By Jana Wiersema, Features Editor
The words “Tunnel of Love” typically evoke a certain image. You hear the phrase and envision a carnival attraction with boats built for two, twinkling lights and pink hearts as far as the eye can see. At Asbury University, however, the phrase brings to mind a different kind of event — a “Tunnel of Love” that’s not so much about a private space for couples but rather about public (and somewhat competitive) display of imagination and originality.
“I would describe the event as a time for the men of Trustees to show off their creativity to all of campus,” said Alex Coile, assistant resident director of Trustees and member of the Merciful class.
This year’s Tunnel of Love will take place on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. in Trustees. For those unfamiliar with the tradition, the Trustees Tunnel of Love is an event where each hall on Trustees decorates its living quarters to reflect a certain theme, atmosphere or idea.
While the Tunnel of Love is a popular event among students, it’s also a relatively young tradition. According to Coile, the Tunnel of Love event was first created in 2016 after the residence life staff realized that “virtually every other residence hall had a special event” (such as Kresge Kandyland, Taste of GC and the Johnson Christmas party).
“When it first started, each hall did their own idea,” Coile explained. “Some of the things that they did were ‘The Little Mermaid,’ a survey of romantic scenes from a variety of movies and a photo booth. In recent years, the building has had a general theme that each hall roughly follows. These have been cities and decades, with each individual hall putting their own spin on the given topic.” He added that this year’s event does not have a specific theme.
When asked what he enjoys about the event, Coile replied, “I enjoy seeing the ideas that halls come up with and how passionate they get about their hall. I also enjoy seeing guys who are typically not overly involved with their hall take ownership of the event. I also love watching a hall go from virtually nothing to fully and intricately decorated in the smallest amount of time possible.”
