"No, You can have a coke."

Captains log 6: 13.2.11

 I bought a stranger a coke this past Wednesday as an assignment for my MCOM 320 class. My professor hinted that we might get some strange and or funny reactions out of people when we do this, and he was not mistaken. Here are the guidelines and criteria I used to select the person, place, and time of my assignment.
 I chose the bottom floor vending machines of the RB, on a Wednesday at 6:45-50 PM. I felt this location was most opportunistic for several reasons.

Reason 1: I was already at the RB for a folk dance talent show.

Reason 2: I would feel less awkward buying a complete stranger a coke if we are nearly the only ones there. AKA I did not want the vending machines to be crowded, because it might seem ungenerous of me to buy this person a coke and not everyone else.

Reason 3: The RB is more likely to have traffic at the vending machines for drinks. This reasoning  was formed by the higher probability of genuinely thirsty/tired people in the RB because of exercise  and strenuous classes.

Then I chose my person. He was a member of the opposite sex dressed in all black named John. Likewise his selection was not randomn.

Reason 1: He was a relatively handsome guy. If I am going to buy a coke for somebody I might as well do what Shayne suggested and  "use it as an excuse to flirt with someone."

Reason 2: He was wearing all black. This alerted me to the fact that he was probably a folk dancer headed to the same event as I. Or that he was at least a dancer of some sort. Either way, we would have something further to talk about in the event that he was not totally creeped out by this girl randomnly buying him a coke.

The assignment implementation went rather well. I sat near the machines and waited for a potential candidate to approach the vending machines.  I casually approached them as well. John seeing me there indicated I should go in front of him. I  acted as if I were still choosing and dropped the query of which one he was going to get.  He told me a Barq's root beer. I swiped my card and got a Barq's. Then handed it to him.
One would think I had either handed him a live bomb or saved his firstborn child from his mixed reaction. At first, his confusion and surprise on his face were priceless. Then he tried repeatedly to make me take it. After I insisted multiple times, he then became so grateful to me, it was rather embarrassing. However, the experience was worth the embarrassment and awkwardness in the long run because he turned out to be a folk dancer. We watched the talent show sitting next to each other, and even danced a couple of dances together at the end. I'll probably never talk to him again but that night was definitely more enjoyable because of it.

Perhaps I'll try it again. Maybe, if life continues.

Floyd, out.