Love is Bruff.

Being a young 19-year-old, I don’t really have the perfect definition of love or how it feels or what it’s like to lose it. Throughout my (short) dating history, however, I have been able to find things I can relate to being “in love” (I use quotation marks because literally no one can describe what feeling love is like because it’s different for everyone). Some things I relate love to are the new "Game of Thrones" season or watching Avery on "Grey’s Anatomy" do his thang. Here at Tulane University, there is a place we all hold dear in our hearts, a place you would not venture unless there was just at least a small hint of love. Yes people, I’m talking about Bruff.

Love is getting the last bowl at the cereal station.

Love is being able to eat a banana without being put on the Tulane banana eating page.

Love is no line at the panini station.

Love is Creole Creamery.

Love is when they put in more Special K.

Love is when you’re the last person in the omelette line before they close it.

Love is smiley fries and chicken nuggets.

Love is fried chicken day.

Love is cheese day (seriously, if you don’t love cheese day, I don’t know how you love at all. I’m lactose intolerant and still love cheese day).

Love is gluten-free donuts.

Love is when you go to get pizza (because you’re allowed to eat pizza any day of the week, no matter what) and they’re putting a new pie out.

Love is when the carving station has meat you can recognize.

Love is cram-jam snacks and dessert. Shout-out to YooHoo–1970s forever (a.k.a. the decade Bruff was built).

Love is when the people working at Bruff know your name and say hi to you.

Love is giving you extra chicken on your salad from the sandwich station.

Love is strawberry yogurt and fresh strawberries.

Love is sweet raspberries.

Love is breakfast for dinner.

Love is people-watching (don’t lie, we all do it).

Love is not having to wait for a burger to be made.

Love is tater tots.

Love is “family” dinners.

Love is being tapped in when you’ve used up all your swipes.

Love is open high-tables by the waffle maker.

Love is chocolate chips at the ice cream station that you put in your waffles.

Love is fresh lettuce.

Love is Oz.

Love is dry bowls.

Love is Greek yogurt (I personally would rather eat the strawberry, but Greek is a fan favorite).

Love is being labeled a “Super Bruff Fan.”

Love is so many chocolate chip cookies.

Love is Bruffing alone.

Love is mac-and-cheese.

Love is when they call you baby.

Love is...

Love is many things–it’s ice cream and yogurt and Special K and chicken nuggets. Most importantly, loving Bruff doesn’t mean losing anything in the process. Bruff will always be there for your omelette and cheese day needs, and when you leave Bruff, you know you’ll be back oh-so-soon (maybe way too soon). Yes, love is rough but the most important thing about love is how it allows you to appreciate what you have while you have it, because it can all change so suddenly.

Love is pizza, love is panini-makers, love is accepting and moving on, love is getting hurt, love is being so happy you can’t sit still–love is, well, Bruff.