I passed out Valentine’s Day candy grams on campus to see how people would react

A small gesture goes a long way

Valentine’s Day is one of the most anticipated holidays every year and let’s face it, we’d be lying to ourselves if we denied the fact that we enjoy indulging ourselves in endless amounts of chocolate. Plus, who doesn’t love those memories of passing out Valentines to your friends in elementary school?

Even though we’re not in first grade anymore, it’s always nice to be thought of on the day of love even if you don’t have significant other to share it with. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I decided to channel my inner childhood and pass out candy grams on campus, and here’s what happened:

Yes, roses were involved

With roses and candy in hand, my first place of distribution was in my morning class. Since I still wasn’t sure of how people would react, I started by giving a rose and chocolate to my friend. She was genuinely excited and touched that I took the time to sort this out, as she responded with ‘Oh my god thank you so much! This is so sweet, I feel so bad I didn’t get you anything.’ Her smile was wide and I could tell she wasn’t expecting it.

Kiana’s face said it all

After my first giveaway I began looking for people who looked like they were stressed or needed a pick-me-up. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that I ran into someone who looked like she could use some cheering up. I gave her a goody, and all she could say between smiles was, ‘I really appreciate this, you’re so sweet!’ As the day progressed, the more it seemed like this elementary school throwback was taking effect.

Thank the housing service center assistant

Later on, I decided to branch out on my audience and started giving some to the people who work at the housing service center and the dining halls as a way to say thank you for their time. I slipped a candy gram to the girl who checked out my package at the front desk, and she was touched that a stranger would take the time to say thank you. In the evening I also handed some out to the dining hall staff, one of which hugged me since she had lost her voice so she couldn’t speak.

Operation Cupid

At the end of it all, taking the time to pass out the candy grams showed just how much a thought can go a long way. It doesn’t matter if you know the people or not, rather having the courage to talk to new people says another thing. Happy Valentine’s Day, let’s spread the love.

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University of Oregon