"More than words..."

The Daily Collegian - 3/14/08

When Brigid Cunningham woke from her afternoon nap and looked out her window, she might have expected to see students coming from class or from cars in the parking lot.

She didn't expect eight people and a multi-colored sign asking: "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"I was really shocked," she said, at a loss for words.

Cunningham, a freshman political science major, knew she was going on a date with Pasha Hashemzadeh, another freshman she had been casually dating since the end of September, but never expected him to arrive in such a romantic fashion.

Hashemzadeh had been planning this event for around a week, but was initially delayed because of inclement weather. Finally the right day came, and with the sun shining, he stayed inside all day, even skipping a class, just to perfect the hand-cut and -colored letters and buy roses and a bottle of sparkling apple juice.

And even with all of his preparation, he was still anxious. "I wanted to ask her out in a unique way," he said. "I was still really nervous … and 50-50 on if she'd accept."

But he decided to do it anyway. The only thing left? Find sign holders. For that job, Hashemzadeh went to his friends.

"At first they all made fun of me and laughed," he said. "Then they helped me and held the signs."

With roses in hand and friends in tow, Hashemzadeh made his way outside, right below Cunningham's window.

"I didn't think he had that in him. My face was bright red," Cunningham said. "He said, 'What's your answer? What's your answer?' Then I nodded and they ran up."

"I was really excited and I ran into the building, up the stairs and gave her a kiss," Hashemzadeh said.

And though he got the girl, Hashemzadeh still doesn't consider himself a romantic.

"I don't want to do romantic stuff too often," he said. "I don't want to be looked at as a romantic guy."

But Cunningham has other plans for him. "I told him… 'You better keep this up, now!'"