Contributed by Eric D. Snider

From The College Times at Utah Valley State College, 9/7/00:

By Megan Carlson
Of the NetXNews staff

Girls were glossing their lips and guys were chomping their winterfresh gum last night; all were waiting for their moment to get kissed.

“[I came] to get kissed and become a true wolverine,” explained Darin Schneider. “I can’t wait until next semester– I’m going to every single one!”

Utah Valley State College hosted their first True Wolverine last night in the new ‘Tunnel of Love’. The Student Officers only planned for a couple hundred students; however, an estimated 600 to 800 people attended the event.

“For the first year, we didn’t plan for this big of success,” explained Student Body Officer Juston Puchar. “Next year I bet it will be three times as big.”

While some students arrived with someone in mind to smooch, there were many who had never spoken to the person they were going to kiss.

Freshmen Amber Dyer and Jason Russon never met before they experienced their first kiss together; however, once the first kiss took place, many more followed.

“We made out in a tree, and this old guy sat and watched us,” explained Dyer. “We talked too– we didn’t just kiss.”

Dyer and Russon were not the only strangers making out; Dyer’s friend, Katie Larsen, and Russon’s friend, Christian Robinson, also got pretty close.

“They should hold these things every weekend. It’s a good way to meet people and get involved,” said Larsen. “This is why I went to UVSC instead of BYU– so I can participate in fun traditions like this.”

While Dyer and Russon plan to continue their new relationship, Larsen and Robinson do not. In fact, Larsen has a boyfriend and Robinson has a girlfriend.

With so many people wanting to make out, it was hard to avoid the one’s that you did not want to kiss.

“There were a bunch of freaky guys asking me and I was scared,” said freshman Ashley Garbe. “He (freshman Jake Anderson) basically came to my rescue.”

Anderson saw Garbe and began talking to her, then they ended up in the tunnel.

Although many people ended up in the tunnel by the end of the night, there were a few who were not successful.

“We didn’t get kisses because we’re freshman,” explained Dave Moody. “We came for a good time, but we haven’t quite had a good time yet.”

After searching for a girl to kiss, freshman Derek Meecham finally found the one.

“I just asked girls if they wanted to kiss and they would give an excuse,” said Meecham. “I used my best lines, and I got rejected like 20 times.”

But eventually Meecham found freshman Mandy Thacker and got the kiss he had been waiting for all night.

Junior Katie Coles also received a kiss she was happy to wait for. Although Coles’s plans were to oversee the event, she unexpectedly took part.

“He (name withheld) said ‘I’m not taking no for an answer.’ Then he took my hand, drug me in the tunnel, and kissed me,” explained Coles. “I never liked kissing so much until tonight.”