Cupid, have fun scavenging the boiling hot room for ‘The One’ that a made-up algorithm said will be your perfect match. For the ones that did not do it, you are probably feeling left out now. Do not fret. If anything, while some individuals find success in their marriage pacts, others can count down the next 364 days until they can have another chance. Or, they can just make a move on their match now. 

Hajar Hussein ‘27 is an educational studies major from Jacksonville, FL and can be reached for comment at [email protected].