Has Valentine’s Day lost its heart?

By Karen Trinh

February 14^th is approaching, and flowers, chocolate, and handing out Valentine’s grams are on everybody’s minds.

I’m not a Valentine’s Day hater; I’m really not. I like watching happy couples and listening to people buzz about presents, surprises and romantic dates. It’s nice to have one day during the year when people do nice things for each other.

But I find it a little strange how most people spend Valentine’s Day being extra nice to someone they are already nice to on a regular basis. Meanwhile, people who usually go unnoticed and don’t receive as much attention, continue to be unnoticed and still don’t receive the attention they deserve.

For example, students have been busy buying $3 choir valentine grams for their best friends and significant others. It seems to make sense, because no one wants to spend money on someone they don’t know.

But perhaps this year, you shouldn’t shell out the $3 for your best friend, but for the guy who helped you with your Precalculus homework last week. Or for the girl who always says hello to you on your way to English. These people deserve to be told at least once a year that they are cared about, and grams are a great way to show it for once.

This Valentine’s Day, hopefully the love can be spread broader than it normally is.  Even if you don’t buy a choir gram for a stranger, a simple “hello” or a compliment might just make their Valentine’s Day much more meaningful. How hard can it be?  “Hello person-who-has-sat-behind-me-all-year.  How was your day? I’ve never told you this before, but I really like your shoes…”