The fourteenth of February sparks an image of bouquets of flowers in hand, heart-shaped chocolate boxes, the sprinkles on sugar cookies and quality time spent with that special someone. For some, it is a holiday they anticipate every year, planning their date night and their gift purchasing the moment the birds chirp on the crisp morning of Feb. 1. For others, the holiday looks a little different, and for some it looks like little at all. Students on campus shared their upcoming plans for this Valentine’s Day in a flurry of varying details and smiles.
“I’m going to be visiting my boyfriend outside of Keene,” first-year Aliyah Fortier shared, a plan in line with a traditional Valentine’s Day.
“I’ll be going to Boston on that day, completely unrelated, with my friends who are not my lovers,” Aliyah’s tablemate, first-year Asher Knott said.
Student Ellie from England shared that her boyfriend is back in her home country, “so I’ll be having a ‘Galentine’s’ with my roommate.” Her tablemate, Lily, shared something a little similar. “I already celebrated Galentine’s with Phi Sigma Sigma, so that was what I was most looking forward to.”
In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, “Galentine’s” refers to a spin on the traditional Valentine’s Day holiday in which those in close female friendships cherish each other by spending the holiday amongst themselves rather than with a significant other, a symbol of platonic companionship and love.
“We’re having a Galentine’s too,” first-years Ari Garceau and Yakelin Gomez said.
“We’ll be going to see the men’s ice hockey game for senior night, then making chocolate-dipped strawberries afterwards,” Garceau explained.
Other students say they don’t have anything planned. “I don’t celebrate,” sophomore Lindo Vini said.
“I don’t celebrate either,” junior Brian O’Conner added.
“I’m not going to be celebrating, I usually don’t,” Abby Russell, another junior, shared. “There’s nothing for me to celebrate other than family. I prefer Galentine’s over Valentine’s.”
Some students may be a part of activities that prevent them from celebrating Valentine’s Day on the 14th, but have made plans to work around that.
“I have a conference meet on Valentine’s Day, but I made plans for the weekend after so I can still celebrate,” sophomore Emily Stokel, a member of the KSC swim and dive team, shared.
While the level of commitment to the holiday varies among the student population, every person on campus is bound to see at least one heart-shaped cutout somewhere this coming Saturday, a symbol that love is in the air.
Serena Taylor can be contacted at
staylor@kscequinox.com
