By Sydney Shaw
Managing Editor
At the College, students can see Valentine’s Day coming from a mile away. Cupcake grams from She’s the First went on sale, alongside a slew of other treats that other organizations sold for students to buy for their Valentines. There were a number of Valentine’s Day dances and concerts throughout the week. Ink hosted a coffeehouse on Friday, Feb. 12, to celebrate the holiday. From the comfort of campus, students could purchase roses, carnations, cards and boxes of chocolate wrapped in pink paper. They could even send loved ones a personalized singing gram.
While there is never a shortage of February festivities, this might be a lonely time of year for students who didn’t have a special someone to share the couple-centric holiday with. For those individuals, my word of advice is this: The idea that Valentine’s Day is only meant to celebrate romantic love is as dead as Saint Valentine himself.
I’m not suggesting that students in relationships ignore their significant others to go out with their friends next Feb. 14, but rather reminding them that there are so many people in our lives who might not always receive the appreciation they deserve, whether it be parents, siblings, friends, and yes, significant others. But whether or not you are in a relationship, use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to shower all the people you love with some extra affection.
And if you’re not in a relationship, that’s just as well. If you don’t have a significant other to whom to send chocolates, send your best friend a candy gram. If there is nobody around to cook you a candlelit dinner next year, just do what I did this Sunday, Feb. 14: splurge at a fancy restaurant with your housemates and watch as many rom-coms together as you can when you get home. If you can make it through the other 364 days of the year solo, Valentine’s Day should be no different.
Most importantly, though, on this day meant to celebrate love, don’t forget to love yourself first. Your relationship with yourself is the most paramount one you’ll ever have, so feel free to spend next Valentine’s Day doing something special just for you. Put on your favorite music and spend a relaxing night in. Order your favorite food and watch your favorite movie. I’d call it a “non-traditional” holiday celebration, but ultimately, there is no “correct” way to spend Valentine’s Day.
Every Valentine’s Day from here on out, remember that there is no need to wear black in protest of the lovers’ holiday, even if you’re single. Deck yourself out in shades of red and pink and celebrate love in all its beautiful forms — romantic love, familial love, friend love and self love.
