Author: danielle.cadhit

In a little less than a week, the international day of love otherwise known as Valentine's Day will be celebrated. Do you find yourself overwhelmed by midterms, assignments, essays and studying to even be bothered by this Hallmark holiday? I know I do - I personally have two assignments due on and around that day. So while I am hibernating in the library, snacking on candy hearts, I can't help but notice that it can get a little lonely and isolating - and not only because of Valentine's Day. U of T is a huge campus with so many students, yet sometimes it can be so difficult to meet someone or find any form of companionship. That's exactly what the creators of LoveUT developed their website for. LoveUT was developed to foster interaction and connect with other students.

University doesn't have to be just about going to class and studying. It's also a great place to meet and hang out with other students who have the same interests as you. -LoveUT

That's absolutely right. Although the word 'love' is connected to their name, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to use their website to spark any kind of romance. Love @ U of T was launched early this year and has already gained popularity. In November, they hosted a successful speed dating event with UFashion. The great thing about LoveUT is that it is a service for students on campus, by students on campus. The website was designed and developed entirely by U of T students and all students signed up for the website are more likely bound to be the real deal since they only accept utoronto web-mail addresses. This means your information is only visible to other students, whether they are on the St. George, UTSC, or UTM campus. Students are searchable by several details such as: program, campus, age, religion, orientation, physical appearance and can even upload a profile picture. Security is very important and you can choose which details and information you would like to display. In addition, several features such as messaging and favouriting profiles are included on the website. Lastly - it is completely free to use, so why not give it a shot? A lot is still in the works and if you are interested, development and advertising opportunities are available. The folks at LoveUT would ideally like to expand to other campuses and spread the love. If you're a shy guy and find anonymity to be more up your alley, then there is another site for you!  It's like Craigslist's Missed Connections meets online dating  - LikeALittle has spread like wildfire and is among several campuses in Canada and the States. It's more of an online anonymous flirting message board of sorts where students can profess their love online. I would never take this too seriously, but it definitely is worth a look and a chuckle when boredom strikes. Plus, you never know who you may recognize from the descriptions. Check out their testimonials, where apparently people have found each other through this website. Can you imagine meeting through LikeALittle and having to answer the... "so how did you meet?" question? I'm sure the answer would have to involve awkward glances and interesting explanations. We live in a day and age where it is becoming more and more common for people to meet each other online. With the online world creeping its way into the every day real world, the merge of the two only enhances our means of connection and interaction. However, it is important to note that security is always important. I strongly encourage you if you ever decide to meet someone in person that you have met online, to meet in a public place and always keep in mind that sometimes people aren't always who they seem. Anyhow, I am no Valentine's Day expert.. but I did happen to find a great number of people who are. And they are right here on campus! That's right, your very own professors from ranges of disciplines such as Psychology, French, Film and even Engineering have something to say about the annual celebration of love. Check out this link here for a full list and you can contact Media.relations@utoronto.ca for more information.

Other than that, if you find yourself without any solid Valentine's Day plans - why not make some? There are several going on right here on campus. At a glance, here are a few upcoming events to celebrate the love.

SMCSU Presents: Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction and Valentine's Pub Night. The auction is on Thursday at Brennan Hall and the pub night follows on Friday at the Brunny.