It was February 1888 and Vassar College freshman May Copeland could hardly wait for Valentine’s Day to arrive. Ever since matriculating at the single-sex institution in New York the previous autumn, May had been infatuated with a senior named Genie. Now, she finally had just the right opportunity to express her admiration for the older student. “The girls have a custom of sending Valentines to the Seniors every year,” she explained in a letter to her mother, “and instead of just sending cards, they write sentimental and funny poetry to…
