Sinclair Knauff and Patrick Zatloukal are not your average fraternity-sorority couple. Just kidding, they totally are. She’s a Kappa Beta Gamma, and he’s a Sigma Nu. However, they come with a romantic flair unusual for college couples, and their relationship runs deeper than DFMOs in a dingy basement.
Patrick and “Sinny,” as she’s called by her friends, began their relationship at the Wake pre-orientation program SPARC, a service-oriented program where freshmen gallivant around Winston-Salem refurbishing run-down homes and revitalizing poverty-stricken neighborhoods. While Sinclair saw this week as a way to change the world, Patrick saw it as a way to change Sinny’s mind. Despite Patrick’s then-futile attempts at flirting, Sinclair admits she remained “apathetic and uninterested,” despite his cute smile and unassuming demeanor. However, Patrick’s persistence won against Sinclair’s stubbornness, and from then on, happily-ever-after began. The two are now inseparable. Couples like this usually make me vom, but these two have a unique aspect of humor in their relationship that makes watching them interact not only bearable, but refreshingly entertaining.
The first thing that you notice about Sinclair when she walks into a room, besides her obvious intelligence and brains, is her rockin’ bod. Not to sound superficial or creeptastic, but this chica has got it goin’ on. Patrick is alright, too. Therefore, it’s no surprise that when asked about one of their best costume endeavors, they jointly replied that “Adam and Eve” was a winner. Sinclair explained that she and Patrick decorated a bodice of leaves for her and leafed underwear for him. To quote Sinclair, “it was all fun and games until Patrick’s leaves came off.” Combine this with the previous comment about the bodies, and you can imagine what a sight they were, baring flesh and pulsing with the sensuality of this Biblical story. Too far? Maybe.
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Coming off that October high, mountain weekend was fast-approaching and for the boys of Sigma Nu—this weekend is no joke. Knowing that knowledge in mind, Sinclair decided to make Patrick’s cooler over the summer, as she was looking for an art project to occupy her time and had the impressive confidence that they would make it past those long-distance summer months. Kudos, Sinny. The inspiration for Sinclair’s cooler was their shared love of the same type of music. How cliché. Something not cooler cliché, however? The character Scuba Steve from Big Daddy, who sits court on his majestic cooler throne. The character is an ode to Patrick, who did indeed once wear a scuba mask to a foam party and thus gained the moniker. Beauty and brains, these two.
In case you’re thinking that this couple defies stereotypes, think again. Congrats to a hopeless romantic Patrick for this one. Recounting their first date, Sinclair said, “We went on a walk to the Village Tavern in Reynolda Village. On the walk back to freshman dorms it was dark, and the path was beautifully lit with Christmas lights. We stopped at a bench to enjoy the scenery and ended up talking for hours. It was then that he asked me to be his girlfriend.” I’m not even going to ruin this one with a sarcastic comment, because it’s beautiful.
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Lastly, I asked Sinclair about how her older brother, Kyle Knauff, who’s infamous around Wake for his luxurious locks and monogrammed Knauff Insurance water bottles, and if he’s affected her outlook on love and life. “Kyle has influenced me to always have fun while in relationships and influenced my decision in the type of guys that I date,” said Sinclair. “I trust and value his opinion on who I date because he always looks out for what is best for me.”
After hearing that loving quote of sibling admiration, it seems that Kyle sees what we see: Wake’s cutest couple, #ValentinezDay2012.