February 14: V-Day or D-Day?

Ya know the old saying “don’t shoot the messenger?” Well, as I make this next, rather controversial announcement, I’m crossing my fingers that Cupid will be the only going after a target this weekend (is now a bad time to talk about arrow control?).

What I’m about to say may terrify you beyond belief, force you to rethink your very existence, or even purchase a one way ticket away from campus. Brace yourselves for what I’m about to tell you: Valentine’s Day is a mere four days away!

Now I know some of you are already rolling your eyes and prepping the witty captions attached to your Single’s Awareness profile pics, while others are creating a mental checklist of potential, for lack of a better word, booty-calls (someone fun, drama-free, and definitely non-committal).

Still others, are anxiously wondering how they’ll finish that midterm essay when bae has something special planned for all of Sunday night. If you are the latter, let me just add that we have no sympathy for you.

Whether you love or love to hate Valentine’s Day, if there’s one thing my Duke education has taught me, it’s that there’s no stopping time, especially when you have a problem set, memo, and oral presentation due on the same day.

So might as well do what they tell you upon arrival to Duke as a Freshman all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed: hope for the best, dream big, and remember you’re one of a thousand other valedictorians, Olympians, and world-renowned cup-stackers.

Or, if that doesn’t help, do as I do and just imagine wonderful scenarios in which you get all of those assignments done and still have time for a candlelit dinner at Geer Street Garden with your special someone (or casual hookup or BFF or Orgo professor if you’re trynna get that med school letter of rec). In any case, I’ve always found daydreaming to be a lot more entertaining than another boring ol’ summer research funding essay.

I asked my fellow Blue Devils to try it out and tell me how they’d spend Valentine’s Day in an ideal world. So, if you’re dying to know how to win the heart of that cutie on the quad, looking to see if anyone else despises this Hallmark Holiday just as much as you do, or would just rather not take notes on your professor’s lecture slides right now, read on.

“I plan to have the most luxurious day ever filled with chocolate covered strawberries and brunch and a romantic picnic and  a candlelit dinner – all with [my roommate] because #treatyoself.” – Nicolette S., Junior

“Wine, ice cream, snuggles, and a Miyazaki movie.” – Max D., Junior

“I would be snuggled up in bed with hot chocolate and a movie.” – Helen M., Sophomore

“I’d be a suntanned goddess on a yacht in the Mediterranean eating shrimp cocktails while my boyfriend plays the ukelele.” – Hala D. Junior

“I would do something exciting like going to an amusement park because then my date would always associate me with excitement and adventure.” – Amulya V., Freshman

“Well, my ideal Valentine’s Day starts with brunch with my girlfriend (in this hypothetical situation I have a girlfriend) at a place that has extra crispy bacon and vanilla french toast… then we snuggle and watch netflix (and chill!) all afternoon and then go to [my fraternity’s] Valentine’s Day party at night.” – Matt A., Junior

“I guess my ideal Valentine’s Day is being single with no attachments, looking for someone else with the same deal.” – Matt H., Junior

“A magical break from homework with nothing due the week thereafter.” – Hannah M., Sophomore

“My perfect ideal Valentine’s Day is a lunch date at the gardens with pizza from Enzo’s. Super chill and probably sunny so I can tan while we eat.” – Lorena G., Senior

“I would say ideally I would wanna spend some time out with my friends then eventually end up just me and a date for a more typical Valentine’s Day night.” – Taylor K., Junior

“I’d get a summer job offer.” – Maddie C., Junior

“While I do not approve of the gross profits that large corporations like hallmark make on Valentine’s Day, I try to enjoy it anyway. I have someone special on my mind this year, and my hopes are high.” – Andrew S., Junior

“A day alone with the person I love and no one else.” – John T., Junior

“I can’t choose between two extremes. My perfect Valentine’s Day is either spike ball and margaritas on a beach somewhere sunny and 75 or board games and hot chocolate by a fire somewhere cold and snowy.” – Ari B., Senior

“My ideal Valentine’s Day would be completely spontaneous, with some combination of an amazing adventure somewhere, having good food and finding a great place to dance at some point. Something romantic and fun and about spending time and getting to know each other better.” – James B., Senior

And as for me, you may ask as you sit at the very edge of your seat, dying to know how this hopeless romantic wishes to enjoy the day of love?

I want nothing more than to kick it with one of my favorite people in the world, Uzoma Ayogu (and by that I mean spend the whole night avoiding everyone else and catching up on the assignments that’ll we’ll undoubtedly have put off) in between scrolling through our Chrome-filtered Winter Formal pictures.

By the way, wanna go to Formal on Friday, Uzo?

However you spend this Valentine’s Day, I hope it’s relaxing, painless, and replete with half-eaten chocolate boxes.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Duke!