Valentine's Day Special Section

kentuckykernel

Spring 2024 est. 1892 | Independent since 1972 www.kykernel.com

VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL SEC TION

LOOKING FOR LOVE

@kykernel @kentuckykernel

Spring 2024

Serving love on and off the tennis court SAMANTHA MONEY | STAFF Kentucky women’s tennis junior Ellie Eades poses with her boyfriend, men’s tennis senior Josh Lapadat, at the Hilary J. Boone Varsity Tennis Complex on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Lexington, Kentucky.

By Sara Gibson sports@kykernel.com

It’s almost Valentine's Day in the Bluegrass, and in the spirit of the season, let's shine a spotlight on one Kentucky couple that found each other on the tennis courts of Hilary J. Boone Complex.

Growing up Ellie Eades always knew she wanted to attend college at the University of Kentucky, and when she got a tennis scholarship to play for UK, it was a dream come true.

When she got to campus, there was a sophomore from London, Ontario, who played for the men's team named Josh Lapadat. She caught the eye of the men's tennis up and comer, and he befriended Eades quickly.

“We were friends for nine months,” Lapadat said. “I liked her the whole time.

But I don't think it was reciprocated.”

2 | kentucky kernel

At first, Eades was unsure about jumping into a relationship with someone she was such Wgood friends with.

The thought of losing Lapadat as a friend if the relationship did not work was not worth the risk, she said.

“We met my freshman year, and we were friends for a really long time before we even started dating,” Eades said.

Eades was constantly teased by her teammates about potentially liking Lapadat, but when they caught her watching his matches on her laptop while they were at away their own matches, it was a tell-tale sign that her feelings for him were real.

“I'd be watching him on my laptop or something and the girls would be like, ‘You're not dating. Yeah, right.

Like you're watching him all the time,’” Eades said.

In one ear, she had teammates play-

fully picking on her and Lapadat, and him in the other saying, “Come on, why not?”

After months of back and forth, the teasing died down and their relationship began to blossom. Without the persistent jokes from teammates, Eades felt more comfortable giving Lapadat a chance.

“I think it got to a point where my teammates at least stopped pressuring and asking as much, and we started hanging out more around then and it was easier,” Eades said.

Once the pressure was off, Eades and Lapadat began to hang out more and more, going to get food together until they were eventually in a full-on relationship. There was no official first date, according to the pair.

Now that they are dating and the jokes from teammates have stopped, Eades and Lapadat said their coaches gladly adopted the role of playful bullies.

As the couple posed on the court for a photoshoot, coaches Diego Garavito and Matthew Gordon made sure to embarrass them. Shouts of “look at the cute couple” echoed throughout the tennis complex as the two snapped a few photos of their own, causing Eades to blush immediately.

The next step in the blossoming relationship was meeting each other's families, which was easier for Lapadat. Eades has family nearby in Paris and Louisville, so soon enough, Lapadat was meeting her parents at dinner for her birthday just shortly into dating.

“We had a good dinner, which was like the first time I formally met them when we just started dating,” Lapadat said.

Eades has also met the Lapadat family, who occasionally drive down from Canada to watch some of his matches.

Continued on page 3

Spring 2024 Continued from page 2 “They've met like a bunch of times,” Lapadat said. “And our parents have met each other too.”

With support from each family there was only one seal of approval left to receive, and arguably the toughest of them all — Bobear, Eades’ dog. Thankfully for Lapadat, Bobear has hardly met a stranger, and it did not take long for him to win him over.

“We (Bobear and I) hang out all the time,” Lapadat said. “He came over for a couple of sleepovers just me and him for some quality time together. And yeah, so he's one of my best friends.”

Between playing Division I tennis and managing full course loads, Eades and Lapadat said they must prioritize spending time together, as it's not always easy. Practice, class and matches prevent the pair from spending as much time together as they would like.

“Most of the time we're not done with our days until six, seven o'clock every single day and then the next day starts at 8 a.m.

so it's pretty busy,” Eades said.

Learning how to navigate the balance between athletes and maintaining a healthy relationship is something Lapadat is still working on.

“I mean, it's something that I feel like I'm trying to get better at because it depends on the schedule of the semester, but like sometimes there's no time during the day to hang out,” Lapadat added. “It's hard though, because the days are very busy.”

During those busy days, the couple supports each other the best they can. When the women’s team plays at home and Lapadat is in town, he is always the first member of the men's team in the bleachers and the last to leave.

Carving out time for each other is something they always try to do, the couple said, even if it is just for 30 minutes a day. That usually means spending some time on the court together.

“There are small things like sometimes she'll come to me asking me if I can work with her on the court a little bit. Some

small things like that,” Lapadat said.

In their time spent together as a couple, each has grown exponentially on the court. Lapadat was named captain and held an impressive 21-4 dual match record last season.

Meanwhile, Eades has worked her way up to play primarily on court two singles for the women's team and held a 14-6 record with her doubles partner a season ago, showing that her time practicing with Lapadat has paid off.

When they play against each other, they don’t keep score against each other too often, but Eades claimed that she has beaten Lapadat once before.

“And I would say no,” Lapadat playfully added. “We disagree,” Eades quickly said through a smile.

Lapadat’s Valentine's Day plans are full of secrets that he would not share in front of Eades, but she was quick to ensure that he knows the number one thing on her list is a heart-shaped tray from Chick-fil-A.

kentuckykernel

CONTACT Hannah Stanley, editor-in-chief editor@kykernel.com Abbey Cutrer, managing & photo editor

managinged@kykernel.com photo@kykernel.com Gray Greenwell, copy & features editor features@kykernel.com Casey Sebastiano, news editor news@kykernel.com Reaghan Chen, opinions editor opinions@kykernel.com Cole Parke, sports editor sports@kykernel.com Samantha Money, assistant sports editor Ali Cetinok, assistant sports editor Akhila Nadimpalli, designer Gracie Moore, digital editor gmoore@kykernel.com Kaci McCarthy, social media & newsletter manager Nate Lucas, broadcast & podcast manager Bryce Towle, TikTok manager KENTUCKY KERNEL OFFICE 9 Blazer Dining University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506

On the front cover:

PHOTOS BY STAFF ILLUSTRATION BY AKHILA NADIMPALLI SAMANTHA MONEY | STAFF Kentucky women’s tennis junior Ellie Eades poses with her boyfriend, men’s tennis senior Josh Lapadat.

ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY AKHILA NADIMPALLI ©FEB. 11, 2024 KERNEL PRESS, INC.

kentucky kernel | 3

Spring 2024

Hannah Stanley features@kykernel.com

University of Kentucky senior lecturer Allyson DeVito and husband David DeVito, UK assistant dean for predoctoral clinical affairs, have what some could say an “untraditional” wedding anniversary date — Valentine's Day. And what could make their anniversary even more special than being on the most loved-filled day of the year? Allyson and David are celebrating 20 years of marriage this holiday.

It all began back in freshman year of college at the University of Florida when a familiar face from the 9th grade science fair rekindled a friendship with Allyson that introduced her to her future husband David.

The couple quickly became a part of the same friend group and met for the first time at a football game when they were seated in the same block, though at the time, David was dating who Allyson called “his high school sweetheart.”

Over time, the complicated college love stories prevailed, their friend group lessened and the two were left single, spending more time together and, soon enough, dating.

Just two years after dating in August 2002, David surprised Allyson with an engagement ring in front of Lake Alice on the UF campus after faking a flat tire and needing to check the trunk.

“I didn't know what was going on, and then he kind of has this look on his face, (I’m like) ‘What is happening here?

Nothing is wrong with the car.’ So I kind of suspected, and then I kind of knew that he was in the process of proposing, but it was perfect because he surprised me,” Allyson said.

In no rush to get married and not one who had planned her wedding as a child, Allyson said they took their time until they realized they needed to set a date.

4 | kentucky kernel

SYDNEY YONKER | STAFF University of Kentucky employees David and Allyson DeVito pose for a portrait on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, on campus in Lexington, Kentucky. The DeVitos are coming up on their 20th wedding anniversary, which falls on Valentine's Day.

The couple said that they were trying to find a middle ground between their birthdays, that way neither of them would get shorted on gifts, David joked. And surely enough, Feb. 14, 2004 fell into their laps.

“We just decided why not make it Valentine’s Day, that’s the whole point of Valentine’s Day right?” Allyson said. “(It’s) to express your love for someone else. And yes, it’s an easy date to remember, but it’s also kind of neat to say ‘Yeah our anniversary is on Valentine’s Day.’” That being said, an anniversary on a national, love-crazed holiday has led the couple to enjoy the small moments and created a tradition of making dinner at home rather than going out over the last 20 years.

“To cook at home and just kind of do that as an alternative, that’s kind of fun too. I like that element,” David said. “It’s just nice because it’s relaxed. You can just kind of have a nice evening together and talk and drink a bottle of wine, you know, nice stuff, without any kind of outside pressure.”

It was after learning how to cook through his family and cookbooks that David found his passion for being in

the kitchen, and the couple began shying away from the busy dinner scene.

This year, David said, he plans on making crab cakes.

“It puts a time table on life, and I think as we’ve continued in our marriage, I don’t necessarily like that as much,” David said. “I kind of like the relaxing cup of coffee in the morning and kind of hanging out more so than I like the real structured things. I kind of just like the living more.”

Aside from her love for David’s cooking, Allyson values their shared moments of laughter — in which David is appreciative that she laughs at his jokes — and the kindness with which he treats everybody.

“David could literally be in the room with the richest person in the world or someone who literally walked in off the street and had nothing, and he would treat them both the same, he would have a conversation with them both, he can find something to talk about with anybody,” Allyson said.

Allyson also expressed her gratitude for the support he’s played in her life through the last few years, during which

she’s faced several personal struggles.

Over the first 17 years of their marriage, Allyson’s mother made it a tradition to send joint Valentine’s Day and wedding anniversary cards to the couple, Allyson adding that “it was like her mission” every year.

“Believe it or not, Hallmark makes cards, ‘cause my mother would get them every year wishing you a happy Valentine's Day anniversary,” Allyson laughed.

“My mom would pride herself on, like someone who had a birthday on Halloween, she would find a combo card, and so they have combo Valentine's Day (wedding) anniversary.”

It was shortly into March 2021 when the annual cards were no longer being delivered in their mailbox after Allyson’s mother died from a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Only six weeks later, her aunt died, and the following year in December 2022, her father died from pancreatic cancer.

“If it had not been for David, I don't know, it would have just been very dark,” Allyson said. “Just having someone there to share in that grief, it’s true what they say, ‘In sickness and in health, in good times and bad,’ I could not have imagined going through the past four years without David.”

Akin to her emotions, David said Allyson has supported him throughout his career changes and eventually steered them into a tale of two UK faculty members being in love across campus.

“She’s things that I'm not. She sort of finishes me off in a lot of really positive ways,” David said. “So she has the attributes and things to help me and sort of make me a better person.”

And so he noted that a relationship is more than just one person's efforts and something to be recognized as a partnership.

“Without her, the whole projection of who I am and what I do wouldn't exist,” David said. “It just wouldn’t be.”

Spring 2024

The Kernel’s guide to dining your way through Valentine’s Day

By Gray Greenwell and Alexis Baker features@kykernel.com

So, you’ve made it out of the talking stage, maybe even the friend zone if your luck was particularly bad, and finally scored that first date with the person of your dreams — on Valentine’s Day, nonetheless.

Alternatively, perhaps you’ve decided to gather your closest friends and celebrate or you’re solo-ing the holiday, because selflove rules.

Either way, you’re in need of the perfect spot to spend Cupid’s favorite day, and the Kernel’s got your back.

We’ve picked five of the best Lexington locations — all varying in price and offerings — for you, and while we may not have fall-

en in love with each other touring them (thankfully), we have a good feeling you and the special people in your life will.

Pasta Garage Italian Cafe Perfect for the diners who love a laid-back experience that doesn’t forfeit quality, Pasta Garage Italian Cafe is home to surefire dishes featuring pasta that’s prepared fresh daily. While a popular college eatery in the evening, lunchtime hours provide spacious seating for date-worthy conversation. For the holiday, Pasta Garage is offering a dinner-for-two special that includes four different courses and wine at $95 a couple.

Tuk Tuk Snack Shop Are you in need of a quick bite

ALEXIS BAKER | STAFF The dish called "Fettucini Florentine" at Pasta Garage Italian Cafe on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, in Lexington, Kentucky.

ALEXIS BAKER | STAFF A sign lights up at Tuk Tuk Snack Shop in Lexington, Kentucky.

before cocktails with your Galentine’s crew? On the hunt for a convenient lunch-date locale to visit in between you and your sweetheart’s busy school schedules? Look no further than Tuk Tuk Snack Shop, a recently opened Sri Lankan restaurant from the mind of chef Sam Fore that combines South Asian flavors with classic Southern handhelds and plates. Located on Malabu Drive in Lexington, Tuk Tuk boasts a colorful interior and mouth-watering selections. Fore told the Kernel that newcomers should try “The Baron,” which is the shop’s lentil-batter beef fritterdog coated in a sweet chili sauce. Tuk Tuk also offers additional seating on Fridays and Saturdays.

Carson’s Food & Drink For an upscale option, splurge on

your partner or take yourself out to Carson’s Food & Drink. With East Main Street as its home, Carson’s is only a short drive from the university’s north campus. With soft lighting, intimate tables and an all-around rustic look, Carson's is the ideal scene for a romantic evening. Impress your date by ordering the crowd-favorite grilled salmon oscar or the restaurant’s Valentine’s Day special, which Carson’s staff told the Kernel will be a Creole seafood pasta, and pair your dish with an espresso martini from Carson’s floor-to-ceiling bar.

Securing a dinner table at Carson's for Valentine's may prove difficult, so book your reservation ahead of time or consider visiting the restaurant for brunch options Friday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Continued on page 6

kentucky kernel | 5

Spring 2024 Continued from page 5

tangy beetroot lemonade.

Kenwick Table Stop by Kenwick Table, located in the heart of Lexington’s Kenwick neighborhood, for a cozy coffee date. Kenwick offers a homely appeal with a cultivated coffee shop ambiance. Unwind on the couch next to the fireplace or get to know locals at the community table.

While the menu offers selections from lattes to wine, consider trying a Valentine’s Day drink. Kenwick is showcasing the “Mint 2 Be,” a brown sugar cold brew with a pink peppermint whipped topping, a 21+ cordial cherry “Box O’ Chocolates” cocktail and a “Buncha Roses”

Wise Bird Cider Co. Did the date go well enough to take things into the later evening with drinks? Pay Lexington’s expanding Distillery District a visit and enjoy traditional craft ciders and cocktails at the family-owned Wise Bird Cider Co. Try taproom favorites like the “Kentucky Twilight” and the “Rosé Cider” (a perfectly pink holiday option), or sample from Wise Bird’s $5-mocktail menu. Whether you’re popping in with your partner this Valentine’s Day or grabbing your friends for happy hour, Wise Bird’s elevated space and friendly staff ensure plenty of good vibes.

ALEXIS BAKER | STAFF A patron orders at Kenwick Table on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, in Lexington, Kentucky.

ALEXIS BAKER | STAFF People eat dinner at Carson's Food and Drink in Lexington, Kentucky.

6 | kentucky kernel

ALEXIS BAKER | STAFF Drinks sit on a table at Wise Bird Cider Co. on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, in Lexington, Kentucky.

Spring 2024

Lex get together for a blind date

By Lilly Keith and Adah Hufana features@kykernel.com

Before The Date SAM WAKEMAN AND SHELBY HAYES

Sam Wakeman: Inside Sam Wakeman’s dorm, he prepares for his first blind date, which just so happens to be his first date in about a year.

Wakeman is a 20-year-old biomedical engineering major at the University of Kentucky who’s involved with UK Club Soccer and the Christian Student Fellowship, the latter of which sees him cooking and serving pancakes anywhere from 11 p.m. up until 3 p.m., he said.

Recovering from a kickball-induced

Editor’s Note: Each year, the Kentucky Kernel sets up two couples on a blind date, with Editor-in-Chief Hannah Stanley and Managing and Photo Editor Abbey Cutrer selecting students based on their answers to a survey about their personality, sexual preference and hopes for the date.

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, the couples met up for their dinner at Bella Cafe and Grille, courtesy of the Kernel, with the possibility of meeting their college sweetheart or, at the very least, a friend. black eye, Wakeman covered up the bruise with the help of his friends’ makeup collection before the blind date.

His friends also helped him pick out an outfit, settling on black dress pants and a silver-toned dress shirt.

“At first, it was basically one of my friends called me and told me (the Kernel) didn’t have a guy to do it,” Wakeman said about the date. “So then we went through like a list of people ‘cause I was trying to set up some of my friends, and then instead none of them worked out, so they were like ‘You wanna do it?’ and I was like ‘Alright.’”

He was not intimidated by the fact

ELLA PORTER | STAFF Sophomore nursing major Shelby Hayes curls her hair in her apartment at the University Flats while getting ready for her blind date on Feb. 7, 2024, in Lexington Kentucky.

that he was getting ready to go on a date with a total stranger, he said. Instead, Wakeman sat still inside his dorm, excited and ready to meet his potential partner.

Wakeman said that all he was looking for in a girl was someone who was Christian and someone who made conversation easily.

“The only thing I was told was that she’s Christian, that’s it. I’ll figure out everything else,” he said.

When it came time to leave for the restaurant, Wakeman grabbed the bouquet of flowers he put together for his date, put on his cologne, brushed his teeth and was on his way out.

Shelby Hayes: As Shelby Hayes got ready for her first-ever blind date, her dorm room came alive with energetic chatter from her roommates, who served as spectators as she prepared to meet a stranger.

Hayes, a UK sophomore from Indianapolis majoring in nursing, said she wasn’t as nervous as she thought she’d be in the hour leading up to the date.

“This is out of my comfort zone, for sure,” she said. “I’m a little nervous, but I’m very open-minded about it.”

Continued on page 8

MATTHEW MUELLER | STAFF Biomedical engineering major Sam Wakeman prepares for his blind date at his dorm.

kentucky kernel | 7

Spring 2024

MATTHEW MUELLER | STAFF Sam Wakeman and Shelby Hayes talk during their blind date at Bella Cafe on Feb. 7, 2024, in Lexington, Kentucky.

Continued from page 7 Hayes’ roommates supported her throughout her process of getting ready, complimenting her casual yet date-appropriate outfit and wishing her well as she curled her hair and put on makeup.

Hayes had no expectations for the blind date — she said hadn’t been on a date since November and had signed up for it while bored in class after her friends sent the application link in a group chat.

“I’m a Christian,” Hayes said.

She said she was hoping to have fun and make friends during the date, but also keep her connection with her faith and to “glorify the Lord through whatever it is.”

Hayes is deeply involved with her faith and a part of the Christian campus ministry, CRU. She said she also has plans to go on a mission trip in Hungary during the summer.

Above all, Hayes said she hoped the date wouldn’t be awkward. “I hope they’re nice, sweet, I guess,

kentucky kernel | 8

and funny,” she said.

One of her roommates joked about crashing the date and watching it unfold for themselves as Hayes wrapped sections of her hair around her curling iron.

As Hayes left for her blind date, her roommates sent her off with excited encouragement.

“See you soon,” one roommate said as she walked out the door.

After the date Sam Wakeman: Upon meeting each other in Bella Cafe and Grille, Wakeman and Hayes were smiling wide yet nervous as he handed her the bouquet he arranged for her.

The conversation between the two didn’t stop after she thanked him for the bouquet, and during the dinner, their wide smiles didn’t leave their faces.

Wakeman and Hayes had their entrees, as well as a rum pudding for des-

sert, but they lingered in the restaurant long after they’d arrived.

Following the date, Wakeman was smitten. He said that he and Hayes were planning on seeing each other after dinner, as she agreed to drive him back to his dorm.

“It was really enjoyable, it was good the entire time,” he said.

Wakeman said the two of them talked about anything and everything, from family to academics and their time in high school.

“She’s very open about just general things in her life, about her faith, there just wasn’t really anything that I didn’t like,” he said.

The pair headed to Hayes’ car, already having exchanged information with each other.

Two days after their initial meeting, the two were still hanging out together.

Wakeman said they “know a lot of the same people” and will “probably” continue to hang out.

Shelby Hayes:

Hayes said she was pleasantly surprised when she walked into the Bella Cafe to find Sam standing near the entrance with a bouquet of flowers.

“He didn’t even know who I was, so I thought it was really sweet that he thought to do that,” she said.

In fact, Hayes used the word “sweet” quite a bit to describe the date, calling Wakeman a “really sweet guy.”

Their date was a good combination of interesting conversation along with high-quality food. Shelby said she deeply enjoyed her burger and even more so her dessert, explaining that it was an item with caramel, but “I don’t even know how to pronounce it,” she said with a laugh.

During the pair’s lengthy conversation about family and faith, they also discussed their respective involvement in campus ministries.

Their talk lasted the entire date, not even interrupted by Hayes’ friends — as previously alluded, the roommates made good on their promise to come to the restaurant and watch the date unfold.

Hayes said her friends had arrived before she and Wakeman had even sat down. She introduced them to him, and the two groups ate separately, though they still spectated the date from the other side of the window outside.

By the end of the date, Hayes and Wakeman had already swapped contact information, and Hayes drove him back to his dorm.

When contacted on Friday, two days after the date, Hayes said Wakeman had asked her if she wanted to go to the Christian Student Fellowship’s Midnight Pancakes event with him that evening. Hayes said she already had plans, “but if not, then me and my friends might end up going.”

Hayes said she is thinking of being friends with Wakeman, and the door is open for further plans in the future.

Continued on page 9

Spring 2024

ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF Political Science major Madison Blair gets ready for her blind date on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, at her apartment in Lexington, Kentucky.

Before The Date

MADISON BLAIR AND EMMA GRACE HAGUE Madison Blair: Madison Blair prepares for her first blind date inside her apartment as upbeat music plays and her cat, Willow, scurries about.

Blair is a senior political science major at UK with a minor in philosophy. She’s also pursuing a certificate in peace studies to go along with her degree and currently interning with the Kentucky State Senate in Frankfort.

Blair is on the public forum debate team, participates in Model UN and is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha.

While spending the day at her internship, she said she was stressed about the date but finally let go of her nerves as it drew near.

“Honestly (I’m) mostly just nervous and excited, I think at this point I’ve, like, decided that I’m gonna be okay with whatever happens ‘cause I don’t want to put too much stress on it for real,” Blair said.

She said she knew she wanted to try

the blind date when she was a junior.

“So I read the (blind date) article from this last year and I was like ‘Aw, that’s cool and fun,’” she said. “One of the girls said something that stuck with me, she said ‘It’s my senior year, and I really wanna do things that challenge me, like put me out of my comfort zone,’ and I was like ‘Oh my god, that’s gonna be me next year,” she said.

Blair said she had to have some push from her friends to ultimately follow through with the date at first.

“I haven’t done too many things that, like, super push my comfort zone my senior year, so I was like ‘You know what?

I’ll just apply and see what happens,’” she said. “I got the email that I got picked, and I texted my friends and I sent them a screenshot and said ‘I’m not going.’”

Blair said she knows what she’s looking for in a partner, mostly needing someone to match her impressive LinkedIn profile.

“I like somebody who’s very, like, motivated, kind of ambitious, cause like I have a lot of career goals, I definitely want somebody who's on a similar path with similar goals,” she said.

Blair headed off to the date, saying goodbye to Willow and her roommate.

SYDNEY TURNER | STAFF Junior Emma Grace Hague gets ready for her blind date on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, at The University Flats in Lexington, Kentucky.

Emma Grace Hague: As a member of UK’s Student Activities Board, a resident adviser, a volunteer at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, a public health major studying for her MCAT and — to top it all off — a future medical school applicant, Emma Grace Hague loves being involved on campus and meeting different people.

Despite all that, though, Hague said she was nervous about going on a blind date.

Hague, already dressed for her date, did her makeup herself (on account of living alone as a resident adviser) before she left for dinner. She said she had

never been on a blind date before and couldn’t help being a little worried.

“I have no idea what to expect,” Hague said.

Hague said she has friends at the Kernel who suggested that she sign up for it.

“I have a couple friends that are on the Kernel, and I’ll be kind of real, they were like, ‘You should apply for this, it would be funny,’ and I was like ‘Okay, period.’ Like sure, why not?” Hague said. “I kind of just did it for the bit, didn’t think I would get picked. Didn’t think I would say yes either.”

kentucky kernel | 9

Spring 2024 Continued from page 9 The decision to go on the date, she said, was the culmination of encouragement from her mom and all of the friends she talked to about it.

Hague said she thought the opportunity for the blind date was a unique one as “I feel like this doesn’t really happen anymore, because of dating apps and stuff.”

She said that was also one of the reasons why she thought it could be fun.

“It’s just a silly little story, and like what do you have to lose honestly?” Hague said.

A vegetarian, Hague was at first worried about the food options that the restaurant would have, but her concerns were alleviated once she looked up Bella Cafe’s menu online.

Hague said she mainly wanted to have fun and meet someone who she could have a nice conversation with.

“I hope they’re not super intense about this, not that that’s a bad thing, but I don’t want it to be like them having really high hopes about something and then I’m not really able to give that,” she said.

“I hope that they’re conversational, I’m a very chatty person.”

“I ate like a little bit of it ‘cause I was full, but it’s going in my fridge, it’s so good,” she said.

Blair was still feeling out the situation by the end of the date, unsure of which way she was leaning due to the short amount of time she and Hague spent with each other.

“I don’t really know, I definitely like talking to her and I would definitely like to be friends with her if nothing else, just kind of see where it goes,” she said.

Blair and Hague’s conversation explored many different topics, as the pair discussed anything and everything they could think of.

“You know when you start a conversation at point A and then suddenly you’re at point Z and you don’t know how you got there?” she said.

The pair was seated next to Wakeman and Hayes (whose date had not yet ended), and it was revealed to them that they were all on blind dates.

Blair and Hague exchanged numbers and amicably parted ways for the night.

A few days after the date, Blair had reached out to Hague again, hoping to continue to at least being friends.

“You know when you start a conversation at point A and then suddenly you’re at point Z and you don’t know how you got there?”

After the date Madison Blair: When the pair met for the first time, Blair realized they did not know each other, which she said was a relief to her anxieties.

The conversation flew between the two, with laughs and smiles ever-present at the dinner table.

“It was really fun … We sat down and we were like ‘Yeah, this is awkward, but that’s okay,’ and the conversation after that was really easy,” Blair said.

Blair ordered tiramisu as a dessert but saved most of it to take it home to eat later.

10 | kentucky kernel

Emma Grace Hague: Hague Even as the restaurant was set to close soon and the pair’s time together dwindled, Hague said her company and the food succeeded in impressing her.

Bella Cafe’s vegetarian options were perfect for Hague, who had an “impossible” burger and a cheesecake for dessert, which she said was delicious.

Blair also proved to be a fantastic conversation partner for Hague, who went into the date very nervous.

Hague said that even during lulls in the conversation, she didn’t feel awkward or nervous once she got into it.

“At first it was super awkward, like about as awkward as you could

ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF Madison Blair and Emma Grace Hague eat dinner during their blind date on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, at Bella Cafe in Lexington, Kentucky.

ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF Madison Blair and Emma Grace Hague exchange contact information after their blind date on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, at Bella Cafe in Lexington, Kentucky.

expect,” Hague said. “And then as soon as we sat down, we kind of just talked nonstop.”

She said the date went very well and that she had even lost track of time while talking to Blair.

They talked at great length about everything that came to mind, getting past formalities like each other’s year and major and eventually sharing embarrassing stories with each other.

“We also had some really deep conversations about just, like, life in general. It was a good time,” she said.

Hague said she was interested in spending time with Blair again and exchanged phone numbers as they left the restaurant.

Upon following up, Hague said she and Blair had not yet made any plans to meet up again but had chatted a little since the date.

Spring 2024

The top five TV episodes to watch on Valentine's Day

By Elizabeth Davis opinions@kykernel.com

you share with your family and friends.

Whether you’re sitting alone eating chocolates in your bed or having yourself a Galentine’s date, a good Valentine’s Day TV episode never hurt anybody. From laughs to love stories, these five episodes are some of the best to watch on this year’s Feb. 14.

4. “My Funky Valentine” (“Modern Family,”1x15) This episode follows the Dunphy clan and the romantic excursions the show’s three main couples embark upon throughout Valentine’s Day. The main plot of the episode follows Claire and Phil Dunphy as they try to have a fun night alone for the holiday when unforeseen circumstances seem to get in the way. This episode is great because of its simplicity. Watching the three core couples of the series celebrate the day of love was endearing as much as it was funny.

5. “Galentine’s Day” (“Parks and Recreation,” 2x16) The iconic Parks and Recreation episode is all about loving your female friends. Every Feb. 13, Leslie Knope hosts a brunch with all of her girlfriends to “celebrate the ladies.” The episode shows that Valentine's Day doesn’t always have to be about romantic love — sometimes the best love comes from the bonds

3. “Valentine’s Day” (“New Girl,” 1x13) In this episode, Jessica “Jess” Day is newly single after just getting out of a

six-year relationship and looking to celebrate the holiday with a one-night stand that unfortunately does not go the way she planned. The episode perfectly ends with two other main characters, Schmidt and Cece, having a one-night stand of their own. So just like Jess, if you’re single on Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun.

2. “Valentines Day” (The Office, 2x16) The boss of the Scranton branch for Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Michael Scott, heads to New York to meet with the company’s new chief financial officer and accidentally slips out how he recently hooked up with his boss, Jan. Back at the office, we see Phyllis getting showered in presents by her husband, Bob, while Pam and Angela are feeling left out by their significant others. The romance between Ryan and Kelly begins in this episode when Kelly tells an annoyed Jim that they hooked up the previous night. This is a fun episode if Valentine’s day is just a regular day to you.

“Friends” gang on their Valentine’s Day adventures.

Joey and Chandler attend a double date, with the latter’s accompanying partner hilariously being his ex-girlfriend, Janice. Ross on the other hand, has a date with the woman he has a crush on while his ex-wife, Carol, and her girlfriend happen to show up at the same restaurant. Finally, Rachel, Monica and

Phoebe are burning momentos from their ex-boyfriends when they start a fire, but three handsome firefighters show up to their rescue at Monica's apartment to put it out. This “Friends” episode has everything for an ideal Valentine's Day. It has the laughs, the awkward run-ins with an ex and a girls night in, sure to entertain just about everyone.

1. “The One with the Candy Hearts” (“Friends,” 1x14) For the final episode on the list, we follow the

kentucky kernel | 11

Spring 2024

Single and loving it: Embracing the holiday of love

By Reaghan Chen opinions@kykernel.com

Ever since I can remember, I have loved Valentine’s Day. Something about staying up all night covering my Valentine’s box with construction paper and writing all 25 of my classmates’ names on FunDips really built up my affection for the holiday.

Let's flash forward to me being a 19-year-old in college where, instead of my friends and I handing out candies to each other on Valentine’s Day, we usually exchange texts that look like, “OMG, did you know they were dating?” or “We get it, you found your soulmate.”

And while my feed being completely saturated with sappy sweetheart posts and pictures of flower bouquets and chocolates is not what I like

12 | kentucky kernel

Spring 2024

Everyone should practice self-love this Valentine’s Day

By Peyton Keyes opinions@kykernel.com

Valentine’s Day is a time for us to share our love for those we care about with our timelines flooded with photos of elaborate dates, large bouquets of flowers and enough chocolate to last the rest of the year.

The holiday is a time for everyone to feel loved.

However, there is one person that we all seem to often neglect on the holiday of love: ourself.

Whether you’re happily single, working through a recent breakup or in a loving relationship, we all deserve to practice self-love this Valentine’s Day. Here are my top five ways to spend the upcoming holiday treating yourself exactly how you deserve.

kentucky kernel | 13

14 | kentucky kernel

WE DREAM

WITH YOU.

At Central Bank, we live, work and play in the same communities you do. You’re our neighbor, friend, business partner down the street. We know and understand you because we build relationships with you – every day. That helps us serve you better, and that’s what makes “highly personal banking” more effective banking. We start with you.

centralbank.com

Central Kentucky • Louisville • Northern Kentucky

Member FDIC

IT’S ONE WAY WE HONOR EACH OTHER.

STI testing is fast and easy, no matter what your relationship status is. ppgnhaik.org/campusKY