Press "Enter" to skip to content

No date on Sunday? No problem

Feb. 14 means something different to everyone. For some, it is a celebration of all things pink, red, rosy and romantic. For others, it is the bleak anniversary of the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago. For others still, it is nothing more than a lazy Sunday.

Hallmark holiday or not, we should take this opportunity to indulge in chocolates and sappy romance movies. Regardless of whether you have a valentine, there is plenty to do, even if baby Cupids and heart-shaped doilies aren’t your thing.

Hand out old-school valentines- Think back to Valentine’s Day, circa first grade. Most schools required students who brought valentines to give one out to every student in the class.

That meant that you went home with about 25 Barbie and Power Ranger valentines with little chocolates taped to them. I don’t know about anyone else, but that was one of my favorite days of the year.

I continue that tradition with my friends to this day. Just because we’re older does not mean that candy and love notes, even if they say something like “I choo-choo-choose you!” have lost their appeal.

Call home-If you really want love this Valentine’s Day, make a phone call to a loved one. The best love is the unconditional kind, so call up a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle-whomever. Chances are, they’ll be excited to talk even for a little while and catch up.

Visit an animal shelter- Speaking of unconditional love, there are plenty of local animal shelters to stop by to pay a visit to cats, dogs and more. No, you can’t bring an animal back to your dorm, unless you happen to stumble across a fish at the shelter.

However, just having the chance to interact with someone new and maybe come out of their cage for a while can make an animal feel loved. Plus, it’s tough to ignore the allure of an afternoon spent playing with puppies.

Chill out- Whether it’s with a significant other, friends or by yourself, Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to spend all day on the couch, watching movies and indulging in your favorite snacks.

Some classic Valentine’s Day ideas include “Ghost,” “Prelude to a Kiss” and “The Notebook.” Or, if you’re not in the mood for love, a comedy like “The Hangover” or a horror flick like “My Bloody Valentine” could be more enticing.

Impress peers with your love knowledge- Did you know the average person falls in love approximately seven times before marriage or that most daters have their first kiss on the second date?

There are plenty of Web sites filled with love information and statistics, such as randomhistory.com and hemmy.net. They are also fantastic procrastination tools.

Blast some Michael Bolton- I’m just kidding. Unless of course you’re a Michael Bolton fan, in which case, go right ahead. The point is, do whatever it is you love.

Whether that includes making picture collages of your friends or watching television re-runs, set aside Valentine’s day for the people you love and the things you enjoy. If nothing else, it gives you a pretty good excuse to eat an entire box of chocolates in one sitting.

Heather Swick is a freshman journalism major from Schaumburg. She is a Scout staff reporter.
Direct questions, comments and other responses to hswick@mail.bradley.edu.

Copyright © 2023, The Scout, Bradley University. All rights reserved.
The Scout is published by members of the student body of Bradley University. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the University.