Fifty dollars for Thao! $75! Sold! $25 for Malcom! . . . $50 . . . going once, going twice . . . all the money raised during the Asian Student Conference’s 8th Annual Date Auction last Friday will be donated to the Wichita Chapter of the International Rescue Committee.

“Skyfall,” the title of the latest James Bond film, was the night’s theme.

The group of 13 women and six men, all Wichita State students, was auctioned off at the Campus Activities Center with the highest bidders getting a lunch date with their chosen participant.

WSU freshman Ryan Mumma did not have a choice but to outbid everyone else for Cindy Nguyen. “She’s my girlfriend,” he said. “I’d probably get in trouble.”

Mumma, who said he and Cindy Nguyen have been together about six weeks, budgeted $135, but his $85 bid was enough.

Nguyen said she probably would have forgiven him if he had not outbid everyone. 

She is glad that didn’t happen. “I probably would have felt a little uncomfortable and a little disappointed,” she said.

Management information systems junior Christopher Franklin and a friend collectively bid for Amanda Nguyen.

“We pooled our money together, plus she’s pretty,” he said. “We wanted to support the organization.”

The high bid for Ngoc-Han Dinh Nguyen was $80.

“It’s nice,” she said. “The money goes to charity. I wish I had gone for more, but that’s OK.”

Annie Bui garnered the most money of the night – $330.

“I was flattered. I was scared,” she said. “I thought maybe $100.” Bui said many bids were being shouted out.

“I was trying to see who was bidding,” she said. 

All of the participants being auctioned had to earn their bids, too. A talent show that featured their singing, dancing and instrumental skills was held before the auction.

The emcees and auctioneers were Franis Phan and Kiet Tran. 

The local IRC office helps newly arrived refugees by providing immediate aids, including food, housing, job placement, employment skills, clothing, medical attention, education, English-language classes and community orientation.

Go to www.rescue.org for more information.