The Flipside offers different viewpoints by Aspen Grams and Katie Steele, co-editors of the Online Signal, on campus issues. This week’s article gives you two sides to the Valentine’s Day experience. One side offers a positive view of Valentine’s Day through the eyes of someone in a relationship. The other dishes about Valentine’s Day as a perpetually single lady.
Love is a Many Splendored Thing by Aspen Grams
Ah, Valentine’s Day- the official day of love. This is the time of year when I am okay with PDA and ridiculously oversized teddy bears with hearts appliquéd on their feet (think the elevator scene with Willy and Felicia in “Valentine’s Day”).
On this day, I am swept off my feet by all the sappy romance. The bouquets of roses and boxes of chocolates- two of my favorite things- become even more meaningful, and who wouldn’t want to walk into their apartment to see it filled with roses like in “27 Dresses?”
I think Valentine’s Day is meant to be a little cheesy. The roses at the door, the special couple’s menus at restaurants and the heart-shaped box of filled chocolates that I probably won’t eat are pretty much tradition. Granted, I look for creativity and individuality when it comes to a V-Day date, but those things never get old.
I think it’s great that we have a designated day to parade around and say, “This person is special to me, and I’m going to prove it to everyone.” Valentine’s Day is as close as I can get to playing my life out in a movie because that is when guys are given the go-ahead to express themselves fully and let out their inner cheesemeister. They can be as lovey-dovey as they want, and I love to watch that happen.
I may front a tough exterior, but deep down inside, I am a bit of a hopeless romantic. I love hearing lines like “For what it’s worth, I’ve loved you since Tuesday” from “CSI: Las Vegas.” I long for the day Ashton Kutcher plays the guitar and tries to sing “I’ll Be There for You” outside my window; and if Gerard Butler ever dies and schedules for me to receive 10 love letters, I’m pretty sure I will cry every day for the rest of my life with the realization that he loved me so much.
I, just like Olive Penderghast from “Easy A,” would find it so romantic to have John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I would also find it fun to ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey- if I thought he was attractive (which I don’t), and I would love to have Judd Nelson thrusting his fist in the air because he knows he got me.
Those things are definitely movie moments that don’t happen in real life. That’s okay though; my Valentine is wonderful just the way he is. Honestly, I don’t really need Valentine’s Day to be romanced; Tina from “Glee” summed up the essence of my relationship when she told Mike, “Every day is Valentine’s Day when I’m with you.”
I’m hopelessly devoted to you … whoever ‘you’ are by Katie Steele
OK, people, I’m about to get real with you for a second about Valentine’s Day.
This year’s Valentine’s Day marks the 20th one in a row I’ve spent alone. Despite the fact that I’m always alone, the day still remains one of my favorite holidays of the year.
As one who grew up on all things Disney princess, I’ve longed for the day my prince would come since I can remember. I’ve just always been in love with love.
In high school, I was the girl who still passed out little Valentines to all her friends, whilst decked out in pink and red from my head down to my V-Day socked toes. I even had a springy headband one year with hearts attached to the top. Things haven’t changed much; if you see me on campus today, be sure to ask to see my socks.
What can I say? I’m a sappy, hopeless romantic all year long. I don’t need Valentine’s Day to be infatuated with someone or with the idea of love in general. I watch romantic comedies like they’re my lifelines, living vicariously through Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks or Drew Barrymore and that one-hit-wonder actor who played Mr. Coulson.
You can ask anyone who knew me in my teenage years (or even some people now) about the crushes I had. They change[d] weekly. I was what some would call “boy cuh-razy.”
Nevertheless, I spent all my Valentine’s Day mornings waking up to a cute new trinket (my favorite being my heart-adorned steering wheel cover I got my senior year from my dad) and box of candy from my parents. I even got flowers from my dad at school one year. But I’ve never had a boyfriend on Valentine’s Day.
I will tell you a secret, though. I’ve also never had a serious crush on Valentine’s Day – until now. I’ve always tried to refrain from crushing on someone, if only for this one day out of the year, to spare myself the heartache.
But this year, I’ve decided to be bold. Although I can’t yet call him my Valentine, this boy’s certainly got potential for next year. I’m definitely snagging him for the night for something. If nothing else, it’s better than sitting alone in my dorm room with a gallon of ice cream or a roll of cookie dough and watching “Sixteen Candles” for the millionth time in my life (although that’s not an entirely unpleasant prospect).
Wish me luck! And Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours!
