Paulina Howard \u201815
\nEE Senior Lifestyle Editor<\/p>\n
Tender kisses, long hugs under the moonlight, walks hand in hand on the beach, and romantic dinners at fancy restaurants are the common expectations that girls have when Valentine\u2019s Day, February 14th, comes around. Every year, it is the same expectations, some people consider them realistic, while others are just happy enough spending the day in each other\u2019s undivided attention; not having every day responsibilities getting in the way of each other\u2019s affection. But is Valentine\u2019s Day just another Hallmark holiday? Or is it a day that should be celebrated to its fullest, coming up with endless ways to woo your certain significant other? Love is in the eye of the beholder, so it is up to you my friends. <\/p>\n
When students were asked here at Trumbull High school their honest opinion about Valentine\u2019s Day, some became super excited to give their take on the holiday, while some became a bit more somber and bitter. Being told that it is \u201c…simply a holiday for the Romantics of the school and a tragedy for the forever alone\u201d was a common response in regards to students initial thoughts and opinions about Valentine\u2019s Day. Many students waved their arms around, pointing to the couples making out in the hallways, or the couples holding each other\u2019s hands while sharing coy smiles that hints at their \u201cteenage undying love\u201d for one another. \u201cIts bad enough that us lonely people have to be witnesses to their love everyday, so now there is a day to intensify this?! Lets just have a sign painted on my shirt to advertize my perpetual state of forever-aloneness!\u201d says a worked up senior.
\nHowever, our high school is not just filled with angsty teens who would give nothing more than to indulge in a bucket of ice cream on their own on Valentine\u2019s Day. The other half of the student population is excited for Valentine\u2019s Day, either for their own plans with their significant other, or with the possibility that something will happen on Valentine\u2019s Day. Since Valentine\u2019s Day is supposedly the day out of the year to profess your love to someone else, there is always that chance that that certain special someone will show up in your life and put a smile on your face. <\/p>\n
For students that are in relationship right now, there is always that question as to what to get your boyfriend or girlfriend as a \u201cspecial\u201d Valentine\u2019s Day gift, because that is what society expects you to do. Most girls expect a nice sterling silver heart necklace for a gift on Valentine\u2019s Day, because they use it as a token\/symbol for their relationship. But according to junior Lisa Gianinni, \u201cBeing with someone I love would be good enough for me. It [Valentine\u2019s Day] does not have to be elaborate. I hate how girls are whining about wanting certain things from their boyfriend. But you should have everything that you could want right in front of you. Because if you have someone who simply adores you back, that is enough for me.\u201d
\nBut the question of whether roses are too cliche to give on Valentine\u2019s Day and some boys struggle with whether or not they should buy them for their girlfriends. With roses being expensive to begin with because they have to be imported from Ecuador and Columbia, they are double the price on Valentine\u2019s Day because of their classic image of being a the flower of love and passion. So are roses a dated classic symbol of love that is out of style, or do girls still love receiving them? According to junior Hayley Giblin, \u201c I love getting roses. I think that they are super cute and show that he really cares.\u201d Lisa agrees that roses are a great gift. But on the other perspective, do guys really like buying them for their girls, or are roses a last thought to them when it comes to getting gifts for their girls? Thomas Prizio, a Trumbull High School junior says, \u201cI think that roses are sweet. They are indeed overused, but still extremely sweet. I would change it up with other flowers though to make it more personal to her likes.\u201d Modernizing the bouquet of flowers was a common occurrence with the boys opinions in regards to giving flowers. For Justin Ferriera, \u201cI think that roses are cliche but still sweet,\u201d he agrees with Thomas, \u201cbut I would add carnations to that bouquet to make them more appealing and more interesting than just roses.\u201d All in all, boys, roses are not a dying cause yet. They are still very much appreciated and well respected by the entire girl population. A survey was conducted and it showed that 93% of Trumbull High School girls would love to receive a bouquet of roses. It doesn\u2019t even have to be Valentine\u2019s Day. Even just surprising her one day with a bouquet might make her day and feel super loved. Trust me, you would get a lot of respect from her. <\/p>\n
Freshman year, every one reads William Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo and Juliet, and english classes debate to death if teenagers are capable of real love. With Romeo\u2019s famous quote, \u201cDid my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!\/ For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night\u201d (1.5.52-53), students at Trumbull High School do believe in the statistical probability of love at first sight. Both Lisa and Hayley agree that love at first sight is entirely realistic for teenagers, and anyone at any age for that matter. For, \u201cIf you see someone, not only do you find them attractive, but there is just a connection that you feel around them. I think thats love at first sight,\u201d says Lisa. Now, girls are not the only ones who believe in love at first sight. Everyone does at some point in their life. If you deny it, you are lying to yourself. As for Justin, \u201cI believe in love at first sight. Because there just has to be that one person in the world that is your other half. The person that completes you are makes you reach your full potential of your \u2018you-ness\u2019.\u201d To different people, their definition of love at first sight is obviously different. For some people it is seeing someone\u2019s confidence shine, the swoosh and shine of that special someone\u2019s hair, their shy smile, their sarcasm, their laugh, or even the eye contact they make. Because to Romeo, \u201cO, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!\/ It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night\/ Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;\/ Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!\u201d (1.5.45-47).<\/p>\n
Whether you are flying solo this year, or celebrating this day with your significant other, there is something to love in Valentine\u2019s Day for everyone. No matter how bitter or passive you are on the 14th, mocking all the couples, there is a part of you that longs for real love. You may have experienced love at first sight, or you may have been in love with the idea of love at some point in your life. Because, \u201cLove is the voice under all silences, the hope which has no opposite in fear; the strength so strong mere force is feebleness: the truth more first than sun, more last than star\u2026\u201d as best said by E.E. Cummings. So boys, there is no need to buy her expensive gifts, or go all out with fancy dinners. Having her be your only focus, giving her your undivided and respectful attention is the best gifts of all. Long walks on the beach or just a plain walk together is the ideal Valentine\u2019s Day outing any girl could ask for. So always remember that we accept the love that we think we deserve, and \u201cThe most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.\u201d said by Thich Nhat Hanh. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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