Love, JavaScript Style

It was only on Valentine's Day that Tommy M. MacWilliam '13, known for his backwards baseball cap and status as a popular CS50 TF, revealed his true romantic identity with an internet slideshow expressing his affection for Julia V. Mitelman, his girlfriend and fellow CS50 TF.

At noon, he posted the link on her Facebook Wall. "She actually happened to open it while I was sitting next to her, so I got to see her reaction, which was priceless," MacWilliam recounted. "As she watched it, she got really happy and couldn't stop smiling for hours afterwards. It was the best."

Since then, more than 1,200 users have viewed his chef-d'oeuvre. MacWilliam considered going the crafty route, "but everything seemed out of my league, so I didn't try." MacWilliam added, "JavaScript is a boyfriend's best friend."

After meeting as linkmates during Freshman year, Mitelman and MacWilliam became best friends. "I wasn't sure I wanted to risk our friendship," Mitelman said. "I told him our first date was a trial." They went to the Prudential Center and the Cheesecake Factory.

Besides computer science, they both love typography and, it appears, surprises. For Christmas, MacWilliam filled Mitelman's room with roses and over spring break he visited her on a whim in New York City. "He came there and back in a day, which is nine hours!" Mitelman said.

Has Mitelman done anything romantic? "Oh my god, so many things," MacWilliam reports. "My favorite is the little things she does, like bringing me ice cream or a box of chocolate donuts when I'm stressed or having a bad day." "She always knows when," he added.

Does the romantic pair have any advice for those still searching for that special person?

"Effort is the most important thing. But it's also easy to make someone really happy with something small," MacWilliam said.