A candle-lit dinner for two was not prepared for Stephanie Moore’s seven-month anniversary. Nor was dinner and a movie or an exchange of gifts planned. Instead, she found herself blindfolded. “He took me around Lawrence to places he thought was pretty,” Moore says, Wichita freshman. Drew McMahon, Wichita junior and her boyfriend, surprised her by blindfolding her and taking her to the field above the football stadium, a spot overlooking the river across from Abe and Jake’s, and finally to a park to gaze up at the stars. Needless to stay, Drew’s $0 went a long way.

 These days, many students really cannot afford to go on lavish, expensive dates, but walking around campus, there’s still the same amount of hand holding, subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) groping and make-out sessions in front of the stairwells. The spirit of love, it seems, is still in the air. So, the conundrum is this: How do you take your special someone out on a date without spending a pretty penny?

 Students shared ­their creative ways to woo without breaking the bank.

 “McDonald’s and Mrs. E’s are good ideas,” Sirus Saeedipour, Overland Park freshman, jokes about taking his girlfriend out. “But once I took her to the park, walking around in the woods until the sun set.”

 Another tip in trying to plan a romantic yet inexpensive date is looking for the word “free.” “Anything that’s not dinner is good. Free movies … free is always good,” says Jenni Kornfeld, Lee’s Summit, Mo., sophomore. She also suggests heading into Kansas City and paying $2 to watch the Kansas City Symphony rehearse.

 Brady Crist, McPherson junior, and Melissa Heller, Overland Park junior, also came up with some unique plans. “Movies are good but common,” Heller says, “but you can go on Mass. and make personalized T-shirts.” ACME, 847 Massachusetts St., prints $15 one-color custom t-shirts. Crist and Heller go on to suggest going out into the wilderness, having a campfire, or renting a canoe from the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center.

 Another place to look is campus. Student Union Activities and the Kansas Union are constantly hosting inexpensive events ranging from showing discounted movies to bringing in a variety of comedians at a low cost. Just recently SUA brought in Dan Cummings, who will soon have a special coming out on Comedy Central. Also, there’s more on campus than libraries and classrooms. Becca Campbell, Atchison sophomore, suggests heading to the Spencer Museum of Art. “I may be a nerd, but I think going to the campus museums would be cool too,” Campbell says. But you don’t have to be a nerd to enjoy art. Plus you can use the art you see in the museum as a jumping point to fuel conversation and get closer to your significant other.

 Going on dates such as these does more than just save you money, it also gives you a great opportunity to connect with the person you’re dating. Crowded restaurants and dark movie theaters don’t provide the best opportunity to get to know another person. Communication is key to all relationships, and you can communicate more effectively when you’re not stuffing down pasta or inching your arm over a shoulder during a scary movie.

 Next time you want to impress the apple of your eye, don’t think big. Rather bury the debit card and take a chance to exhibit some ingenuity on your end. Go out to Clinton Lake, whip up a meal together or simply take a walk downtown or around campus.