"Hi, my name is ... Where are you from?"

Tuesday night the answers to this common question were a bit more unique. Answers like Germany, Malaysia, China and Bolivia mixed with other answers like Edmond and Fort Worth. Students of many nationalities were represented at the OU Cousins matching party.

The tenth annual OU Cousins matching party attracted more students than ever, said Kristen Partridge, assistant director of Student Life and OU Cousins program coordinator.

"It was more than we expected," she said.

Although an official number was not available at the time of publication, some estimated as many as 500 students attended the event. Last year, 650 students participated in the program, but not all came to the matching party.

The OU Cousins program pairs American students with international and exchange students. The goal of the program is to create meaningful relationships across cultural lines, Partridge said.

Tuesday's matching party and free ice cream social was designed for students interested in the program to sign up and possibly connect with a Cousin.

The Molly Shi Boren Ballroom was filled with students mingling and eating ice cream sundaes starting at 6 p.m. Voices echoed off the walls and produced a din that microphones struggled to overcome. Students filled out forms with their contact information and interests, and when they returned the form, received a free OU Cousins T-shirt.

The massive turnout forced coordinators to rearrange the plans for the event. A game to break the ice was planned, but Partridge said she was afraid of trouble with the fire marshall if they went ahead with it.

Students interested in participating in the program may sign up through Friday. The majority of participants will be paired with a Cousin according to the interests and details they give when they sign up.

"We are hoping to have everyone matched by Oct. 5," Partridge said.

Some students came to the event with a specific idea of the type of person they wanted to be paired with.

Christie Shea, political science junior, said she would like to be paired with a Swedish student. She said she had fun with some Swedish students she met at the beginning of the year.

"I'm looking for someone to play squash with me," said Sandra Schneider, psychology graduate student from Germany. The game is much like racquetball and popular in Germany, but Schneider has yet to find a knowledgable American.

Other students only had vague notions of the type of person they wanted to meet.

"I want to meet Americans from here," said Rami Nyanat, University College freshman from Malaysia. She said she wanted someone outgoing and adventurous like herself.

"I get the feeling that a lot of Americans are pretty fun and outgoing, so it shouldn't be hard," Nyanat said.

When the OU Cousins program began, there were far more Americans wanting a Cousin than international students. Most international students had about six American Cousins, Partridge said.

"We decided that since then, we wanted to focus on creating meaningful relationships," she said.

Now students are paired up in same-sex groups of two.

"The program has not gotten smaller," Partridge said. "It has gotten better."

Last year, the program still had more Americans than international students signing up, so a waiting list was created.

Many students agree that this program is a great opportunity.

"It's a lot of fun. You get to know a lot of people and about other cultures," said Krishna Vedala, University College freshman and member of the OU Cousins Advisory Board.

Vedala, who grew up in Edmond with both Eastern and Western influences, said every student should participate in OU Cousins.

"That's what college is about," he said. "It's about learning about the world, the environment around you."

Clarke Stroud, vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, addressed the crowd.

"We really want to thank you, especially if you are an American, because you are being paired up with someone who is a guest in the country," he said.

Some students have such a great experience with OU Cousins that they participate in the program year after year.

David Zhou, electrical engineering graduate student from China, participated in OU Cousins last year. He attended the event with his Cousin from last year.

Zhou said he had a great experience in the program. He works and studies with mostly Chinese students, so he appreciated the opportunity OU Cousins gives to international students.

"This is a better way to get to know Americans," Zhou said.

Twenty-four students paired up with a Cousin they met at the matching party. Partridge said she was pleased with the number because it was tough to make friends with people in a loud room.

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