DELAWARE, Ohio — As things heat up on the campaign trail, students at Ohio Wesleyan University gear up for the primaries and this year's presidential election in a unique way.

This is the second time students on the Delaware campus have gotten a chance to participate in a speed date the candidate event. Many are learning about candidates for the first time, while others are changing their minds about who they want to vote for as they learn more.

• Speed dating to make an informed decision when voting
• Opens the door for conversations on politics that are sometimes tough with family or friends
• Speed date the candidate leads up to the OWU's Mock Convention Feb. 21-22

18-year-old Sophia Bulander took the plunge to participate in her first speed-dating event at Ohio Wesleyan University. With candidate Tinder profiles posted, she, along with other students, walked in with excitement. Grabbing a card to check off who she'd talk to for the night, coordinators let her know there would be a little bell that went off when it was time to switch candidates.

The candidates she's speed dating are the 2020 Democratic Presidential hopefuls, better known as her classmates, who have studied up on them. Bulander's eager to know more as she'll be voting in her first presidential election in November.

Her first stop is Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City. Walking up and shaking hands, she imemdiately tells him, "I don't really know who you are."

Topping her list is candidate positions on incarceration, LGBTQ rights and climate change. 

Six minutes in, the college freshman's learning more than she anticipated. In fact, she liked what she heard. Ready to move on, she gets her candidate card marked, but admits she's struggling now with who to vote for later this year.

"He broadened my decisions. 'Cause I really only knew about Warren and I think Bernie, and I was gonna choose mainly Warren. But now that I've heard a little more about Bloomberg, it seems like too many choices," she said.

Walking away, the environmental science major holds onto what she's heard and meets Tulsi Gabbard, a U.S. Representative from Hawaii. Gabbard tells her, "I've seen first-hand what it means to stand up and defend our country."

As she learns about the candidates' stance on bringing U.S. troops home, she doesn't shy away from calling out Gabbard on LGBTQ comments made previously, yet gives Gabbard a chance to explain. 

Satisfied with the response, she adds another sticker to her card to mark off what candidates she's met. Now a little more at ease, Bulander says the conversations at the speed-dating event were the perfect way for her to become more informed.

"They're telling you what their understanding of these candidates are and that that's your peers' sort of point of view and understanding of these candidates, which is helpful for me because it puts it into terms that I understand," said Bulander. 

Before leaving for the night, she hits up Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar to ask a few final questions; But at this point, she basically knows who she plans to cast a vote for, at least when it comes to the Iowa Caucus.

Her vote for the night is Warren.

With a smile on her face and loaded with information, Bulander's done speed-dating for the night. She heads off to class and waits for the 2020 Mock Convention on campus.

Later this month, students will participate in the school's mock convention. It's something they've been hosting since the 1800s. There, they'll nominate their own candidates for president and vice president for the Democratic party.

School officials say every four years they focus on the party that's not in the White House to make sure they have enough candidates for students to engage. They also say that hosting events like the convention and speed date the candidate helps students take part in politics in a productive and comfortable way —something they may not be able to do with peers or family.