Click here to read the last episode of dorm diaries.

Hormone-raging, drunken hook-ups might be the encounters closest to romance you could expect to find in the dorms, but with Valentine’s Day among us, love is in the air all around – even within the walls of Sacramento State’s dorms.

For freshmen Samantha Allen and her boyfriend, Sierra Hall is where their love began. “I was super attracted to him from the first time I saw him on move-in day. There was something about his smile and he’s just so goofy.” Allen said.

When asked about plans for their very first Valentine’s Day together, the couple tried to avoid the big question with shrugs. It then became apparent that the surprise factor is still very significant to the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

Once Allen left, her boyfriend who wishes to remain anonymous revealed, his big Valentine’s Day. Secrets. “I am going to sneak into her dorm room with flowers, balloons and a card,” her boyfriend said.

While these couples will be taking advantage of traditional Valentine’s Day activities, Dorm Hall staff opted to veer away from the normal routines. “All the hearts and candy, year after year, just gets old after a while. We wanted to do something different,” Sarah Nunes, Resident Advisor said.

Programs that recognize the holiday of love are more educational this semester. “We did a presentation on the ‘History of Valentine’s Day’ and we have a bulletin board set up in the main lobby with the A-Zs on ways to prevent heart disease as kind of a play on the heart as the symbol of Valentine’s Day,” Nunes said.

However not all fun is lost in the Hallmark holiday. “We are also selling Candy Grams for $1 that can be sent out to a secret crush or a friend to show appreciation,” said Brent Thibodo, Sutter Hall desk attendant.

All Candy Gram proceeds benefit the Gabriel Project, a foundation supporting low-income pregnant women and single women raising kids on their own.

For students in the dorms this year, Valentine or not, there is a variety of ways to take part in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

Elaine Welteroth can be reached at [email protected].

Submit your dorm diaries to [email protected].