LoveFest '99 to offer Valentine's Day-weekend events

An appearance by the MTV show 'Loveline' is one of many programs to be offered by student groups later this month. With the first annual Valentine's Day-themed "LoveFest" less than two weeks away, the plethora of student groups organizing the festivities are putting together a package of activities to surround the main event, a visit by the stars of the popular Loveline advice show. The highlight of the weekend will be a guest appearance from Dr. Drew Pinsky and Adam Corolla of MTV's hit show Loveline, in which the duo will answer questions about sex, love and drugs in the Annenberg Center's Zellerbach Theatre on February 13 at 8 p.m. The Tangible Change Committee and Connaissance, the student group responsible for bringing speakers to campus, are working in conjunction with several other student groups to bring LoveFest '99 -- a week-long Valentine's Day celebration -- to Penn's campus. The week's other events will include a version of the Dating Game, a love match survey organized by the Sophomore Class Board, a kissing booth run by the Junior Class Board and the Student Health Advisory Board's "Wellness Wednesday" table. The group Facilitating Learning About Sexual Health will be selling condom-grams and the Glee Club will be offering singing telegrams for sale. "Loveline serves as a catalyst for getting other groups involved [and] building interest around the weekend," said Connaissance Co-Director Dara Gruen, a College senior. And Tangible Change Committee Chairperson Samara Barend, a College senior, said, "Basically, we just want to generate some love on campus." In addition, the Undergraduate Psychology Society, SHAB, the Panhellenic Council and Tangible Change will host a discussion group at the Veranda at 3615 Locust Walk on February 10 at 12:30 p.m., in which Psychology professors will moderate a discussion on students' perception of dating and relationships at Penn. In an effort to repeat last year's popular event, the Sophomore Class Board will sponsor a love match survey. Students will be asked to answer approximately 30 questions and a computerized compatibility search will be conducted among the contestants. According to Sophomore Class President Ray Valerio, a College sophomore, participants will receive an e-mail listing their top 10 most compatible matches on or before Valentine's Day. And Gruen mentioned that University President Judith Rodin will be on hand at the kissing booth on February 9. The Dating Game will be sponsored by Tangible Change and the InterFraternity Council. The game will be held at the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity house on February 11. Prizes will be provided by the Social Planning and Events Committee. Students who register for the game will be asked to e-mail SPEC their response to the question, "Where was your most unique sexual experience?" Twenty finalists will then be selected for an interview. Two girls and two boys will be selected to participate and each will choose his or her date from three contestants. SPEC will give away dinners for two as prizes. There will also be five door prizes available to audience members -- two tickets each for Loveline. "I think tickets will sell out within minutes as they did with Conan [O'Brien]," last spring's Connaissance speaker, Gruen said. "Everyone has a fair shot and they know to get there early." Tickets go on sale for Loveline at 10 a.m. February 9 and 10 on Locust Walk. There are 900 tickets available, costing $5 each.