While some look forward to the new year for the sake of starting over, others look forward to the start of the well-known reality TV show “The Bachelor.” For roommates Emma Mehrings, a first-year student in the College of Business Administration, and Adela Luna, a first-year student in the College of Education, watching “The Bachelor” became an opportunity to bond.
The show, which is on its 24th season, is a reality program that focuses on one man trying to find love. He starts with meeting around 30 women and within one night, he sends multiple women home. Throughout the season, there are one-on-one dates, group dates and roses given to those who have been selected to stay. By the end of the season, the bachelor has hopefully narrowed it down to two women he could potentially propose to, and he typically does propose to one.
Mehrings, Luna and their floormates try to watch “The Bachelor” together almost every Monday in Cobeen Hall. That is, when Luna doesn’t work.
“I know I’m taking off work for the finale,” Luna said.
Luna was exposed to “The Bachelor” at a younger age when her mom was watching it.
“When I was little my mom used to watch it and when I’d come in the room she’d turn it off (but) starting in middle school I started watching with her,” Luna said.
Mehrings started watching it with her mom as well but didn’t get into it until Colton Underwood’s season last year.
Coming into Marquette, Mehrings and Luna picked the random roommate option for housing and ended up together. They started watching “Bachelor in Paradise,” a spin-off of the series, in the common room of their floor.
“We started watching it downstairs in the lounge, but it would get loud and we couldn’t hear what’s going on,” Luna said. “Then we moved and started watching it in here.”
Once Peter Weber was announced as the bachelor, the roommates decided to go all out in terms of decorating.
“Basically over winter break, (Luna) printed out Peter, and I put the women in a word document and printed them,” Mehrings said. “It was the first night back and we cut them all out … and we put them on the door.”
Each week when a woman goes home, they draw an “x” through her photo.
Their dedication drew the attention of others on the floor who soon joined in to watch the show with them, such as Abby Tilton, a first-year student in the College of Business Administration.
Tilton just began watching “The Bachelor” this season, starting with the third episode.
“I saw the door and asked what was going on,” Tilton said. “I heard a lot of buzz about (the show) so I thought, ‘Why not start watching it?’”
Every week, a group of viewers interested in “The Bachelor” will come together and watch it.
Luna said she and her roommates and other floor members who watch with them typically make popcorn and plug in their fairy lights. Sometimes when she’s home, she said she will make kiddie cocktails with her friends because they are red, the color of the rose in the franchise.
For the finale, which typically falls around early spring, the group decided it wants to order food for the viewing.
Though it’s a small watch party, for these girls, it’s also about the camaraderie and finding common ground.
“We’re all different majors,” Mehrings said. “If we watch it together, it’s something to focus on other than schoolwork. It’s something we talk about and obsess over, and it’s an ‘every week’ thing.”
This story was written by Ariana Madson. She can be reached at [email protected]
