WASHINGTON – Since 1867 many college sweethearts have found the love of their life at Howard University. One Valentine’s Day, Imani Pope-Johns and Misha Cornelius highlighted a few love stories that add to the “Howard mystique” turned life-long love that many know. Share your Howard love story online this February and tag #HowardLoveStory.
Déjà vu For Two:
If you ask Jon Murphy and Dana Hall (pictured), when they first met, you may get a range of answers. As Dana recalls, “it’s possible that our first interaction was at a random homecoming function, at a protest for Troy Davis, or a Swahili class.” However, they both remember the night when he interrupted her conversation with a friend and introduced himself as her waiter at the restaurant Uniontown Bar and Grille.
“He proceeded to give me a hug and asked ‘Didn’t you go to Howard?” She later told her friend that the waiter was cute and hoped that they would exchange numbers before the end of the night.
For Jon, the memory was sort of déjà vu. He felt that this had occurred before, and remembered that she was an alumna of Howard. “I came from around the bar and told the waitress that I’d take the first high top table where Dana and her friend were sitting. After Dana finished eating, he walked to the table to pick up the check.
“I came up with the master plan, but before I could execute it, her friend said, ‘So are you going to ask her for her number?’ As I stood there awkwardly, I couldn’t do anything else but get those digits and the rest is history.”
As a nod to Howard University’s role in their lives, the couple took baby announcement photos on The Yard. Last year, they welcomed a baby girl named Zora after the illustrious alumna Zora Neale Hurston.
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About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University visit www.howard.edu
Media Contact: Imani Pope-Johns, Imani.popejohns@howard.edu
