Story and photos by Ashlee Larrison
GCU News Bureau
Love was in the air Thursday night in the Student Union, and so was the aroma of a six-course meal. As a special Valentine's Day treat, the Fresh Fusion campus eatery was turned into Stone Steakhouse to provide an special dining experience to students on campus.
Students from all over campus turned out to Grand Canyon University’s annual Valentine’s dinner, making this year’s turnout the biggest yet. It was an opportunity to treat their dates to something fancy for an affordable price without having to travel off campus.
Megan McCreary and Jacob Garrison had found out about the dinner after celebrating Valentine’s Day the previous weekend and decided to make a date of it on Valentine’s day.
“We came to the market and they had a little thing that said ‘steak’ and she really likes steak, I really like steak and we were like, ‘Do you want to do this? Use some dining dollars, have a nice night and get some steak?’ So that was really the main motivation,” Garrison said.
Couples weren’t the only students who participated. The steakhouse was a Galentine's destination for some students, such as Arilyn Gonzalez, Rachel Kucukasdic and Abby Collopy.
“They went super all out for this occasion,” Gonzalez said.
The eatery was decked out with a classic and slightly elegant atmosphere, turning the everyday restaurant booths and tables into a candlelit meal, decorated with red, white and pink hearts. Kaitlyn McDonald and Logan Harris were quick to appreciate the decorations and overall environment.
“I love that they added tablecloths and little hearts,” McDonald said. “They really made it a special moment for students that can’t go off campus.”
The entrees included roasted New York strip steak, garlic shrimp, baked potato, broccolini, bread rolls and a chocolate dessert.
“We’ve just been craving something good, and it was nice that we could use our dining dollars on it, too,” Summer See said after enjoying her meal with her date, Joseph Allen. “I definitely appreciate all the work that went into it.”
Allen said the meal surpassed his expectations. “The steak was surprising,” he said.
Contact Ashlee Larrison at (602) 639-8488 or [email protected]
