Makeout Marathon Kissers
Last for Five Hours

By Elizabeth Owens
CyberNews Staff Reporter

February 20, 2002

KDCS Bulldog Radio and Public Relations Student Society of America sponsored a Makeout Marathon that began at 4:15 p.m. on Valentine's Day. Five hours later, two couples were left standing--and kissing.

The champion marathon kissers were Andrea Pratt (BN4) and 2001 Drake graduate Casey O'Donnell. The second-place team consisted of Josh Dahm (AS1) and Laura Muchlinski (AS1). The contest began with eight couples, but only two pairs were able to kiss to the end.

"I was tired but I didn't want to give up," Dahm said. "We had our minds set on winning."

Contest coordinators were planning on stopping the marathon at 10 p.m., but when neither couple showed signs of giving up, they halted the contest and forced the pairs to play an impromptu round of Know Your Mate for the grand prize.

"We made the call at 9:15 after five hours of kissing," Drake Broadcasting System President Tony Lorino (J3) said.

The Makeout Marathon contest and a Know Your Mate contest held earlier that day were fund-raisers for PRSSA. KDCS helped out by broadcasting live. Five dollars per couple was charged to enter either event. The contests were the brainchild of PRSSA President Shawn Rolland (J2).

"The whole point was a fund-raiser for PRSSA," Rolland said. "Beyond that, it was just to create awareness for PRSSA--and to just have a good time."

The contest was held in Olmsted just as students were filing in to eat dinner. There were people all over, Lorino said. Making out became a spectator sport.

"When we, meaning Shawn and I, first started thinking about this, we thought it would be cool and that people would have fun with it," Lorino said. "We didn't realize how big it was actually going to be and how many people on Drake's campus like to watch other people making out."

The contest was much more than just making out. Contestants were forced to stand for an hour and then sit for an hour. Each person also had to eat a garlic breadstick before beginning and another after the five-minute break, which was the only break they were given. When the contest came down to just two couples, the pairs had to dance and make out at the same time. They did the YMCA, the Funky Chicken and many more, kissing all the while.

"It was very difficult. At times I cracked up laughing and almost stopped lip-locking," Pratt said. "But we were determined to win so we didn't give up."

The guys also had to hold their mates in the air for two minutes without even a pause in the kissing action.

"It took a lot of balance," Dahm said. "And it hurt my knees."

Pratt and O'Donnell prevailed in the end by winning the tiebreaking round of Know Your Mate. The twosome walked away with an assortment of prizes including dinner for two at Macaroni Grill, a $50 gift certificate to Christopher's Jewelers, tickets for two to a show of their choice at Billy Joe's Pitcher Show, flowers from Irene's Flowers and a free car wash from SuperSonic Car Wash.

"I was hoping the contest would end sooner so I could use the Macaroni Grill certificates to take Casey out to dinner, but we'll have to do that some other time," Pratt said.