You’re stuck on campus and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. You might have friends who, in their long-term relationships, have been planning for this impending day for weeks, even months. You might have been told there’s no way to have a good Valentine’s Day date without money or without a ride, especially amongst the sprawl of San Diego. Maybe you’ve even told yourself that!
It’s time to lay these presumptions to rest with a definitive list on what a couple of ride-less, income-less Point Loma students can do for a date.
Visit the art galleries
One thing many of us won’t appreciate until after graduation is the existence of ever-changing visual art galleries right on campus, easily within walking distance. Why not stop by Keller Fine Art Gallery and Love Gallery to see what your fellow art and design students are meticulously crafting? Walk along, admire the crafts and critique them with your date as you see fit. The experience may even generate an inside joke or two.
Study together
This may come as a shocking concept, but as students we need to be studious from time to time. A great way to make those hours fly by is with great company. Throw some incentives and accountability into the mix and you’re golden – set goals and take a coffee break once you and your date have gotten to a certain point.
Build a blanket fort
Who doesn’t want to let out their inner child every so often? In either you or your date’s dorm room, bring out as many blankets and pillows as you can and take turns tucking them into corners of furniture and the like. If it’s a night-time venture – during open house, of course! – you can even toss string lights into the mix. Throw on a movie and enjoy the cozy, oddly comforting feeling of occupying a makeshift linen structure.
Walk to the beach
While most students are exceedingly aware of Point Loma’s close proximity to the beach, not all have been told how to get there on foot. There are two simple ways: From Young Residence Hall, it is relatively easy to lower yourself (and your date, because chivalry is alive and well) onto the rocky shore below. Additionally, from PLNU’s public city parking lot, there is a path leading to Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, where pedestrians can continue to navigate the cliffs down to the beach below. There is even a ten-foot rope set up in one spot to aid in navigating the steep cliffside.
Have a picnic
What better place to hold a picnic than on a campus so close to the ocean? The view alone is enough to calm the mind after a long day and even inspire romance. Bring a blanket and pick one of many grassy spots on campus with a good view.
If all you’ve got is meal points, visit Breakers Market between 10:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to pick up a sack lunch using a meal plan swipe.
Visit the ARC
The Activities and Recreation Center, located in Nicholson Commons, is a great place to hang out and play. There are foosball, billiards and ping pong tables, as well as a variety of board games and even a rock climbing wall.
Hold a scavenger hunt
In the residence halls or outside, you can lay out a scavenger hunt for your date. Whether the rewards are cheap candy, sweet notes, or anything else, the magic is in the silliness of the clues and locations. Alternatively, if you’re on a group date, a photo scavenger hunt can be fun and even add a competitive element. Make a list of photo requirements, including location, poses, props and more.
Steve Anderson 
superadmin