Love is all that matters
There is nothing more appealing, deceptive and wondrous than falling in love.
Our little Alfred harbors unique lovers of every age. We may have an idea of what their love is like, but behind the well-dressed professors and the seemingly shy peers, there is much more than meets the eye.
When asked what love is, Joseph Petrillo, assistant professor of the math department said, “It is spiritual, sometimes physical. It’s rare in its truest form.” According to his wife, Lynn Petrillo, senior lecturer of the English division, “Love is all there is. In the end everything is love,” and “I love love,” she cheerfully admitted.
Lynn and Joseph first met at a graduate school orientation at Binghamton University on a day they both memorized, Aug. 24, 1998. According to Lynn, everyone else seemed to be a bore except for Joseph, who stood out, "And the sunlight was shining. It was like he had this special aura. It was like he was illuminated just for me."
To get Joseph’s attention, Lynn decided to walk past him while his head was bent toward his class schedule. "I was trying to walk by normal as if I wanted to get a drink from the vending machine and not as if I was checking him out." Little did she know, his eyes glanced more than what she expected. “I noticed her legs,” Joseph said since he reportedly had been aware of Lynn’s intentions.
Finally Lynn made an approach and invited herself to sit next to Joseph and the two hit it off from there. “He was humble, more sincere… more real,” Lynn said. According to Lynn, she had found the two things which made the right life mate: integrity and originality. “We are unique, unlike anyone who has ever come before," she said.
Joseph remembers meeting Lynn’s “giant brown eyes” and her friendliness. They found character traits in each other which enabled a deeper connection. That following Friday was their first date.
According to Lynn and Joseph, they are both romantics, but Lynn believes she is more of a romantic than Joseph: “Not as romantic as I am, but beneath his cynical exterior he is a beautiful romantic at heart.” Joseph responds, “it’s true, I am a cynic but inside I am an idealist. I am romantic at heart.”
It is hard to imagine anyone more romantic than Lynn and Joseph. Like most couples, they have a neutral appreciation for Valentine’s Day: “I like Valentine’s Day because it is a warm holiday in the middle of February… It’s not very real to me, it’s more superficial and commercial but sweet and fun!” said Lynn. “It’s almost the same as I feel about Easter or Christmas. It should not be reserved for one day. You should show your love more than one day,” said Joseph.
Like every relationship Lynn and Joseph have their own problems. So they are not as perfect as it may seem. “Nothing is perfect, but he is as close to perfect for me as anyone could be,” said Lynn.
When asked what annoys him about Lynn, Joseph replied, “Her singing. She’s not a good singer…She always reminds me to do things; don't forget to take out the garbage! And don't forget to pick up Julian from school! It's not necessary…There aren’t many things that irritate me about her. We get along pretty well as far as I’ve seen from other people.”
Lynn and Joseph got married on Jan 4 2003 and both treasure their belief in an everlasting love. “I believe it lasts forever, just like energy lasts forever,” said Joseph. Even if he and Lynn were both animals, Joseph believes their love will survive. “We are very different animals, Lynn and I… [She] a frolicking gazelle and I would be a black panther,” Joseph admitted.
And though the love is beautiful, proof of it is much more absolute.
"We, my love, are infinite,” Lynn said after mentioning Joseph’s complex mathematical proof of his infinite love. “It ends with equations that have really beautiful graphs and one has a graph which is the symbol for infinity. I wrote a proof that our love is infinite based on that formula and that picture,” Joseph explained.
Yet love isn’t only for the young at heart; it is the young who love love as much as they do.
“You can’t stop thinking about the person and you’ll know, no matter what, they’re still gonna be there,” said Jennifer Miranda, a freshman of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, on what she thought of love. “I had the family love from my mom and my aunt and my sister but not like this love,” she continued.
Jennifer first met Roberto Hernandez, a freshman, of the Inamori School of Engineering, in high school. “I didn’t really dislike him. I first noticed him in math class. He called me ‘jen-nerd’ because I’m really good at math,” Jennifer said.
It is reported that Jennifer and Roberto decided to apply to Alfred University together to avoid the college barrier that most high school sweethearts encounter. Some may call it luck and some may call it fate, but they both got accepted to Alfred.
When asked what he thought of love, Roberto replied, “It’s if you really care about somebody and would commit to the person…She’s my first love. I had crushes but I didn’t fall in love. I thought it was like marriage, something you would have when you were married…Something you would find on TV.”
“When I first saw her, I thought she was pretty…Her eyes are pretty and her lips,” Roberto admits. He seemed to have had a treasured image of Jennifer in his head as he relived the past: “Her hair was curly with one of those things that push your hair back,” he said while laughing.
Jennifer knew she liked Roberto but was confused about his feelings for her. “I thought he liked my friend,” she said. It wasn’t until Roberto walked her home after a friend’s party that they both realized that they liked each other.
On Feb. 14, Jennifer and Roberto celebrate their two-year anniversary, and although their peers may comment on how long their relationship would last, Jennifer strongly opposes their view on it. “They don’t know us that well,” she said defiantly.
Like Lynn and Joseph, Jennifer and Roberto are both strong believers in everlasting love. “I think it depends on the person. If you’re willing to work through the dumbest little fights and if you don’t put any effort into it then it wouldn’t last. If I think he’s not gonna be here, I would be really sad,” Jennifer said.
In agreement, Roberto admits, “Yes, I think it could last forever. I can’t do it by myself… Everything with her is unexpected. The love I have for her is unexpected. I didn’t think I would love her that much.”
When asked what animal he and Jennifer would represent in a jungle, Roberto said, “I would be a tiger, or a lion or a jaguar. I’d picture her as a dove, because it’s heavenly.” On the other hand, Jennifer saw herself differently. “I would be a jaguar because my volleyball coach said I’m always hopping around and I’m fast. He would be, I guess, a lion because he knows what he wants, and he’s not afraid to go after it or say how he feels.”
With flushed cheeks and a confident smile Jennifer said, “I wouldn’t change anything because love is all about the good and the bad. We have a good relationship; everything is good as it is.”
Roberto managed to summarize his adoration for Jennifer into one word. “Muchantisimo!” He said, "a combination of ‘mucho’ and ‘tanto’ which both mean a lot.”
