Date Me
With movies and magazines describing the ideal Valentine's Day date, students are often under a lot of pressure to make the day particularly special for loved ones.
According to third-year College student Cameron Hill, Valentine's Day is "a chance for people to be creative and to show that they care."
For one of his most memorable, and infamous, Valentine's Day dates, Hill said he created a marbled chocolate box and filled it with chocolates that he had seen made on the Food Network. He also attached a handmade card complete with pop-up designs to give to his girlfriend.
"She gave me some cookies and a card and it was a break-up card -- bad timing," Hill said. "But, she took me back because of the chocolate."
Other students, like third-year College student Katherine Jarosz, remembered Valentine's Day dates that were particularly touching.
After returning to her dorm Valentine's Day of her first year, Jarosz said she found a tiny box with a note inside directing her to look for presents around her room before her boyfriend took her on a date.
"I was flattered to the point of speechlessness," Jarosz said. "Long story short, we went to the Downtown Mall and had a very romantic Valentine's dinner."
Though many people consider a Valentine's Day date exclusive to people only in relationships, some students use the day to as an excuse to make dates with friends and family to show that they care.
Fourth-year College student Sarah Scruggs said she used to go to dinner with her parents on Valentine's Day.
"It's about taking the day to say, 'I really love you guys and I'm really happy you're part of my circle of friends or family ...,' whether that's your parents, or just your friends or your grandparent," Scruggs said.
-- Complied by Sarah Peeden
Love, Your Secret Admirer
University students reminisced Valentine's Days marked by secret admirer notes, flowers and other romantic gestures.
Students agreed that the secret admirer notes of their middle School and high school Valentine's Days past made the holiday more special, and they missed these school-wide secret opportunities in college.
"In high school, we would send a flower through our student council," second-year College student Kelly Quinn said. "I sent one every year to a couple of guys I had crushes on -- one was a skater guy and I'd always watch his band play."
Quinn said she didn't divulge her secret identity to this "crush" of hers until they had both graduated from high school. She also said she would send flowers anonymously to younger kids to "make them feel special."
Fifth-year Curry student Sarah Huffman said in her middle school, students had the opportunity to anonymously send song-grams sung by members of the chorus to secret admirees. She said students could also secretly send flowers on Valentine's Day to be delivered during homeroom.
"I got one in seventh grade from my boyfriend of the week, and it made me feel special," Huffman said.
Both Huffman and Quinn agreed that Valentine's Day was more special in secondary school years, when secret admirers were more prevalent.
"I think Valentine's Day sucks for a lot of people without [significant others] and that a secret admirer program would bring back the fun and make the single people feel special," Quinn said.
-- Compiled by Ashley Simpson
For You
Regardless of the integrity, passion or duration of a relationship, each climaxes around the all-important Valentine's Day present. Today, girls and boys alike are going to open gifts that will shock, please and perhaps even disgust.
Gone are the olden days of handmade cards to show how you feel; the advent of the Internet lets any enamored individual send an online greeting, usually with a unique message or animation. In addition, those too busy to shop can drop by the online florist before or during class and have someone else do all the work to provide a loved one with a romantic bouquet.
Valentine's Day, in addition to being dedicated to romance and companionship, is interpreted by some as an opportunity to bring out the big guns and overwhelm their dates.
"My friend's boyfriend got her a really expensive pair of skis," first-year College student Erin Lanzo said. "I thought it was a bit ridiculous."
Even though some gift-givers are ambitious and eager to impress, those who keep things simple are appreciated just the same.
"My boyfriend made me a CD of songs," first-year College student Katie Acosta said. "It was so cute because we had just started dating."
While there are those who fret about the nature of their gifts for days and even weeks on end, there exists an unfortunate group who wait until the last minute. Their dates can look forward to wilted flowers, run-of-the-mill cards and, in the worst case scenario, a gift that in fact has nothing to do with the holiday.
No matter what gifts are given or received, students say it is the sentiment and thought behind the present that really counts.
-- Compiled by Bailee Barfield
Be Mine
When the 14th rolls around, if you don't want to be stuck home watching the latest island escapades on "Lost," you better have a date. Luckily, ideas to land your dream date are plentiful on Grounds.
Second-year Engineering student Ben Stephens explained his method for last year's Valentine's Day "seduction."
"I organized this plot with [my crush's] friends to get me in her room when she wasn't there ... they took pictures of me scantily clad in her bed covered in fake rose petals," Stephens said.
He said he then gave his dream date the photos with balloons, chocolate, a love-themed mix CD and a poem filled with pickups and puns that related to her major.
"The real lesson is to do some background research," Stephens said.
While some date proposals might be well-intentioned and actually succeed, others might not be as they appear. Second-year Curry student Calder Telep said she decided to play a prank on her friend, second-year College student Elicia Williams at the end of last year.
"You know how people always hang sheets on the Brown College wall -- we went and bought a sheet from Goodwill and some spray paint and wrote out: 'Elicia, Math 533 was great with you this year- will you will be my sweetie pi ... heart, Phil,'" said Telep.
The sheet stayed up for several days, until Williams cut it down herself, Telep added.
"I was really excited, but also a little weirded out," Williams said. "I didn't even know who Phil was. I wasn't even in Math 533! But then I found out it was just one of my friends."
While Valentine's Day is often a day when some people play pranks on their friends, others can find true love.
-- Compiled by Steve Austin
Hallmark Holiday
Some people revel in singing greeting cards, red roses and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. Then, there are people like first-year College student Katie Fishbein. Identifiable by their disgusted expressions every Feb. 14th, these people are Valentine's Day haters.
"It's a typical thing to say, but it's just a Hallmark holiday," Fishbein said. "And Valentine's Day candy is disgusting. It's poor quality, too sugary and those conversation hearts are gross."
The National Retail Federation reported that Americans spent $13 billion on gifts for Valentine's Day last year. Men spent almost twice as much as women, and according to fourth-year Engineering student Al Yurisevic, this is unfair.
"There are gender expectations, and guys are under too much pressure," Yurisevic said. "I think [Valentine's Day] is a waste of time and money."
Other students don't mind the holiday -- except when they have to spend it alone.
"Unless you have somebody, it really sucks," first-year College student Samantha Ayoub said.
If the U.S. Census Bureau is correct in counting 80 million single people in the United States, and if all of them think like Ayoub, there will be many unhappy people today.
While first-year College student Lucy Kim said she doesn't hate Valentine's Day, she said she hates the way people celebrate it.
"I think people feel like they have to play a role on Valentine's Day, and they do such generic, common things," Kim said. "They'll go to dinner, buy a stuffed animal in the Giant checkout line [along with] cheap chocolates."
Despite her distaste for Valentine's Day, Kim said she will not be sporting an ironic black t-shirt on Wednesday, nor will she be shutting herself in her room with a pint of Ben and Jerry's.
"I plan to hang out with my friends and eat obscene amounts of candy," Kim said.
-- Compiled by Lauren Caldwell
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