The Bachelor Brings CUA Students Together
by: Isabella Andreoni
Sarah Keane sat on her bed wearing pink and blue stripped pajamas while eating a bowl of popcorn. Rachel Mascolo was wrapped up in her white fuzzy blanket waiting for the rest of the girls to come down to their room. As the other five girls entered the room, the level of excitement bounced off the walls.
On the campus of The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC a group of seven girls gathered on Monday nights to view the show that women across the nation obsess over: The Bachelor.
The Bachelor is a show in which 30 women compete for the love of one man, which ends with a proposal from the bachelor himself. This past season Nick Viall was selected to be the bachelor. If his name sounds familiar to you it is because this is not Viall’s first appearance on ABC’s hit show. Viall appeared on the show’s tenth and 11th season of The Bachelorette, the version where 30 men compete for the love of one woman. He then appeared on the network’s third season of the spin off show, Bachelor in Paradise.
Viall was seen as a controversial pick to be the newest bachelor because of his many appearances on the show. But, the controversial pick did not stop women from hosting viewing parties for the show. Across the country, women invited dozens of their friends over to watch the show together. Snacks, drinks, and games are all included with the invitation. A lot of preparation goes into the party, it is not joke. Everyone on the invitation list always looks forward to Monday nights.
Roommates Keane and Mascolo shared their love for The Bachelor during the first few months of their freshmen year. It did not take long for them to decide to become the hosts of a viewing party in their dorm room.
“Once we both realized we had a mutual obsession for The Bachelor I begged Rachel to allow all of our friends to come over on Monday nights so that we could all watch the show together. It didn’t take much begging to convince her,” Keane said.
Keane and Mascolo sent out a groupchat to five of their girlfriends a week before the show’s season premiere inviting them to the viewing party. Within minutes, all five girls responded that they would attend.
On the night of the premiere, the seven girls gathered at 7:50PM wearing their favorite set of pajamas, wrapped up in their softest blanket and eating their favorite snack. Arrival time on Monday nights was set at 7:50PM so that everyone had time to get comfortable in a spot somewhere in the room.
In Keane and Mascolo’s room, lights were strung on the walls above their beds that created a mellow environment. The smell of buttery popcorn and milk chocolate hit guests as soon as they opened the door. Mascolo even invested in a plush beanbag so that there was an extra seat.
“I wanted some special for our guests to enjoy when they came to our room. I knew everyone would love the bean bag,” Mascolo said.
After the premiere, guest Mary Schwagerl proposed an idea that each girl makes a bracket depicting which contestant they believed would claim the proposal ring at the end of the season. She set an entrance fee of $10 per bracket. At the end of the season, who ever had the correct winner would claim bragging rights and the lump sum of $70.
On the night of the season finale, hearts were shattered, but one girl claimed victory. Schwagerl’s bracket was correct. She had the bracket everyone wanted. She was not hesitant to grab the $70. Schwagerl threw her hands up into the air just like Rocky.
“I put a lot of thought into my bracket. It took some serious planning out. I had a favorite contestant but I didn’t want to put her as my winning pick just because she was my favorite and I guess my method of thinking was correct,” Schwagerl said.
