How I met my Valentine on campus
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s hard to ignore the canoodling at Concordia. Couples are holding hands in the Hall Building, snuggling at the shuttle bus stops and sharing snacks in the G-Lounge.
Kind of makes you feel fuzzy inside, doesn’t it?
The Sir George Williams and Loyola campuses are full of love stories: budding romances, long-term relationships, engagements — even marriages. And plenty of them started at places you probably pass each day.
We asked four Concordia twosomes to share their stories.
A change of programs brought Danny Corsi closer to Karina Fraschetti.
Karina Fraschetti and Danny Corsi
Engaged, together for six years
Conversation is the foundation of any strong relationship, so Karina and Danny couldn’t have met in a more fitting setting: a class on interpersonal communication and relationships.
But it was only a term later that they really took off.
“I was in my microeconomics class, and in walked Danny,” says Karina. “My face lit up. I had no idea he had switched programs, out of computer science and into economics, with me.”
Danny sat beside Karina, and from then on they made sure their class schedules aligned.
The two say that meeting at Concordia helped their relationship: seeing each other working in groups and under stress, with a full course load, taught them a lot about one another.
They graduated in 2009 and got engaged in San Francisco, California this past October.
Danny admits that he didn’t put out rose petals.
“But it was special because it was in San Francisco,” Karina says. “We had the rest of the week to enjoy it together.”
For Sabrina Diez and Michael Latufara, it all started with Instagram.
Sabrina Diez and Michael Latufara
Dating, two months
Sabrina and Michael have social media — specifically, Instagram — to thank for their relationship.
Their Web 2.0 love story began when Sabrina followed Michael. She then liked one of his photos — an act that didn’t escape his notice.
“I thought she was good-looking, so I added her on Facebook,” says Michael. “We started talking, and it just clicked.”
But it wouldn’t quite be smooth sailing from there on out. As a first-year biochemistry student, Sabrina was too busy to date. She asked Michael to wait until after her physics exam. After that, they met up for a coffee on campus.
Now, they’re about to celebrate two months together. University life has made love less complicated, Michael says.
“We’re taking two classes together, and we’re both on campus a lot. We’ll wait for each other in between and after classes, so we see each other every day.”
Erin Sparks and Patrick Greatbatch began their relationship at Burritoville.
Erin Sparks and Patrick Greatbatch
Dating, three years
Erin and Patrick’s relationship had a classic Concordia beginning: a first date at Burritoville.
“I didn’t talk very much,” says Erin. “I was nervous, so he did most of the talking.”
But Patrick’s pocket square proved impressive. “I thought that was fancy,” she says.
The pair met at a going-away party for Erin’s brother, who had lived in residence with Patrick.
Patrick graduated in 2012 with a degree in communications, and Erin is in her last year of a sociology degree. She says Patrick understands what it’s like to be in your final term and has supported her all the way through, pre-graduation emotions and all.
Concordia will, of course, always have a special place in their heart.
“We went to the same school, knew the same people,” says Erin. “It made it easy.”
Elizabeth and Matthew Seebruch exchanged vows at the Loyola Chapel.
Elizabeth and Matthew Seebruch
Married, 28 years
Elizabeth first encountered Matthew at Concordia’s Norris Library (now the Webster Library) in 1979. She was working in the stacks, while Matthew manned the reference desk.
“We met mostly as co-workers,” says Elizabeth. “It was basically bumping into each other a lot and going out for drinks and food with friends.”
Their first official date took them to the movie The Tin Drum, and that pretty much settled it. Elizabeth and Matthew went out for seven years before marrying at the the most fitting location imaginable: the Loyola Chapel.
Since then, they’ve gone on to raise two children, Emily and Nik. The latter is actually studying at Concordia, carrying on something of a family tradition.
“It was very nostalgic, moving him into his apartment,” says Elizabeth. “I was pointing everything out: that’s where I lived, where we used to go out, and that’s where we got married.”
The Valentine’s Day Relationship Fair takes place on Friday, February 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the mezzanine of Henry F. Hall (H) Building (1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W.) on the Sir George Williams Campus. The fair is part of Student Services’ first-ever Let’s Talk: Mental Health and Wellness Week, taking place from Monday, February 10, to Friday, February 14.
Are you a student who's looking for love? Join a club or play an intramural sport. And don’t forget to go to Cult Mtl’s top 5 Valentine’s Day restaurants near Concordia.