UBC Reports | Vol. 50 | No. 2 | Feb. 5, 2004

Best Places to Kiss on Campus

Your choices for the most romantic setting

By Brian Lin

From the romantic to the risqué, Valentine’s Day often takes the blame for a surge in public displays of affection -- or PDAs -- among lovers who can't keep their lips off each other.

We surveyed the campus for the best location to lock lips. Kisser discretion is advised.

Both the Rose Garden and the top of the Clock Tower seem to be big hits with students.

"Sitting on the wall at the edge of the Rose Garden, watching the sail boats cruise by with the backdrop of a perfect summer sunset," says Megan Thomas, news editor of The Ubyssey. "But who you are kissing is really more important than the venue!"

Not citing any personal experience -- nor that of his friends, for that matter -- AMS VP External Affairs Sam Saini says the Rose Garden would be his pick for a romantic kiss, while the top of the Clock Tower "seems like a pretty wild place for that sort of stuff."

For a "highly artistic" kiss, AMS President Oana Chirila suggests the top of the Buchanan Tower, but warns that it's not for the weak of heart.

The middle of the Pit dance floor and backstage at Chan Centre during a concert were among her top picks, followed by the backyard of the Cecil Green Park House.

Sauder School of Business Marketing professor Kathleen Vohs agrees.

"I attended a beautiful wedding at Cecil Green Park House last fall," says Vohs, who was recently chosen one of 10 Most Eligible Bachelorettes by The Vancouver Sun.

"It just made me want to get married there as soon as I could."

For more private displays of affection, Science student Sarah Kittle recommends the stacks in the bottom floor of the Main Library and "the cage" in the West Storage of the Student Recreation Centre.

"My friends and I were just talking about it the other day," says Kittle of the secured structure for athletic equipment. "We thought it'd be a great place to make out."

Korean exchange students and valentines Yeohoon Park and Myung Suk Cha prefer Wreck Beach and the Rose Garden for smooches.

University Counsel Hubert Lai can't resist the beauty and tranquility of the Nitobe Garden.

"It's one of the undiscovered gems of the UBC campus, with many quiet nooks to sit with someone special and contemplate all that life has to offer."

Community Affairs director Sid Katz has been in love with a spot right outside Cecil Green Coach House for more than 25 years.

"It's without a doubt the best place to kiss, especially since the recent addition of a park bench," says Katz, who recalls daily walks there from the Dept. of Pharmacy when he first arrived at UBC in 1975.

"I was probably a lot more romantic then," says Katz. "But who can resist the view overlooking Howe Sound, especially on an August evening when the sun is setting?"

For indoor lip-locks, Herbert Rosengarten, executive director of the President's Office, says you can't beat the old dining room on the lower floor of the University Centre.

"This is where my wife Amanda -- a UBC grad -- and I were married many years ago, and where we exchanged our first marital kiss -- in public, of course!"