Auction Offers Eligible Bachelors

Going once, going twice, sold!

If you are interested in finding that special Harvard or MIT man, a bachelor auction may be just the way to do it.

The Wellesley College chapter of the Starlight Foundation will hold a bachelor auction in conjunction with the ATO fraternity's casino night next Saturday at the MIT student center.

About 15 Starlight bachelors will be chosen from the Boston area, many of whom will be undergraduates and graduate students from Harvard or MIT, according to Lisa D. Heyden, president of the Wellesley chapter Starlight Foundation.

The Starlight Foundation provides date packages of dinner for two to the bachelors and the women who win them.

"I think the-bachelor auction is wonderful. Both women and men enjoy it," said Starlight Foundation Treasurer Nasreen Quibria.

The auction is one of many fundraisers sponsored by Wellesley's Starlight Foundation to grant a wish to terminally ill children.

"Last year, the money raised from this fundraiser paid for horseback riding lessons for a nine-year-old girl with ovarian cancer," Heyden said.

She said the foundation has not yet decided whom they will grant a wish to this year.

The auction committee is currently picking eligible bachelors to participate in the auction.

Although the committee has received calls from more than 30 men who want to be Starlight bachelors, Heyden said it can only accept about 15 or 20 bachelors because of time restraints on the length of the auction.

The auction committee holds interviews with each prospective bachelor to make sure they are "safe," Quibria said.

A booklet of profiles of the men will be handed out prior to the auction.

Michael J. Liersch '98 will be interviewing today in hopes of being one of the chosen ones.

"My friend told me about this bachelor auction," said Liersch, a resident of Quincy House. "I thought it would be a good way to get to know people at Wellesley besides the Grille or mixers."

"I'm looking forward to it," he continued. "It's going to be a lot of fun. All you have to do is stand there and look pretty. The only bad thing would be if they didn't bid."

But organizers said lack of bids has not been a problem in the past.

"The bidding is a lot of fun and your friends cheer you on," said Heyden, who said she placed several bids in the auction last year.

"It starts at $25 and then it just takes off," she said.

Heyden said that bids ranged from $50 to $200 last year, but the average bid was around $120

Although the committee has received calls from more than 30 men who want to be Starlight bachelors, Heyden said it can only accept about 15 or 20 bachelors because of time restraints on the length of the auction.

The auction committee holds interviews with each prospective bachelor to make sure they are "safe," Quibria said.

A booklet of profiles of the men will be handed out prior to the auction.

Michael J. Liersch '98 will be interviewing today in hopes of being one of the chosen ones.

"My friend told me about this bachelor auction," said Liersch, a resident of Quincy House. "I thought it would be a good way to get to know people at Wellesley besides the Grille or mixers."

"I'm looking forward to it," he continued. "It's going to be a lot of fun. All you have to do is stand there and look pretty. The only bad thing would be if they didn't bid."

But organizers said lack of bids has not been a problem in the past.

"The bidding is a lot of fun and your friends cheer you on," said Heyden, who said she placed several bids in the auction last year.

"It starts at $25 and then it just takes off," she said.

Heyden said that bids ranged from $50 to $200 last year, but the average bid was around $120