If you're looking to have fun or perhaps find true love, Keith Gonsalves suggests you make an appearance on the new UATV dating show "Mind or Body."
Since taping the show three weeks ago, Gonsalves, an anthropology and pre-medicine junior, is still hanging out with Kelly Hegarty, a pre-pharmacy and arts freshman.
Gonsalves gave her high marks when it came to looks, but said he chose her based solely on her personality.
"We hung out last weekend and we're just seeing what happens. He seems like a really good guy," Hegarty said.
The show's creator and producer was also happy with the outcome.
"They fit together so perfectly. Keith's a really tall guy, and Kelly's a really tall girl, so they're just adorable," said Laura Balis, a media arts and English senior. "I couldn't have been more pleased with that pairing."
With only three episodes finished thus far, interest in the show is already increasing. At a booth held every Tuesday on the Mall, Balis has collected over 150 applications for people wanting to make an appearance on theprogram.
Balis said she is looking for all kinds of contestants to be on the show.
"Truth is, we try to get a mix of people; not everyone on the show has to be gorgeous, we need average and super good looking people," she said. "But the main thing we're looking for is really outgoing personalities to make the most interesting matches possible."
While the show has involved only heterosexual pairings so far, Balis said that she is entirely open to homosexual or bisexual shows in the future if enough contestants are comfortable and show interest.
"I don't want to leave anyone out or discriminate against anyone. I'd be happy to have that diversity on the show," she said.
Balis enjoys watching other dating shows, which she said helped her create the idea of a dating show for UATV. But, she added that there are some aspects of dating shows that bug her, such as catfights among girls.
For "Mind or Body," she has tried to create as natural an environment as possible without scripting the conversations to make it seem more real.
At first, the host of the program will talk to the couple from the previous week to see how their date went, and then they introduce a new single guy or girl and ask them about ideal qualities that they look for in otherpeople.
Next, the person will ask various questions to three contestants of the opposite sex hidden behind a barrier.
The single guy or girl then chooses who they like the best based on personality alone, or "mind."
Next, the single person gets 30 seconds to talk with each of the three contestants out from behind the barrier.
Occasionally, they give some kind of PG-rated command to the contestant, such as "show me your puppy dog face" or "let me smell your hair."
After the viewing period, the single person chooses which contestant they liked best based on looks only, or "body."
When this decision is made, they then figure out if they want the person with the best mind or the best body.
"People are starting to figure out what is more important ÷ someone with good looks or a great personality," Balis said.
When the match is complete, the couple goes on an off-camera date to one of the nine Metro Restaurants sponsoring the show.
"I would recommend other people to go on the show. College is all about trying new things, so it's good to be spontaneous and ask, Why not?" Hegarty said.
The half-hour show airs on Sundays and Wednesdays at 5 p.m. on UATV, channel three.
UATV and the Wildcat are both part of the Arizona Student Media Department.
Balis has always had a dream to work behind the scenes in TV. While working as an anchor for Wildcast, she decided that she wanted to create her own show.
"All of a sudden it just came to me to have a dating show. It wasn't 100 percent there, I had to figure out what to do that was different," she said.
Balis submitted a proposal to UATV, which included a summary of the show, its format, and why it's important and interesting to an audience of freshmen and sophomores.
"We chose to accept the show because it was an interesting concept, something that could involve a lot of students on campus in its production," said Allison Vanore, a media arts senior and UATV general manager.
"It was a perfect fit for college TV and this audience," Balis said.