By Parvi Anand and Megha Lakha
The moment the Chick-fil-A bag landed on the table in the newspaper room, Room 219 transformed from a space for deadlines into a space for romance.
On this year’s survey, Scarlett Rouland and Jack Kilroy were the lucky two set up on this blind date.
The pair acted surprised when they first saw each other, but it seemed they both had an inkling they had been chosen. Jack said he “was misled at first,” thinking he was being paired with someone else, while Scarlett admitted she had “guesses” about who her mystery date might be.
The two have known each other since fifth grade, which made the setup feel less like a first meeting.
Scarlett said she decided to participate after seeing photos from past blind dates and thinking it would be funny, which convinced her to give it a try. Jack, on the other hand, was more hesitant at first. While he eventually agreed that it “sounded fun,” he also revealed that he had been tricked into joining.
Before getting too invested, we made sure they were both single. They were. Scarlett described herself as a go-with-the-flow person who is open to anything, while Kilroy said that he is not “searching for a relationship but open to one.” The openness made the date less pressured and more genuine.
Our first order (literally) was to set up their Chick-fil-A feast (wasn’t really a feast, more like a single sandwich and fries…). After they got comfortable and started munching, we decided to run a compatibility test. Scarlett said she doesn’t really have a set type and that they just need to be funny. Kilroy agreed, saying, “I need to be able to laugh.”
Then we asked about their celebrity crushes, just to see their types. “I love Jacob Elordi,” Scarlett said without hesitation. When it was Jack’s turn, he took a second to think, but then said, “Anne Hathaway.” Another important question we had to ask was about their favorite food; after all, we were testing their compatibility. Scarlett said her favorite food was sushi. “I like a good burger,” Jack said. “Especially a bacon cheeseburger.” Their food preferences may have been different, but it was still early in the date.
Keeping on the theme of compatibility–to find if they could be potential baes–we asked about their music taste. Jack said he’s “been listening to a lot of bands lately, like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Oasis.” Classic guy music taste. Scarlett flirted a bit by saying his taste was “so niche,” and Jack said, “No, not niche.” We could see the sparks starting to fly. Scarlett told us her music taste is “all over the place.” “I like a lot of pop, especially songs by Lorde,” she said.
The conversation then shifted to red flags and deal breakers. Scarlett said someone who is “really cocky or mean to other people” is an immediate red flag, while Jack admitted that “someone not confident at all, kind of shy,” can be a turn off for him. They were equally honest about their own flaws. Scarlett shared that she can be “unserious sometimes” and “not always great at communicating,” while Jack laughed and said he might be “too energetic sometimes.”
Talking about their perfect dates revealed more of their personalities. Scarlett said she would love something “fun and active,” like an amusement park, while Jack emphasized enjoying “good food” and a “relaxed environment.” The Chick-fil-A in front of them seemed to be doing its job.
When asked about the future, both shared ambitious but grounded goals. Jack said he hopes to go into business, even though he is still undecided about the specifics, while Scarlett said she is “low-key pre-med” and hopes to become an orthodontist one day.
Then we shifted to the spark check. In other words, were the survey takers right about their chemistry? We had to get a bit personal, so we asked what the two admired about each other. “She’s very funny,” Jack said, starry-eyed. We swear we saw Scarlett blush before she threw the same compliment back at Jack. Kilroy also added that he liked how Scarlett “isn’t awkward” around people.
The pair agreed that they both have good chemistry together. “Yeah, we have some good banter,” Kilroy said. Scarlett added that their time on JOE was “a good time to get to know each other.” Who would’ve thought this past summer on JOE, where the two first became friends, that they would be on a blind date in 2026!
It was then time for the grand finale. We had to make sure no one was chomping down on their Chick-fil-A when we asked this serious question, because we meant business: “Would you go on a second date?”
Parvi and I held our breath while we waited for them to answer. We prayed this blind date would be a success. (After all, we invested $38 of the OnLion’s budget.) Scarlett turned to Jack and said, “I would,” in an upbeat voice. Jack agreed with a smile.
Our work here was done, and we left the two alone to continue their date.
