So most of us have heard a lot of the love stories that come with the TWIRP week festivities, the most popular of which- our college President Bill Greer, and his wife Edwina.
But is it really possible to find true love at Milligan during TWIRP week?
A few Milligan students would say yes.
Recent 2018 Milligan alum, Kinsey Baines (formerly Kinsey King), met her husband a few days before TWIRP week two years ago. They went on a few dates and were pretty confident in their mutual likeness of each other, but for Kinsey, TWIRPing him would be the deciding factor for her.
Baines worked up the courage and found the perfect idea for a TWIRPosal and made a poster with the words “Ryne, will you be my catch for TWIRP week?”
She paired the sign with six baseballs that altogether spelled out “T-W-I-R-P?” and placed them on his truck so he’d see them after practice. The current Milligan baseball player, Ryne Baines, couldn’t say no.
Baines took her TWIRP date to the “Sundaes on Sunday” event and found out more about him, like how he’s a plain ice cream type of guy- no toppings. She ended up asking him out on a real date later that week, and two years later, they are now going on their third month of marriage.
As if the Baines love story isn’t enough to convince you that TWIRP week love stories are a real thing, A.J. Trabold is another great example of the wonders TWIRP week can do.
Trabold met Rebecca Pierce-Hale just before the Sadie Hawkins dance last year. Ironically, Pierce-Hale had already TWIRPed someone else for the dance, and so, Trabold went stag with a group of his friends.
Pierce-Hale says that even though she had gone with someone else, she “saw him dancing, and completely tearing up the dance floor.” She was clearly impressed because she went on to say she “wanted to ask him to dance to one of the slower songs, but then decided he looked great by himself.”
Trabold initially thought she was too “out of his league” to ask Pierce-Hale to dance, but they had a whirlwind romance and found love early on and are going on two months of marriage this month.
I know, I know. You’re thinking, this is crazy. TWIRP week doesn’t set people up for life.
But in response to that, I want to give you one more current love story; one that’s close to my heart… Seniors McKenzie Harden and Nicholas Sewell met in their sophomore year, and Harden immediately knew she was interested in TWIRPing him. They started to “talk” and before long her and I were planning how she was going to ask him, knowing she had to have the perfect TWIRPosal to make him laugh. The night of our Milligan 200 banquet, she dressed up and made a poster with “TWIRP?” written out in a font so big he couldn’t miss it if he tried. She was confident that it was the time to move their relationship to the next level.
She waited outside the entrance to the cafeteria for him, and as they came in I popped out with her sign held high for him to read. Without any hesitation Sewell said yes.
Their TWIRP date was so successful that Sewell asked Harden to be his girlfriend that same night, and the two have never looked back.
UPDATE: After two years together, Sewell and Harden got engaged Monday night on Buff Mountain, the same place where they went for their first date!
So, the next time you doubt TWIRP week, remember these stories. Who knows, you may end up walking down the aisle one day to end up with the same person you went to the Sadie Hawkins dance with this year. Only time will tell…