Couples shared Valentine’s Day kisses at midnight on Thursday as the chime of the Memorial Tower rang out the melody of “My Funny Valentine” by Frank Sinatra.
“The tradition is that once you kiss under the Memorial Tower at midnight on Valentine’s Day, you become an official co-ed,” said Taylor Parks, Student Government vice president.
For the past two Valentine’s Days, a song hasn’t played at the clock tower, but Parks wanted to bring back the tradition.
“I think it’s a special tradition specific to LSU,” Parks said. “Not that many universities have traditions like this.”
Some students returned to the clock tower for the second year in a row with their sweethearts, like Dalton Hall, international trade and finance sophomore.
Hall said he learned about the tradition at the University’s S.T.R.I.P.E.S program and told his girlfriend about it.
When he arrived at the Memorial Tower last year, he said about 20 couples stood around waiting for the clock to strike midnight.
“It is kind of awkward,” Hall said. “And I felt nervous because you have 20 people around you that are about to kiss at the same time as you.”
Hall said the funniest part of the experience was looking up from his quick kiss to see other couples continuously making out.
Abigail Lallande, mass communication sophomore, said she decided to return to the Memorial Tower after she had a great experience with her boyfriend last year.
“I felt a lot closer to my boyfriend after the kiss,” Lallande said. “We felt like a real couple.”
Lallande said she made her way to the bell tower last year after sharing pizza with her boyfriend while watching the sunset at the levee.
“It was a last minute whimsical kind of thing, which made it very romantic,” Lallande said.