Lovestruck: Valentine's Day 2025 at the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Cupid takes aim once again at the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and empties his quiver of love connections made here at Wayne State University.
Read how some of our Creative Warriors became couples, and how many of them share this distinction with family members, oftentimes across several generations.
Carole and Bill Harris
How they met …
Carole and Bill Harris met at Highland Park Junior College and were both transfer students at Wayne State.
"Bill arrived at WSU in 1962. I arrived a year later in 1963," said Carole, who graduated in '66. "When I got to Wayne, Bill was one of only a couple of people that I knew in the art department. He was still in art, planning a career in art (education). So, we saw each other often in the art building and we frequently shared lunch, seated on the floor, by our lockers near the vending area, sometimes with others. That’s sort of how our friendship grew."
They started dating around 1964 and were married in 1966, just days before Bill was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served in Wurzburg, Germany. "It was while at Wayne that I developed an association with the Detroit Artists Workshop," said Bill, who graduated in '70 and '77, "where I met artists and writers who became lifelong friends and colleagues."
Best memory of WSU
"We were both involved in activities around the civil rights movement and remember well going to see various speakers who came to campus, including Malcolm X," Carole said. "I also loved the cafeteria in Mackenzie Hall and the camaraderie where friends hung out, debated and just socialized. Often, Ken Cockerel, the activist and future attorney and Detroit City Councilman, was holding court on any relevant topic. He always had an audience and was mesmerizing, even then."
Carole points to one specific moment at Wayne State that readied her for a future career path, from owning interior design firm Harris Design Group for 32 years to becoming a full-time artist with work in the Detroit Institute of Arts and WSU’s collections.
"The year I took a directed study in interior architecture," she said, "along with my core art classes, greatly prepared me for my long career as an interior designer and artist."
Bill remembers jazz concerts in Mackenzie Hall, as well as other activities around campus such as films, poetry readings and the Artists Workshop.
"Wayne State gave me an excellent foundation in the principles of art and design that would guide me for the remainder of my career and life as an artist/designer," Bill said. "I obtained a foundational understanding of art, art history, the creative writing process and analysis of American Literature."
Both Carole and Bill continue to maintain strong connections to Wayne State.
From 1991 until his retirement in 2011, Bill was a professor of English at WSU and is now emeritus. "I also continue to maintain ties with Wayne State through the Wayne State University Press, which has published three of my books ('Birth of A Notion,' 'Booker T and Them,' and 'I Got to Keep Moving')," Bill said. "And I was honored to receive the Arts Achievement Award in 1989."
Carole recently left the College of Fine, Performing and Comunication Arts' Board of Visitors after serving for over 10 years. She also was a recipient of the College’s 2021 Arts Achievement Awards, and is currently preparing for three solo museum exhibitions to be mounted in 2025-26.
Tartars/Warriors in the family
Carole and Bill were both the first in their families to attend college and to graduate.
Jeanne Hunter-Moore and Billy Hunter
How they met …
Jeanne Hunter-Moore '05 and Billy Hunter '96, '01, met in at Detroit's Magic Stick. It was 1997 and Jeanne was there to hear her friend’s band, Fez, play. Billy, whose regular hangout during that time was the Majestic complex, was also at the concert.
"Well, that initial meeting was interesting," she said. "Although we had been eyeing each other all night, I had no intention of following through. Billy ended up coming up to me at the end of the night. We chatted for a few minutes and exchanged numbers. As it turns out, I called him initially. I thought he was much younger than I based on that conversation, but we are just a year apart."
It took them about five years to get serious, Jeanne said, "partly because Billy had just ended a relationship and partly because I was somewhat uncompromising (at that age and after some not-so-great relationships, I wanted to be someone's one and only)."
It took an almost year-long separation before one random night, after they had dinner with friends at their house (they had remained friendly, even working together on a gallery project), that Billy asked Jeanne to marry him.
"It came out of blue as we were saying our goodbyes when I was dropping him off," Jeanne said. "So, while there were no grand gestures involved, I would say it was romantic. I remember thinking, 'Wow, he’s really serious.' I said that to myself knowing Billy was a man of few words. He had a whole plan that began with popping the question that evening, or it was supposed to be the next day. He told me to take my time answering, so that is what I did."
Jeanne joked that she made him sweat it out for two weeks before finally saying, “Yes.” From there, they bought a house together and moved in, eventually having a wedding at their home in Detroit.
"Our friends had all seen us through many stops and starts to our relationship, so nobody was surprised when our wedding invitation, which looked like a movie poster from the '30s or '40s, and had as its movie title, 'Together at Last' and a tagline that said, 'The Sequel to The Long Wait!'"
This year, Jeanne and Billy will have been married 22 years. They have a daughter, who is a senior in high school, and a beloved dog named Coco. They are lovers of culture and the arts. Besides their day jobs, Billy and Jeanne own a gallery on East Grand Boulevard called OFFICE SPACE Gallery and have curated art exhibitions in the city since the early 2000s. Their daughter is a performer who practices aerial acrobatics and dance.
"Although our journey to togetherness had its challenges," Jeanne said. "I would not change a thing."
Best memory of WSU
Billy's best memory of Wayne State was the accessible campus and its closeness to his favorite place, The Majestic complex.
For Jeanne, her favorite memory involves the support she received from her mentor and graduate advisor, Dr. Dora Apel. "I was a non-traditional student and felt that difference from the way other professors approached me, at that time, which affected my sense of belonging," Jeanne said. "But Dr. Apel saw something in me and gave me opportunities, including after I graduated, which is how I came to teach at WSU."
Tartars/Warriors in the family
Billy’s mother, Johnnie Lou Hunter, graduated with her master's in social work from WSU. Jeanne's father, who was an advertising executive and Cass Tech High School alumnus, took courses at WSU as well. Her uncle, Donald Bowen, graduated with an engineering degree from WSU.
Terainer and Quincy Brown
How they met …
Dr. Terainer and Quincy Brown’s love story began in the most unexpected of places — a large lecture hall in Dr. Michael Naylor’s music appreciation class. A few musicians were gathered, as a group of dancers entered the room (Terainer included).
Quincy and his friend, admiring in the distance, were taking their pick, and Quincy had his eyes on Terainer. Among a sea of students, fate (or perhaps a well-intentioned seating chart) placed them in the same small discussion group. Quincy immediately took notice of Terainer — her sharp intellect, her grace, the way she carried herself with confidence. He was intrigued.
"I tried to strike up a conversation, get to know her," Quincy recalled. "But she wasn’t exactly receptive. I even asked her out a few times."
Terainer, with a knowing smile, chimed in, "I was involved with someone else at the time, so I wasn’t paying him any mind, but I did find him attractive."
Quincy, ever the gentleman, took the hint. "Once I learned this, I was cordial and moved on," he said.
But did he really?
"Oh, he moved on, alright … but not too far," Terainer said with a laugh. "I started noticing him at my dance concerts, hanging around the dance media center, casually showing up in places he’d never been before. It was clear — he wasn’t going anywhere."
For a while, their story remained a slow dance of chance encounters, brief conversations, and subtle gestures. But then, as the year unfolded, something shifted.
"At some point, she made it known that she was available," Quincy grinned, "and that’s when we started to date. The rest, as they say, is history."
That history has now spanned 16 years of marriage — filled with love, growth, and the kind of connection that even a simple college class couldn’t have predicted. What started as a small group assignment became the foundation of a lifetime partnership, proving that sometimes, love has a way of finding its rhythm — even in a music class.
Best memory of WSU
Their love story didn’t just blossom in a classroom — it grew in the quiet corners of Wayne State’s library. Stacks of books and late-night study sessions became the backdrop for deep conversations. Between highlighting notes and quizzing each other for exams, they built more than just academic success — they built a partnership.
"We spent hours in that library, studying together and learning about each other," recalled Quincy, who graduated in 2010. "And honestly, she’s the reason I even went to grad school. That conversation probably happened somewhere on campus, with her convincing me I could do more, be more."
"I just knew he had it in him" Terainer, who also graduated in 2010, said with a smirk. "He just needed a little push."
But it wasn’t all work and no play. Their Wayne State years were filled with art, music, and performance. With all the required critiques due for class, they found the best way to spend time together was by attending plays, concerts, and dance performances — often squeezing in dates between assignments.
"Terainer had high standards," Quincy said with a laugh. "She was all about maintaining those A’s she loved so much. If I wanted to hang out, I had to make sure my grades were up to par."
And then, of course, there were the projects — Terainer’s endless projects, which found her volunteering for things and then pulling Quincy right into them.
One summer, she agreed to clean and maintain the dance studio floors after a grueling ballet camp. "The money was good," Terainer admits, "but the job was way too big for a sore, tired dancer."
Naturally, Quincy found himself right in the middle of it.
"Did I volunteer? No. Did I still end up scrubbing floors? Absolutely," he said, shaking his head. "Sometimes against my will, but what was I supposed to do? Leave her there struggling? That wasn’t an option."
"It was a bonding experience!" said Terainer, who was a recipient of the College’s 2023 Arts Achievement Awards.
"It was free labor," Quincy responded, with a raised eyebrow.
Through study sessions, performances, and unexpected late-night cleaning shifts, Quincy and Terainer said their story was never just about romance — it was about partnership.
"The kind built through shared goals, laughter, and the occasional chore no one wanted to do," Terainer said. "And after all these years, one thing remains true: no matter where life takes us, we are always in it together."
Tartars/Warriors in the family
No, Quincy said, "but we have two beautiful kids who keep us busy. We have lived in several places around the country and are continuing to collect stories."
Phillip and Victoria Moss
How they met …
Vikte (Victoria) Jankus '81 joined Wayne State University's Bonstelle Theatre Company in the 1978-79 academic year as a sophomore transfer from Oakland University. She immediately took on roles in the scene shop under Russ Smith and Blair Anderson.
"I was active in the scene shop on fall show builds and then added makeup designs for the winter production of 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona,'" she said. "I set out to draw makeup designs of each character in the show, which required the actors to sit for portraits."
That same year, as fate would have it, Phillip Moss '81, '86, '97 joined the Bonstelle Company as a sophomore transfer from Michigan State University. He joined the cast of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" as Sir Eglamour. He was excited to do his first Shakespeare and to assist in the creation of stage combat and fencing sequences for the show.
"Never having had extensive experiences in theatrical makeup, I was thrilled to have the guidance of a talented designer," Phillip said. "As I sat for my portrait, I struck up a conversation with Vikte. And the rest is history."
The two married shortly after their senior year/graduation and completing "The Taming of the Shrew" and the "Moving Theater" dance show at the Bonstelle Theatre. Both joined the Hilberry Theatre Company. Vikte was in the costume shop, and Phillip was the studio manager, and performed in several Hilberry shows, as well.
Their first child, Aleksa, was born while Vikte was still in the costume shop. Aleksa was a regular in the shop, sleeping on warm freshly washed and dried costumes under Jackie Daley and Helen Markovich's watchful eyes.
Now 42 years later, the Moss' have three adult children and three grandchildren. Since shortly after leaving the Hilberry Theatre, Phillip Moss has been chair of the Creative and Performing Arts Department at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods. Vikte has continued to design and create amazing artworks. Her fabric and textile works have been seen under the company name "Added Drama" at the Ann Arbor Art Fair, among a number of other regional arts events.
Thank you to our alumni couples who shared stories that bring joy and laughter to our hearts. If you and your significant other are alumni and would like to share your story, please let us know at ahazamy@wayne.edu to be featured in a future Valentine's Day edition!
*Top illustration by Linda Johnson, graphic design student with the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts.