Valentine's Day is a schizophrenic kind of holiday. To lovers, it's hearts and flowers. To the broken-hearted, it's a poke in the eye. We don't want to make any assumptions about where you fall on that spectrum, so we offer you two takes on Badger romance. Read whichever feels right to you.
When Badgers set a course for adventure and put their minds on a new romance, what do they do? Here's our list of the five most romantic things to do on (or near) campus, as suggested by alumni.
5: Check out an exotic restaurant on State Street.
If you get a kiss after all that garlic, it must be true love.
“Getting dressed up in my small dorm room in Chadbourne and walking down State Street to Husnu’s to experience my first Valentine’s with my boyfriend — now my college sweetheart is my husband, and we still choose a different ethnic restaurant on State Street to celebrate V-Day every year.”
– Sabrina ’05, MS’08
4: Snuggle up in a library.
Just remember to keep it quiet — some people are really studying.
“I asked a beautiful young ladyfriend if she’d like to come with me to do some research [at the Historical Library]. We went into the dark room to view the microfilm (with her on my lap, no less).”
– Nick ’03
3. Take a swim in Lake Mendota.
Not advisable for V-Day, unless global warming gets much more advanced.
“One night we went out for dinner, bought a bottle of wine, and went down to the Hoofers boat docks. We dangled our feet in the water and drank our wine … and before long we decided to go for a swim. We kept our underwear on but had a refreshing and very romantic dip in the lake.”
– Jordan ’88
2. Stay in at your off-campus apartment.
Baby, it’s cold outside!
“My boyfriend baked me a heart-shaped carrot cake. It hit a sweet spot with me — we married five years later.”
– Tauna ’03
1. Walk the Lakeshore Path by moonlight.
“Walking hand-in-hand with my boyfriend — such a beautiful, peaceful, romantic area.”
– Sally ’84
I ♥ Hating ♥ Day
Roses are red;
Lilies are pale.
Some Badger love stories
End in epic fail.
It doesn’t take much to turn a dream date into a nightmare — just bad luck, bad timing, the wrong guy or girl, and maybe a little foreign matter in dessert. Here a few reminders that the campus dating scene doesn’t always close with true love:
[In the] early ’70s, coeds decorated Schlichter Hall by hanging a banner from one of the front windows: “Happy VD — Our Love’s an Epidemic!”
- James ’76
I set up a date with a girl I’d been longing to see, and then stood her up by completely forgetting about it. Aaargh!
- Philip ’89
My boyfriend at the time bought me hand-made chocolates from a store that will remain unnamed — as there was a sliver of wood in one of them!
- Jill ’01
[Our] date was going well. After some hugging, I closed my eyes in preparation for the big moment. As soon as our lips met, I heard a bloodcurdling scream. It was my soon-t-be-beloved. He jumped back at least three feet and was brushing something off his shoulder. “It’s a spider!” he cried. Imagine my shock. It wasn’t a spider at all, just one of my false eyelashes. Hoping he wouldn’t notice, I quickly disposed of it, but lost “the moment” forever.
- Annette ’69
One night in 1974, I was out on a date with a guy who asked me how my women’s studies class on Bascom Hill had gone that day. I told him it got interrupted by cries from outside, and when the class went to look out the window, a group of men wearing nothing but jean jackets were running down the hill. He exclaimed: “Oh, so you saw me!” That was definitely our last date.
- B.J. ’74, MS’78, PhD’83
