Rutgers is for lovers: Delve into these Scarlet romances

Kissing on a picnic blanket on Voorhees Mall on the College Avenue campus. Sharing a cup of frozen yogurt from 16 Handles on Livingston campus. Holding hands while riding an EE back from class. Perhaps during your time at Rutgers, you've done these activities with a special someone — or perhaps you've seen others doing so and rolled your eyes. 

Regardless of your experience with romance on the Banks, you can't deny that the University can be an effective matchmaker. Rutgers has iconic romantic sites across all five campuses, including classic lovers' lanes like the Kissing Bridge and Passion Puddle on Douglass campus and more unconventional spots like red cup-littered basement floors on the College Avenue campus. New Brunswick's streets, too, are lined with date-night-ready restaurants and bars packed with singles ready to mingle.

Still don't believe in Rutgers romances? Check out these four Rutgers couples whose stories got their start on the Banks.

A Love Worth Foo-Fighting For: Neil and Olivia

A true "friends to lovers" story, Neil Patel, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, and Olivia North-Crotty, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, knew each other for approximately one year before officially entering a relationship.

Having met him through a mutual friend, North-Crotty initially found Patel to be on the slightly quieter side but maintained that she thought he "was always polite and had a sweet demeanor." On the other hand, Patel noted North-Crotty's lively and extroverted personality — and her pretty hair.  

Eventually, as time went on, North-Crotty and Patel spent more and more time together. One special memory for the both of them was the night before Patel's 19th birthday. After attending a Pakistani Student Association event, the pair spent hours talking in North-Crotty's residence hall, still together when the clock struck midnight.

Sometime after this memorable night, North-Crotty and Patel went on their first official date to an off-campus Popeyes, eventually coming back to North-Crotty's residence hall to watch the iconic film "Studio 666," starring the Foo Fighters.

Now having been dating for more than a year, North-Crotty and Patel spend most of their time together at key Rutgers locations like the Scarlet Latte cafe in Alexander Library and the Atrium, both on the College Avenue campus.

North-Crotty advises other Rutgers lovebirds to take their time with romance.

"I'm really glad I knew (Patel) and trusted him as a friend for about a year because I felt safe talking to him openly and honestly about more intimate emotions," she said. "This, of course, isn't to say that all relationships have to follow this formula — the point is that there isn't any formula to getting into a relationship."

We Found Love in a Douglass Place: Danikah and Sanjay

Some Rutgers couples' stories don’t even start at Rutgers, but the Banks have a fateful way of bringing people together. Danikah Milliance, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, and Sanjay Ramcharan, a School of Engineering junior, met all the way back in the fourth grade and have attended school with each other ever since. 

Now, the couple goes to the University together, enjoying iconic campus spots like Rutgers Cinema on Livingston campus, attending long-standing student events like Caribbean Day or just spending time in Millance's residence hall on Douglass campus. 

Having been dating for two years and five months, this couple also celebrated their most recent anniversary at Rutgers Gardens, a testament to love in full bloom.

"Honestly, I love Rutgers, and being able to fall in love here, too, has been amazing," Millance remarked.

While Millance and Ramcharan's busy schedules can prevent them from spending more time together, they both strive to navigate their workloads effectively and make space for each other whenever they can.

Virtual(ly) inseparable: Jailyn and Axel

Axel Rodriguez, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, and Jailyn Avendaño, a Rutgers alum who graduated in 2023, found each other during an especially unique time in Rutgers history — when the University transitioned to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The pair, both members of the Latin Images Living-Learning Community, met each other for the first time online. Rodriguez's initial impression centered around how intelligent he found Avendaño to be — admiration that only grew when he met her in person one year later on the first move-in day of the Fall 2021 semester. 

"When I met (Avendaño) in person, I was surprised by how friendly and outgoing she was," Rodriguez said. "She was one of the first friends that I made at Rutgers just because of her amazing personality."

Avendaño said that while she was initially nervous to meet Rodriguez, she felt incredibly comfortable soon after they started talking.

"I was nervous to come back to campus after having my freshman year cut short by COVID-19," she reflected on the time. "Axel was one of the first people I met, and he immediately made me feel comfortable because he was so friendly."

Rodriguez and Avendaño made the most of their time on campus together, watching a movie at Rutgers Cinema, eating at Henry's Diner on Livingston campus and walking around Easton Avenue together. 

Even their first date featured staple University activities like getting food from PJ's Grill & Pizza and picnicking behind Hardenbergh Hall on the College Avenue campus.

Now going on three years together, Rodriguez and Avendaño continue to explore Rutgers’ campuses together while balancing all the responsibilities life brings.

"I feel grateful that I chose to do my undergrad at Rutgers because it made me the person I am today, and I wouldn't have met Jailyn without it," Rodriguez said.

Love in the Major Key: Luiza and Tommy

Luiza Abecia, a Mason Gross School of the Arts junior, and Thomas Kozakiewicz, a Mason Gross senior, met in the most Mason Gross-coded way possible. 

One day, as Kozakiewicz was studying for an exam, he discovered that the Rutgers University Film Productions student organization was hosting executive board elections not far away from him.

Call it intuition, a sixth sense or simply a gut feeling, but Kozakiewicz felt that he had to rush over and run for the role of club president. Coincidentally, Abecia was running to be the organization's social media manager.  

Abecia won her election while Kozakiewicz lost his presidential bid and ended up assuming the club's event coordinator position. He lost something else that night too — his heart.

"When (Abecia) was giving a speech for social media manager, I was the only one who laughed at a joke she made. So, yeah, OG supporter," Kozakiewicz recounted. "When we talked at the bus stop, I felt something nice with her. I remember that night all these days later."

Nowadays, after almost two years together, you can spot the couple spreading music all over Rutgers—New Brunswick, be it in the Civic Square Building's music rooms or at any piano on campus.

"We would both try to search for pianos over campus and compose together," Abecia said. "The first time we really bonded was at the Livingston Student Center. They had a piano, and we played all night until the security guard had to kick us out."

If you've managed to get to this portion of the article without tears welling up in your eyes, congratulations — that makes one of us! Rutgers is truly a magical place to fall in love, even if it takes one hour and two bus transfers to make it on time to a date.

Next time you're in the dining hall, at the bus stop or procrastinating at the library, look around, and you might witness a love story in the making — maybe even your own.