by Jala C. and Malaak W.
Many anticipate new beginnings as the calendar turns to a new year. However, there are many who cannot wait for a romantic holiday. Some people get excited by the prospect of being serenaded by their lover and receiving gifts like candy, flowers, and telegrams. When speaking to MRHS students and staff about Valentine's Day, the desire that someone will exhibit the adoration they have wished for is a common theme.
However, there are some other people who don't pay that much attention to anything that has to do with this love festival. When thinking about it do teenagers really care about it to the extent people believe they do? Whether they hate it or not it's either they think it's a distinctly dumb holiday or it's just a holiday for them to share the love.
Students who are in relationships and students who are not in relationships each bring a unique perspective to the table. In the course of conducting interviews with students, those who appeared to be in a romantic relationship viewed the occasion as a chance to express their feelings for their partner. 12th grader Malena Casch claims “Valentines is important, I think, because of the social significance it has on young people.” Malena also stated that she does enjoy being showered with gifts from her family and friends and that means more to her than romantic gifts.
Other students who were not already involved in a romantic partnership expressed the opinion that it was pointless; nevertheless, some viewed it as a means of giving attention to relationships other than romantic partnerships, such as expressing gratitude to friends. 12th grader Julia Blasingame said “I personally love gifts on Valentines but I think honestly it's an excuse to portray your feelings in the most cheesy way possible.” Several students have mentioned that they choose to celebrate the holiday with specialized presents, and many have even mentioned that they enjoy looking at the presents they get from their parents, friends, or mentors more. Whenever the holiday is observed in such a manner, it gives the impression of being something more significant to them than merely a display of affection.
Since Valentine's Day is important to many Americans, some agree that they should take the day off. Science teacher Mr. Davis says although he does enjoy going to school and doing Valentine's Day activities, he would indeed enjoy the day off from school to hang out with his wife and make plans. In addition to whether students cared about Valentine's day, he said he thinks that many students do care about Valentine's Day just to act like they don't care about it.Counseling staff member Ms.Gina she stated that having the day off would just be pointless because all restaurants will be overcrowded. She agreed that the day is more than romantic relationships and that “Galentine” can be a way of celebrating the holiday .
High school students, as a whole, hold a wide range of beliefs regarding this day. Teenagers in many movies always seem to be over the top filled with joy, but this appears to be somewhat untrue. Most simply just go about life that day the same as any other, and some just love to be doing anything having to do with Valentine's Day. Therefore, celebrating Valentine's Day is your choice, and with all love, it depends on who you want to spend it with. Who knows, maybe you should just take the day off and rest in the form of self-love.