THE PROPOSAL: Couple gets enganged on campus
Maryann Batlle
Issue date: 10/28/09 Section: News
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Michael Caysido, a senior majoring in piano performance, wanted his girlfriend, Katie Barkett, to be a part of history. He decided to use a pivotal moment in their five-year relationship to do so.
On Oct. 21, he made his dream - and hers - come true.
"I wanted to prove to her that she was my one and only," Caysido said.
Caysido got down on one knee in front of a large crowd and asked Barkett to be his wife.
"As the world as my witness," he said, "will you marry me?"
A smiling Barkett accepted and the crowd broke into applause. As Caysido embraced his new fiancee, onlookers snapped pictures and celebrated with them. Later that afternoon, the pictures and videos made their way on the internet.
Indeed, their romantic moment made FGCU history.
Caysido got the idea after he heard a story about a Sigma Chi member from the University of West Florida who proposed by having his brothers sing the "Sigma Chi Sweetheart" song to his girlfriend.
Caysido wanted to re-create that moment for Barkett - only he aspired to make it even more special.
"I wanted an audience so that everyone noticed that I was ready to get married and settle down," Caysido said.
A month before he planned to propose, he revealed his idea to his fraternity brothers at one of their weekly chapter meetings. Caysido was skeptical that he would be able to keep his surprise from Burkett once they knew.
"Twenty-five guys who have girlfriends, if they tell their girlfriend and that girlfriend tells one friend, it can spread very quickly," Caysido said.
But despite his fears, his plans remained secret - until the night before he was set to propose.
Caysido and his fraternity brothers chose to notify more people about his plan. They created a Facebook event page to promote it. After sending out a few invites, 40 people confirmed that they would attend.
Then Caysido chose to make sure even more people knew.
"The morning of, I was like, 'What the heck?'" he said.
He took out his cell phone and sent a text message to everyone on his contact list. His Sigma Chi brothers did the same. The text messages spread from cell phone to cell phone.
Despite the publicity, Barkett had no idea what awaited her.
"No one told me. Everyone kept it a really good secret," she said.
At one point, Barkett almost discovered the plan herself.
"(That morning) I told him I might stop by the library and do homework, and he freaked out and told me, 'No! You can't go to the library,'" she said.
Instead, Caysido asked Barkett to go to the Campus Reservation desk, where Barkett works, in the Student Union. One of his fraternity brothers was there to escort her to the Library Lawn.
When she approached Caysido, the large crowd of students gathered around the Library Lawn to witness the event surprised her.
"It was shocking," she said. "I did not expect that many people."
As promised, his brothers were there, dressed in proper attire: blazers, slacks and ties. They stood behind Caysido in support. When Barkett approached, one of his brothers even broke the tension with a joke.
"On of the pledges that I am really close to screamed out, 'Wow, I feel like I'm in a chick flick,'" Caysido said. "I about lost it (laughing)."
Barkett appreciates the effort that Caysido and his brothers made to make her engagement memorable.
"It made me feel very special that they were able to stand there in suits and ties in hot weather and sing to me," Barkett said.
Now that Caysido and Barkett are officially engaged, they plan on getting married after they each finish graduate school. Barkett wants to go to the University of South Florida in Tampa to become a speech pathologist. Caysido is still trying to discover what he would like to do, but he hopes to end up in New York City.
Caysido and Barkett are not worried about having a long-distance relationship while they both attend graduate school. They've been separated before.
When Caysido was a senior, Barkett was a freshman in college. They made it work, according to Caysido.
"I think that was the hardest situation I've ever been in," he said. "I'm not as worried about it (now) because we have built such a strong bond."
Barkett is willing to put in the effort to make their relationship work, because she thinks Caysido is worth it.
"He's just a very loving person," she said.
They have plans to try to meet at least once a month during their time apart. Caysido and Barkett hope to take turns flying across the country to see each other.
"It's going to be expensive, but we gotta'make it work, 'cause I can't live without her," Caysido said.
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