Easy Valentine’s Dates Within Walking Distance

By J. Harvard Feldhouse

While Valentine’s Day is the time of the year when one can surprise their partner with a special moment together, a person doesn’t have to travel too far from campus to make it happen. 

A few students gave ideas for couples looking for something fun to do together. 

Megan Levan, a junior theatre studies major, recommended couples go to the YSU Department of Theatre and Dance’s annual Valentine’s Day Cabaret.

With the theme “A Kiss to Build a Dream On,” musical theatre students will sing songs about love from people’s favorite movies and productions or from popular culture.

Tickets are $10 for students and $25 for nonstudents. The cabaret will be held at the B&O Station on Mahoning Avenue from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Levan also recommended couples get drinks or a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants downtown, such as V2 Wine Bar and Trattoria, The Mocha House or The Federal.

If couples want more than dinner for their date, No Funk No Justice, a Youngstown-based band, will have a Valentine’s Day-themed performance at Suzie’s Dogs and Drafts from 9 p.m. to midnight. 

Alex Kluchar, a junior vocal performance major, recommended dates for the artsy and adventurous.

For artsy couples, Kluchar said the Butler Museum of American Art or the McDonough Museum of Art are perfect. 

“You could probably spend a good hour, maybe three hours, going into the Butler and McDonough just looking at a photo,” Kluchar said. “Pick a photo and look at it for like five to 10 minutes. Just talk about what it could mean and if it could mean something different.”

The Butler and McDonough museums are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

For the adventurous couples, Kluchar suggested exploring Maag Library or sky watching on top of the Wick Avenue parking deck.

“You can explore Maag. There are six floors. A lot of people usually aren’t in there,” Kluchar said. “Or sit on top of the Wick parking deck and just look at the sky because no one’s on the roof usually. It’s always open, and you don’t have to do anything”

Dora Anyanwu, junior biology pre-med major, suggested low-cost options such as the Ward Beecher Planetarium.

Every Friday night, the planetarium has a free show at 8 p.m. The theme for Feb. 14 is “One Day on Mars,” a new show that provides an immersive experience into Mars’ mysterious conditions and explores the possibility of human settlement on the red planet.

Anyanwu said if the weather is fair, couples can go on a late-night walk around campus, or if the weather is poor, they can stay in for their date.

“Put on a movie, watch stuff and just order food,” Anyanwu said. “If you have Pete’s Points, get like Cocca’s [Pizza] or Jimmy John’s, things that deliver. Walk around campus and, you know, just talk, then maybe get something to eat afterwards.”

Tiffany Donadee, a senior psychology major, is a student that appreciates the thought behind spontaneously gifted flowers — something that doesn’t have to be expensive.

“My boyfriend, Matt, is in the military,” she said. “He sent me flowers during every holiday and milestone I had while he was away, and it always made me feel loved even while he was away.”

If none of these are appealing, know that ultimately, it’s the effort put into the date that matters more than the date itself. Show your partner that you love and care for them, and they’ll appreciate any date you decide to have.

“We’re all in college,” Anyanwu said. “Nobody has money all the time. Just do something fun.”