
Haley Helfer--Students spend time together atop Mt. Rubidoux, a retreat from the busy life found down the mountain.

Money can’t buy happiness and spending the big bucks doesn’t necessarily guarantee a great date.
As TWIRP Week is approaching, the ladies of California Baptist University are scrambling to plan a perfect outing for Create-a-Date, which takes place on Wed., Sept. 22. A student’s budget is no excuse for passing by this opportunity to participate in CBU’s annual week of gender role-reversal. With a little planning and some creativity you can plan an amazing date that wont break the bank.
Relive your childhood and spend the day at a park. Possibly one of the most famous parks is Central Park, in New York City, but did you know that its designer, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed a park in Riverside? Fairmont Park, located on 26
25 Fairmont Blvd., is a large park with several lakes.
Take advantage of our Southern Calif. weather and spend a day at the park. Have a picnic, play Frisbee or rent a paddle boat for 10 dollars for an hour and get some exercise while enjoying the outdoors.
A trip to the movie theater usually sets you back quite a bit. Two tickets, popcorn, candy and drinks can cost well over 40 dollars for a few hours of enter- tainment and some salty snacks. About 20 minutes from CBU, Regency Theaters in Moreno Valley shows movies for only two dollars for a matinee film and three dollars for any film after 6 p.m.
The movie selection is made up of films that have been out for a while, so you can catch that summer blockbuster that you missed, or be adventurous and see a movie that you would never pay full price for. Bring a large purse to sneak in almost any thing a la Mary Poppins. Pack some bottled water and shop at the grocery store for snacks and candy. You saved on the tickets, so there is money left for the necessary red vines.
Take a cue from 500 Days of Summer and play house. Embrace the theatricality of going to Ikea and pretending the model rooms are rooms in your house. I dare you to bring a board game and play it in a fake dining room. After the mystique of Swedish home furnishings has worn off stop by the international food court for a dollar frozen yogurt and loganberry soda.
Cook a meal together. Much to my disappointment, beyond the walls of CBU we are not provided with a cafeteria that serves us delicious food and then magically whisks away our dirtydishes.
A lot goes into making a meal: menu planning, shopping, cooking, eating and cleaning. Involve your date in all the steps, look through an old cookbook or go online to find recipes for cheap and easy food. Your stomachs and your wallets will thank you.
Take a cruise and enjoy the sights. Drive to the beach and watch the sunset. Drive to Los Angeles and people watch or look for celebrities. Drive to the mountains and watch the stars. Drive up into the hills of Riverside and watch the city lights twinkling below. There is just something about watching sparkly things that immediately puts on an air of romance. So whether you gaze upon God’s creation or man-powered luminescence, seek these special places that are perfect for a quiet talk. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate and some cookies to combat the cool nights.