Art by Peau Porotesano
Fellow lords, ladies and various peasants:
In the honor and preservation of the art of chivalry established in tradition by noble knights of the round table, it is suitable to provide particular guidelines to the aid of campus love. Other documents have, in the past, aided young people down the winding path of love. For example, “The Art of Courtly Love” by Andreas Capellanus, from which this piece derives guidance, has assisted in many relationships for years.
In this updated revision, we present a few statues and practices for those dewy-eyed freshmen or weary seniors who might be seeking assistance in the art of campus love.
What Love Is
“Love is a certain inborn suffering,” according to Capellanus, and we couldn’t agree more.
If thy be a Pepperdine campus lover or a romantic of sorts, then thy know the truest of struggles to define what love is in this kingdom along the sea. Most lovers settle in the purgatory of friendship and relationship, where the signs of romance are blurred with those of camaraderie. Where both lords and ladies do not make their infatuations known to one another.
But if thy be direct, thy know that love may flourish into an entity of utmost beauty, where two scholars put down their feather pens and scrolls for a little while to engage in the acts of the highest chivalry, in courtly activities of dates, film nights, balls (formal) and other courtly festivities.
Between What Persons Love May Exist
Here we diverge from the previously mentioned text and say that all are suitable to love and to be loved. We recommend looking first toward classmates and those with whom one shares common interests.
Or, perhaps one spots a fair maiden from across the Caf. Perhaps one invites this maiden to share a bench at Celebration Chapel. However, perhaps this maiden is from a different area of study than one’s own. One from a humanities major, one from a STEM major. Fear not. Star-crossed lovers can survive in modern times.
In What Area Love May Be Acquired and In How Many Ways
A Pepperdine campus love may be acquired through the DTR bench, the sacred throne of love. It is there that a relationship is truly forged.
There are many avenues love may take along this bench of a scarlet hue: platonic, in which the lady and lord travel down the zone of friends into a dragonous keep that is difficult to navigate out of. The love of dateos, in which the two lovers decide to court one another. Or betrothal, where the relationship is destined to end in a ring in the season when the flowers bloom.
How Love, When it Has Been Acquired, May Be Kept
Acquiring love is only the beginning. Now, we must explore how this love can be sustained. If the ultimate goal is to acquire the elusive “ring by spring,” this new love must be nurtured and maintained.
Pepperdine classics like watching the sunset on the beach, enjoying an acai bowl at SunLife, or splurging on brunch at Dukes, are certainly an option.
Small acts of chivalry are the key to making the heart grow fond. One could demonstrate their love by dropping their significant other off and braving the search for a parking spot alone. Or, pay for the other’s Caf food, even when one’s own meal points wear thin.
There are many more rules and regulations that exist in the art of campus love, but for now we conclude. With these proposed ideas in mind, even the most unromantic can become a modern Lancelot.
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Follow Kristin Vartan and Sarah Kiker on Twitter: @krischic2911, @SarahKiker3
