Computer science graduate student Anaelia Ovalle and atmospheric and oceanic sciences graduate student Sarah Johnson first met at Graduate Student Orientation when Ovalle offered to share an Uber. Johnson responded that she had a car, and now the two are dating.
‘’I think love is being completely vulnerable with someone, and you know that you can do that,’’ Ovalle said. ‘’So then, love can be friendship – but the love in this angle is also like, ‘Hey, I like your face.’ You’re going to grow anyway, but you’re choosing to grow next to this person.’’
Ameen Zayed, a first-year physiological science student and Umair Siddique, a first-year electrical engineering student became friends after meeting at a banquet. ‘’Every time I see him, he’s always happy to see me,’’ Zayed said. ‘’He’s always telling jokes and is down to do stuff. When I’m around him, it’s like I have another brother.’’
‘’Love for your brother what you would love for yourself,’’ Siddique said. “(Zayed) always keeps it real.’’
Third-year art students Sonia Hauser and Alaina Dexter met at the beginning of freshman year after following each other on Instagram. To Dexter, love means a commitment and for Hauser, love is built over time and reciprocated.
Dexter said she loves Hauser’s enthusiasm. ‘’You have just a really wonderful way of going about things, like your passion,’’ Dexter said. Hauser responded, ‘’I love how genuinely caring and thoughtful you are. You’re always willing to be helpful and supportive and help me with whatever antics I’m doing.’’
First-year neuroscience student Saba Khan and first-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student Modupe Osikomaiya are best friends who met in fifth grade over a science project. ‘’Our fifth-grade teacher made us redo a science project three times,’’ Osikomaiya said. ‘’Thank God we kept messing up because if it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t be that close.’’
Khan said that for her, love is trying and unconditional. ‘’Love is looking at a person and feeling like you’re looking at the physical embodiment of home,’’ Khan said. ‘’(Osikomaiya) always knows what to say and she understands me without me having to say a word. I feel comfort simply by being in her presence.’’
Rachel and Marcelo are a married couple from West Hollywood who came to UCLA to hear a speech.
She loves his kind heart. He loves her interest in life.
Mary Entoma, a first-year political science student, and Sarah Salama, a first-year neuroscience student, became friends in class at the beginning of this quarter. ‘’I love everything about her. She definitely motivates me to study,’’ Entoma said. ‘’(Entoma) always makes me laugh,’’ Salama said back. ‘’I was sad about my grades and she cheered me up.’’
‘’Love is supporting one another,’’ Salama said. Entoma added, ‘’Love means Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson.’’