On May 1, hundreds of dressed up juniors and seniors will filter into the Renaissance Grand Hotel for Prom, arm in arm with dates from within Lafayette’s walls as well as area high schools like Eureka and Marquette. Some may have dates that even come from other local high schools and colleges.

However, such is not the case for senior Rafi Ramadan, who will be bringing his date to the dance all the way from California.

“She is flying in Friday, going to Prom on Saturday and leaving Sunday,” Ramadan said.

Ramadan and his girlfriend, Nicole Applebaum, met at the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at the University of California Berkeley in late July of 2008, where the two ended up meeting and then talking alone in a courtyard.

“I thought, ‘Nothing I say really matters. In a few days I’ll never see him again.’ I think I jinxed myself,” Applebaum said. At the time, she thought she would never see Ramadan again.

“We would always be ships passing in the night,” Applebaum said.

However, the two kept in touch, talking though facebook and on the phone, for over a year. Both had feelings for each other, but kept them quiet until they each found out where the other would be attending college.

“I applied Early Decision to Washington University and soon found out that Rafi would be attending Mizzou,” Applebaum said.

“That’s when I took a chance and asked her out,” Ramadan said.

Applebaum accepted.

Now the couple has been dating for six months, though Ramadan lives in St. Louis, and Applebaum in Orange County California.

“The hardest part is communicating. We talk, text, Skype video chat, Gchat, Facebook chat and actually see each other from time to time. But we still mostly talk,” Applebaum said.

“I think the hardest part is the distance. No hugs. No kisses. It makes me very sad,” Ramadan said.

For Prom, Ramadan’s mother made appointments for Applebaum to do her hair and makeup, though she will also be getting ready with some of Rafi’s girl friends.

The two will attend the dance, swim if the weather allows it, and the next day Applebaum will return so that she is home in time to take the AP U.S. Government exam.

When Applebaum and Ramadan are both in college, some of the difficulty of seeing each other will be assuaged.

“I won’t have a car, but Rafi plans on coming home every few weeks. Wash U is not that far of a drive,” Applebaum said.

“Its hard not being able to see each other without buying a plane ticket. But all of that will change soon,” Ramadan said.