Love in the laundry room

Last year, Mary Codispoti got mono. It came at the worst time: the final exam period. Too ill to study, she had to go home and miss her finals. Her boyfriend Neil Kutscher, a 2002 graduate of Hiram College, was right there by her side.

Her mother tried to keep Neil away for fear that he would get sick too, but he was determined to be there. He even jokingly offered to wear a mask, Mary said.

No mask was needed for what was to happen on this particular visit. After they ordered Chinese food and had dinner, it was time for a game of Slapjack and Guess Who. After a few games, Mary became exhausted and, since it was getting late, it was time for Neil to leave.

Mary walked him through the laundry room to the back door to say goodnight. However, Neil was not ready to leave.

“I opened the door and then he put his big hand on the door and slammed it shut,” Mary said.

“I’m thinking, ‘What is he about to do? Is he going to yell at me?'” she said.

He did not yell. Instead, he turned around and nervously looked her in the eyes and said, “I want to tell you something.”

“He grabbed my face and looked me in the eye and said ‘Mary, I am so deeply in love with you,'” she said.

Neil then kissed her on the lips, which was a huge no-no, but he did not care. Mary felt bad because it was such an unromantic situation and it was the first time he saw her without makeup, she said.

She admits that she had an idea of what he was going to say, but was glad that he said it when he did. It was an overwhelming experience for both of them, she said.

“I liked that it wasn’t just ‘I love you.’ It was one of the best feelings,” she said.

TaLeiza Calloway

The 60-year lesson

Junior marketing major Sarah Dick can tell a story about two kids who grew up together on Cleveland’s East Side during the Great Depression.

Marge Rhyne and Fred Riegler had been friends for a long time. She even taught him how to dance in her living room. Marge was happy with their friendship, but Fred had different ideas. When the teacher looked away, he would pass her love poems and notes.

After high school, Fred met a girl named Betty, and Marge fell for a guy named Bill. It wasn’t long before both couples announced their engagements.

America entered World War II, and Fred and Bill found themselves heading for the battlefields of Europe. As the war dragged on, Betty became weary of waiting for Fred to return. Eventually, she wrote a “Dear John” letter and returned the engagement ring. Fred also would be the first to learn that Bill had fallen to enemy gunfire.

When the war ended, Fred’s father set up a reunion at Union Terminal. Five months after Fred stepped onto the train platform, he and Marge were married.

After 60 years of marriage, Fred died in 2005. It was a time of great sadness, but also reflection. Marge still recalls Fred’s love of rhyme, especially when Fred would hide her Christmas gift and have her follow the clues in a special poem he would write.

Sarah thinks about her grandparents a lot and hopes she can live up to those ideals for her relationships. After all, for 60 years a couple that influenced her deeply could still say they loved each other at the end of every day.

Mike Olszewski

Five levels of love

Tiffany Steiner, 20-year-old sophomore psychology major, believes people connect on five different levels: physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually.

Only then, when those levels are met, does Tiffany believe in soulmates. But Tiffany already knows she has found her soulmate: 22-year-old C.J. Gran, who had no problem connecting with her on any of the levels.

“We feel each others’ emotions even if we do not always directly express them . C.J. somehow knows me better than (I know) myself,” Tiffany said.

She said that over the last two years, C.J. has helped her through some very personal troubles. He also listens when she has had a hard day at school or work and is patient with her while she sorts through her life.

“I can’t wait for what is ahead of us in life, because I know together, we can conquer anything. Words can’t describe the feeling I get when I think about how much we have grown together,” Tiffany said.

For Valentine’s Day, Tiffany just wanted C.J. to know how much she cares about him and appreciates his love.

“He is everything a best friend and soulmate should be. I love him today, tomorrow, forever.”

Erin Hopkins

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