Last Saturday, September 22nd, Wildcats of all ages and backgrounds were treated to a rare and unprecedented show overlooking the university’s New Quad area. On the steps in between Huddleston Hall and Fairchild Hall, under the changing autumn leaves and beneath a birch tree arch, a new chapter was written in the love story of an unknown man and an unknown woman. Before a crowd of over one hundred guests (and many, many students passing through after receiving word of it), the mysterious and lovely couple tied the knot and married right here on a brisk UNH fall afternoon.
This holy matrimony was a big deal for people on campus. It’s just so out of the ordinary for us sweatpants-wearing, coffee-chugging bunch of lovable losers. Think about it like this- people freak out whenever they see somebody walking a golden retriever around campus. The next step is to replace the pooch with a wedding- that’s how huge this was in terms of notoriety.
As soon as the young lovebirds kissed, walked down the aisle and had all their pictures taken, the speculation began. How did this Wildcat couple meet, and why did they bring the service back to school? The decision was almost Van Wilder-esque, one that caused a lot of heads to turn. This writer was one of the ones watching it, and, luckily for you faithful readers, came up with (hopefully) a few likely scenarios and ideas to clear the air a bit.
We’re most likely hitting the nail right on the head by speculating that the setting is pretty telling in the story of these two. The fact that these two, out of all the churches, beaches, or economically-savvy Las Vegas venues these lovers could’ve selected, chose the steps overlooking a fairly populated quad area beloved by many students must speak volumes as to the decision of where. Maybe this is the spot where they first met, perhaps as residents of Fairchild Hall or as university employees at a Huddleston Hall work function. Maybe they were on a weekend bar crawl during their time as (hypothetical) students and both somehow ended up in this area, graced by each other’s presence. Or maybe they were both in a study group that ended up meeting to go over a paper, a project, or complain about the syllabus structure.
Regardless the origins of their story, the wedding itself is representative of the beauty of life in a lovely campus environment. We’re here to study, make meaningful, lasting friendships, find new interests, and move our tassel from right to left after a few beautifully chaotic years. Imagine finding a soulmate along the way? Most of us find trouble just in showing up to office hours, let alone starting a new chapter of your life with a significant other.
To the happy newlyweds, this one’s for you. May you live a life full of love and prosperity, one full of nothing but blessings, good health and good fortune. May you always be reminded of the love you (most likely) found here, and have it be recalled at the time of every visit.
And to the golden retrievers we’ll see on campus in the future, we’ll still love you just as much as before. Don’t get it twisted, you good boys.