"And then, there's another kind of love: the cruelest kind. The one that almost kills its victims. It's called unrequited love." -- "The Holiday"
For Charlie Brown, it was the Little Red-Haired Girl, for Don Quixote it was Dulcinea, and for Steve Urkel it was Laura Winslow. It's expressed in a slew of novels by Jane Austen, in Eric Clapton's hit song "Layla" and countless romantic comedies. From Pip and Estella in Dickens' "Great Expectations" to Dante and Beatrice Portinari, unrequited love has penetrated popular culture over the years.
So, why the recurrent theme? Unrequited love is something many of us can relate to in one way or another. Whether it's that spellbindingly attractive guy in your SOC 101 discussion, or your best friend of years who you secretly pine for but who tortures you with the intimate details of her love life, unrequited love is the kind of love that makes one despise the thought of Valentine's Day. Because the only thing worse than being alone Feb. 14 is being alone in love.
Let's face it, when your world revolves around someone who may or may not even notice your existence (let alone your deeply passionate feelings for them), it can be enough to make you want to stay in on a Thursday night. So when it seems like there is no hope left in your little heart-broken world, try to combat the agony by keeping yourself busy.
Go hiking, try hot yoga (gentlemen, you too!), read, take a trip to the Downtown Mall or refocus your attention on something more productive and less tormenting. Find a new center in your life. Chances are that if you are being productive or enjoying yourself, your mind will be less likely to wander to that unattainable crush. Hey, you might even meet someone new in your ventures.
So this Valentine's Day, if you are feeling the effects of loving in vain, turn off Taylor Swift's "Teardrops on My Guitar," and put the pint of Ben & Jerry's back in the freezer. Pour yourself a glass of Chardonnay, or crack open a Natural Light. Call up some single friends and find solace in the fact that perhaps your every movement or casual comment may be enough to make someone else's heart palpitate uncontrollably. Unrequited love can work both ways, you know.
-- Julie Eckert
Sweetheart screw-ups
Some couples look forward to Valentine's Day as an excuse to be showered with flowers, candy, custom mix CDs and professions of love. Others dread it, and who can blame them? They're expected to blend the previously mentioned gifts all together into an original and pleasant combination, and that expectation has probably had plenty of time to escalate.
The pressure is on from the moment a relationship begins. As the big day approaches, it builds up like the carbonation of a shaken soda. Next thing you know, as hard as you tried, it's a disaster. A complete and utter disaster.
How does one clean up the mess? For starters, don't try to make it up with buying the reject, discount Valentine's Day gifts that will soon be on clearance. As a general rule, dead flowers are depressing rather than romantic. Furthermore, your significant other will be perfectly aware that you bought said gifts for 10 percent of the original price.
It is the thought behind the gesture that is the important part. Believe it or not, buying tacky, typical gifts -- after they've gone on sale -- does not require much thought.
If you are male and somehow manage to turn this Thursday into a fiasco, consider taking your Valentine to see "The Vagina Monologues" to show that you are sensitive to just how hard it is to be a girl. Or if this is too painful for you, you could always go to classes for her (or him) and take notes -- but make sure that they're legible. Everyone always appreciates a little more time to sleep in.
Though this would mean that you would have to sacrifice your own sleep, well, it is a present, after all -- a thoughtful present. As long as there is some genuine thought and effort included with the box of Russell Stover chocolates and roses, then you should be fine. But if worst comes to worst, there's always next year to try, try again.
-- Irene Kan
Men are from Mars... no, really
It's that time of the year again. For some people, Valentine's Day means cuddling up with a loved one, eating lots of chocolate and hunting around for a vase to keep those roses from wilting. For me, however, it means debating government conspiracies and whether our technology stems from aliens.
In theory, it was the perfect date -- a casual meeting at a beautiful antique bookstore (complete with outdoor café underneath the stars) with "Bob," the friend of a friend. Bob was good-looking, friendly and relatively normal -- up until we sat down and he opened his mouth. At first, I thought Bob was charming, but I quickly realized he was just crazy.
When the waiter brought us water, Bob proceeded to tell me that water molecules could change according to the energy you transmitted. He suggested that I write the word "love" in the condensation on my glass so that the particles would feel my energy and, in turn, change to a purer state.
As the conversation progressed, Bob became increasingly "unique." Let me elaborate. Bob believes in aliens. Really. According to Bob, Area 51 really does exist and the government is trying to hide it.
Furthermore, Bob said, the government is trying to hide the cure for AIDS; they are keeping it under wraps, in conjunction with the pharmaceutical companies, to make a profit. Moreover, there's a ploy by the pharmaceutical companies to sell anti-allergy drugs when plain apple cider vinegar can cure allergic reactions.
His theories didn't stop at government cover-ups of aliens and drugs but extended to time travel as well. Time travel exists, according to Bob. Several years ago some men went back in time in a submarine (a submarine?!) but came back mentally unstable and in severe physical distress, so the experiment was forsaken.
Clearly, there was no second date. Though I respect Bob's enthusiasm to embrace everything that isn't mainstream, I much prefer not having to worry about the energy in my water. And it's a shame that submarine thing didn't work out -- I would have loved to travel back to the day before my date with Bob.
-- Amanda Perez
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | 5 days agoWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | January 6, 2025What the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
