Alumni find soulmates in classmates

Any avid reader of The New York Times' "Sunday Styles" section knows that Princetonians are constantly getting married.

In the past month, the section featured at least one Princeton graduate's wedding plans each week. This Sunday, Jennifer Kinsbruner '96, who graduated summa cum laude from the University, announced in the paper her wedding to Jeffrey Bush, a graduate from Yale University.

Though Ms. Kinsbruner met her husband while pursuing a law degree at Yale, many Princeton students are finding their mates here on campus or through Princeton-affiliated activities.

This past year alone, 30 alumni pairs were married at the University Chapel, out of a total of 70 Princeton graduate weddings.

While some campus rumors put the percentage of Princeton graduates marrying each other as high as 60 percent, the actual figure from the alumni council comes in at roughly 17 percent.

The percentage of female alumni who are married to other Princetonians is more than double the percentage of their male counterparts – 26 percent to 12 percent – a figure caused in part by the smaller body of female alumni.

Adrienne Rubin '88, an associate director of the University alumni council, highlighted the common affection she and her Princeton mate share for the University. "Love [is] being with someone who understands affinity for and affiliation with Princeton," she said.

Adrienne met her husband Doug Rubin '81 through the then-owner of the Right Stuff Dating Service, a company that matches up alumni of high-standard universities.

"When I was at Princeton," she said, "I didn't expect to marry an alumnus, although I figured it was a possibility."

Exemplary of a true Princetonian romance, the Rubins had brunch at Prospect House on their first date. They were married a year and a half later in McCosh 50 with more than 100 Princetonians in attendance.

The bride carried tigerlilies, and the bridesmaids wore black dresses and carried orange flowers, Adrienne said.

"It was wonderful for me to finally meet someone who wasn't threatened by my commitment to the Princeton community," she said.

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While Mrs. Rubin met her husband after graduation, Tzivia Friedman '02 and Gabriel Moreen '01 fell in love with each other as undergraduates.

"I always intended to marry an Orthodox Jewish guy," Friedman said, adding that she never expected to meet someone among Princeton's small Orthodox community.

"But I met Gabe and we started dating just a month after I started Princeton," she said.

The two have since tied the knot and live together in married housing in Spelman Hall. Gabriel is commuting to his job in New York while Tzivia finishes her senior year.

"People think it's strange to be married as an undergraduate, but if you are ready to make a commitment, it makes sense," Friedman said.

Both couples commented that Princeton students' shared sense of values contributes to the high number of double alumni weddings.

"It doesn't guarantee a perfect marriage, but at least we share this common Princeton heritage," Rubin said.

While not everyone will find his soulmate this Valentine's Day, it is impossible to predict when that special someone might turn up. As the Rubins and Friedmans have proven, that someone might be right here on campus.