Graphic by Natalie Kulak ’21
BY GRACE FITZGERALD ’20
This week, we set up senior Virginia* with first-year Vita* on a movie date in Clapp to watch “Romeo + Juliet.” Vita described herself as an open-minded person who is fascinated by the world. As a self-described hopeless romantic, Virginia wanted someone she could talk about the depths of her soul with. Vita, who wants to know a little about everything, seemed like a perfect fit! Mid-’90s Leonardo DiCaprio plus the Clapp sloth sounded like the recipe for romance to us. The two met in Clapp to begin their date, and here’s how it went…
Virginia: She came into Clapp, and I thought that she was wicked pretty. She had on a white top and a cute scarf. I had on this peasant shirt and mom jeans, but I also wore a denim acid wash vest to make sure I looked at least a little gay.
Vita: When I arrived she was already there. She remarked that we were both wearing white. It was cute that we matched. I loved the way she was dressed. She said that because we were going to watch “Romeo + Juliet” she was going to dress “kind of Shakespeare.”
Virginia: I’m used to going on movie dates but it was a little awkward to be in an academic building. We hit it off right away and ended up talking about astrology. I did her birth chart. We talked about everything under the sun and gushed about poetry. Shakespeare, spirituality and talking about poetry are kind of my things.
Vita: We were supposed to watch “Romeo + Juliet” but instead we ended up talking about Shakespeare for the rest of the date. We got so caught up in our conversation that we chose to ignore the movie. I love talking to people and I can hold a conversation for hours, and that’s pretty much what we did.
Virginia: When we started doing the birth charts we just mutually decided that we would rather talk than watch the movie. I asked her if she believed in astrology and she said that she didn’t think so, but I was able to convince her. She was getting really into it, and that was really cool.
Vita: I literally knew nothing about astrology before the date, but I had always wanted to learn more! She did my birth chart which is something I had always wanted but had never done. I think it was really cool and it was a great way to get to know someone better. She said that she gets along with Tauruses.
Virginia: She’s intriguing, passionate and very smart. She seems a little shy. She’s very friendly but I can tell she has that mysterious allure. We got pretty vulnerable pretty fast and I think it was because of the birth charts.
Vita: She asked me if I believed in past lives and I reluctantly said “yes.” She was like, “Oh my God, yes! Otherwise that would have been a deal-breaker!” I never thought I would tell someone that, but I was really comfortable around her. She was really funny, she did a spot-on impression of a 40-year-old Irish woman sitting in front of her house and calling the children in. It was so specific but she was really good!
Virginia: I can tell that she is a really deep person. I was able to share and talk about things enthusiastically in a way that I can’t really do with many other people. Being able to share poetry and be vulnerable was really nice, especially on a first date.
Vita: She’s the type of person who I would see and be really attracted to but never have the courage to talk to myself. We ended up having so many things in common and there was so much we could have talked about on a deeper level. I felt like we weren’t necessarily similar people but we matched well on a lot of topics. We both love literature, history and poetry, but we have different niches within that. She also really likes the 1800s and the 1920s because she feels like she lived in those periods in her past lives.
Virginia: I had been on dates with women in the past, but I have never had a relationship with one. Other first dates haven’t really gone anywhere. I’m trying to get out there. I’ve never dated anyone on this campus. I’m a senior, come on!
Vita: I have never dated someone of this gender identity before, so it was exciting. Honestly, this has been the best date I’ve ever had. Physically, I think she’s so cute. She’s really pretty. She is such an interesting person, she could have done all the talking and I would have been happy with that. I really like the way she thinks, the way she feels and her whole philosophy of life is really interesting.
Virginia: The date was overall really nice. It’s always nerve-wracking to go on a first date, but I definitely think that we’re going to be friends. We’ve exchanged contact information.
Vita: She told me that she felt like she had seen me before and I wasn’t sure from where until I asked my roommate about it after the date. My roommate told me that she lives on our floor! We went down the hallway and saw her name on the door. Turns out we’re neighbors and I don’t know what to do now. I’ll go over and be like, “Hey, found you!”
Virginia: I didn’t kiss her at the end of the date. It wasn’t the right timing or the right place. I like to kiss people when I know I have feelings, and I decided that it was too soon. I know at the very least that I want to be really, really good friends with her, and possibly more.
Vita: As we were leaving we hugged each other goodbye. We talked about a couple of future dates that we could have. The first option would be to read poetry underneath some trees. We also said that we could watch “Call Me by Your Name” together, which we dedicated a good portion of the date to talking about.
Virginia: We’re literally hallmates; she lives right down the hall from me. It was so cute, she realized that we live on the same floor so she wrote me a little poem and stuck it under my door a few days after the date. I thought to myself, “this is ideal.” We have another date coming up, but not an exact day set yet.
Vita: Honestly, I’m really into her. I don’t know if she feels the same way. Even if she doesn’t like me or decides to block me from all social media, I’ll be glad that I got to meet her and learned some things about myself, the world and, of course, her!
MoRomance is a student-run matchmaking service run by Flori Needle ’20, Gina Perry ’20, Grace Fitzgerald ’20 and Maya Rhode ’20. These interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity. To sign up for MoRomance, visit mountholyokenews.com/moromance.
*Names have been changed for anonymity.