Students pucker up for kissing celebration

May 5 named first annual International Make Out Day

By: Moniqa Paullet

Posted: 4/26/07

Keep the lip balm handy and get ready to lock lips and swap spit because the first annual International Make Out Day is May 5.
Dalton, Pa., freshman Caleb Ameigh of the University of Pittsburgh created the event on Facebook March 21 as a joke among friends.
"I invited some of my friends and it just took off from there," Ameigh said in an e-mail interview. "At first I didn't plan on it being such a big event, but since it has grown pretty big it will be an annual celebration."
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Facebook event had more than 165,000 confirmed participants, not counting 44 other chapters from across the globe including Montreal, and Sydney, Australia.
While some conservative individuals opposed the celebration in comments on the event's wall, most expressed excitement for May 5.
"Let's make the world a happier place. One lip lock at a time," Ameigh wrote on the event page.
Jeremy Horst, Clarence Center, N.Y., senior at Erie Community College, said he "thought it was an incredible idea" in an e-mail interview and contacted Ameigh to help with the event.
"I came up with the idea for shirts to help fund the project and future Web site," Horst said. "The sales from the shirts go right back into the project. We've already had some bandwidth problems with hosting and with the shirt Web site because of an incredible amount of hits."
The Facebook event page has links to shirts including the phrases "Cinco De Sexy" and "Make Out, Not War!"
"I love this project because it's hard to find something you can really believe in these days," Horst said.
While celebrating the event with a special person may seem straight-forward, some students have made special plans for it.
"I'm probably going to take my girlfriend out to a movie and begin celebrating there and then head back out to my car and celebrate there and drive back to my apartment and celebrate more there," said Dave Prosser, O'Fallon, Ill., senior. "It'll be fun."
Once attendees find someone to celebrate with, there are many options available in finding the right location to celebrate, said Paulo Castillo, Galveston junior.
"Places that I recommend to make out include the music practice building, the third floor of Willis Library, the PE Building, Bain Hall and, if it's late at night, Crumley," Castillo said.
Castillo said the timing of the event is also favorable "because we won't see these people again until the fall."
Students should take advantage of the event and take a break from studying to enjoy themselves, he said.
"We're not supporting infidelity here," Horst said. "We just want good people to share a moment and maybe see a bigger picture."