Dating on a college campus is almost as humiliating as rushing a pre-professional club. When you’re in a small town that feels as desolate as Ithaca and the number in your bank account dwindles with every coffee purchase from Temple of Zeus, it’s hard to properly ‘wine and dine’ someone the way you’d like to. Add a forced dependency on the unreliable TCAT bus system into the mix — as most students don’t have a car on campus — and all of a sudden, you’re reckoning with the fact that dating at Cornell is decidedly unsexy.
That’s where creativity comes in. Cornell is not as barren as it seems at first glance. Even though you might be tempted to take your date to Amit Bhatia Libe Cafe for the convenience, remember this: If you’re using Big Red Bucks to pay, it’s not a date.
Unfortunately, going on a date to an on-campus cafe or dining hall is a rite of passage. It’s understandable to want to take your date to Temple of Zeus, Green Dragon Cafe or even Novick’s Cafe. Look, I get it. Times are tough, money is tight and it takes forever to get downtown in an Ithaca winter. Still, let’s do better. Take those ideas and transform them into something more romantic and less coffee-chat-core. After all, is the concrete feel of Green Dragon and Gimme! Coffee really the environment you want to have on your first date? I’d argue that a bleak prison-like building isn’t exactly a turn-on.
Besides, there are multitudes of cafes, like FairPour Coffee Roasters or Bank Coffee, in the surrounding area. Yes, a latte may cost $8, but that’s the same price as a Temple of Zeus latte with significantly better ambiance. In Downtown Ithaca, there are plenty of places that provide good coffee, music and have better decorations. So enjoy your coffee and small talk with your date without hearing how badly someone’s internship search is going from the neighboring table.
For those who are looking for more college, budget-friendly options or who fear that coordinating a bus ride off-campus with your date is an instant mood killer, don’t worry! If you want to stay on-campus and utilize the inherent romantic nature of a walk, there are plenty of fun things to do within walking distance of your dorm!
If you or your date are artistic and creative, a not-so-hidden gem everyone overlooks is the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. Although it’s right on Central Campus, few students actually take advantage of the fact that Cornell is home to a multi-story art museum. Live out your dreams of being mysterious and intellectual and put that AP Art History knowledge to good use and impress your date! Plus, the Johnson Museum changes exhibitions periodically, so it’s a great place to revisit. If romanticizing your life by looking at sculptures and paintings with your crush isn’t quite your style, the Johnson Museum also hosts small craft-based events and workshops like wire jewelry making and fabric printing. So, if you want your date to be immortalized forever in a small memento, enjoy the free activities the museum offers.
If you’re more interested in a classic date night like a dinner and a movie, that plan can be elevated from a make-shift ‘theater’ in a dorm common room to the authentic movie theater experience that the Cornell Cinema has to offer. Located in the basement of Willard Straight Hall, Cornell Cinema sets the stage with popcorn, drinks and candy — perfect complements to an incredible film or documentary. Tickets are only $8 for undergraduates and $6 for graduate students. They’ve shown a wide variety of films, from The Matrix and 10 Things I Hate About You to horror films and documentaries, so regardless of what genre you and your date prefer, chances are Cornell Cinema is showing something you’ll love.
If you want to wow your date with your knowledge of astronomy skills to locate the Big Dipper, look no further than the Fuertes Observatory. Nestled on North Campus across the street from North Star Dining Room, the observatory is a short but fun experience facilitated by the Cornell Astronomical Society. Every Friday night, the Cornell Astronomical Society opens its doors to give students a chance to learn the basics about the stars and the moon — the topic of millions of romantic poems — and at the end of the free tour, the top of the dome opens to reveal the night sky. What’s more romantic than getting to chat with your date while stargazing through telescopes and staying safe from Ithaca’s frostbite-inducing wind chill? Nothing.
Of course, I can’t forget the most Cornell date of all: attending a hockey game! Donned in Cornell gear while embracing school spirit, going to any athletic game is a low-stakes way to get to know your date in a comfortable setting. Nothing breaks the ice as well as singing Cornell’s school song between second and third period, arm-in-arm and chatting idly between periods. Besides, heckling the referees is a great bonding experience!
Let’s be honest here. Assuming you and your date are both struggling college students, you’re already fully aware of the limitations of dating at Cornell. Hopefully, neither party is expecting a fine dining experience or something as extravagant as what you’d find in New York City. Instead, enjoy all that upstate New York does have to offer, and stop having a New York City superiority complex. Enjoy the oddities like an on-campus art museum, movie theater and observatory right on Cornell’s campus and revel in the fact that with a little bit of creativity, anything can be special.
Vanessa Long is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She can be reached at vvl22@cornell.edu.
