Love Issue: Letter From the Editor

In the era of COVID–19, love is complicated. 

Social distancing guidelines and mask mandates have brought a new meaning to star–crossed lovers, while spending months holed away at home has left many of us desperate for off–screen connection. No matter how well Netflix originals might fill lonely lockdown days, they can’t keep you warm at night.

Facing health scares and all–consuming ennui, it’s easy to get caught up in the apparent hopelessness of it all. Yet in the midst of what every university–wide email never fails to remind us is an "unprecedented time," we still manage to find glimmers of hope.

For some, the love that got them through the 'Q' took the form of an epic romance—one that spanned miles and conquered technical difficulties. For others, it was the comfort of kicking back with a classic in hand and man’s best friend by your side. 

Love under lockdown comes in all shapes and sizes; it looks like ditching your dating apps and hitting send on a text message that reads: This song made me think of you. It looks like a 336–day crossword streak between old friends and can be as quotidian as a walk around the neighborhood to clear your head.

In the era of COVID–19, love is complicated. But, then again, when isn't love complicated?

Whether it was self–love, love at first swipe, a fondness for home–cooked food, or quarantine companionship that made the past year a little more bearable for you, it’s all worth celebrating.

So as you prepare to thumb (or scroll) through the pages of our beloved Love Issue, let's raise a hypothetical glass—or a quarantini, more appropriately—to the love we found under lockdown.