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Dinner with a Stranger is a society set up by Juliette Sartori and her flatmates for Glasgow University students who want to make new friends. The US-born business and management student initiated the programme when she found it hard to connect with fellow students. The society has around 200 participants, ranging from undergraduates to postgraduates and non-binary students.
The system relies on personality quizzes that are shared with members at the start of every month. Juliette and five others spend hours pairing up candidates and sharing contact details, then step back from the process to let things unfold. Prospective participants are asked questions based around a specific theme, extending to their favourite music genres or most favoured Disney movie. The idea is not based on romantic, swipe-right matchmaking but is oriented toward platonic friendship.
Fellow player of the role of platonic cupid, Mary Yiorkadji, feels that Dinner with a Stranger is a unique way of connecting with others, particularly for university students too wrapped up in social media to make eye contact. The fourth-year economics and philosophy student believes that we need more opportunities to connect with others. According to her, social media spreads fake ideas and creates expectations that often cannot be met, worsening feelings of loneliness.
Mary says the programme has helped break down barriers between different nationalities and allowed people to connect over their shared interests. Participants Vanya and Hannah, both second-year students, believe the programme has been a life-changing experience. Vanya from India believes it worked because it allowed her to get to know Hannah without any preconceptions. For Hannah from Manchester, it has improved her mental health and boosted her confidence.
Dinner with a Stranger has proven to be very successful, bringing strangers together for meals and setting up friendships that last beyond the university’s life. Juliette thinks that this is going to become more prevalent, particularly as dating apps have begun introducing friendship tools. She hopes that the idea will expand, offering friendships for all ages and situations
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